Blogger-break...?

OK, so I know I've sort of taken a very, very, very long Blogger break... ALRIGHT! I GOT A FACEBOOK AND NOW I'M DISTRACTED! For all the time I waste on my Dad's computer, you'd think I'd actually check this thing once in awhile... Hmmm... Anyhow!

I am getting super pumped for VDT!!! Too bad we have to wait a full year. ) : Both HP's will have come out by then! Speaking of movies, I also really want to see 'Sherlock Holmes' and 'The Princess and the Frog'. I know: polar opposites. But I love Sherlock Holmes mysteries and I grew up with Disney princesses so I desperately want to go to both! (Off topic... sorry.)

Winter break is here, so you'd think that I would be completely and totally free. Not so! Cheering for wrestling matches, delivering Christmas gift baskets with my mum, attempting to get ready for Christmas: my hands are full! BUT on the bright side, if the good Lord allows, I will hopefully see El and her family over New Year's. According to her cousin, I had better come and hang out or else it will be as "boring" as every other year. I don't see how that can be, especially if you load Elwen up on sugar, but alas... ( :

Alrighty well, I don't have very much time as of right now, so perhaps more later? Maybe I can come up with something that's remotely intellectual...

"A lady of Narnia must keep her head held high, even when most people would kill to see her fall."

PS- I still miss Vi. ) :

Why Hope? yHope!

I just had the most amazing weekend of my life. I am so happy right now... This Friday, a little after cheerleading yearbook pics, my parents, HoHo and I set out on a 3 hour drive to NEW YORK!!!

Why were we off on such a journey? Well, we were invited to join a group of young kids/adults (yHope) on an NYC retreat-esque thing. They were driving all the way up from BOSTON (aka The Home of the Enemy! LOL) and staying at a Jesuit retreat house. Let me tell you: these guys were just amazing.

I was so happy that my sister and I were accepted into the group. Everyone was great. Luke, who is 27, has a wife and kids and will be going to his 4th World Youth Day. (I hope I can see him there!) Marie is joining a convent in Spain, so hopefully our WYD group can make a short stop at their convent so I can visit her. (Starting in October, I can only send her letters.) And Kristen is going to be performing a play in our area soon! They were all so great, so inspiring. Natalia, Maria, Marie, Daniela, Louis, Tom, Luke, Angelique, Kateri, Kristen, and Fr. Mike were all so wonderful. We walked the streets of New York, praying along the way. Before we got a slice of pizza and were able to 'frolic in the park', the sisters at the book store even gave us homemade lemon cookies!!! When the whole thing was over, we ordered a massive amount of Chinese food and played riddle games. Mass was even more amazing: Luke on guitar (Van Wagner + Uncle Bill + Chris Winger + T. Daddy = LUKE!), Angelique in charge (music director person)... It was midnight by the time we finally retreated to our hotel. And Sunday morning!!! Two of my best friends in the entire world, Ashley and Janine, came up to visit with us and introduced me to a girl named Kayla. I was overwhelmed, we were having such a great time. It was so hard to leave. And as everyone from the Boston yHope group drove away, there was Marie, STILL taking pictures of us in the car.

I could cry it was all so wonderful. I laughed a lot, too. "Take the pebble from my hand, grasshopper..." "OKAY! MICKEY MICKEY MICKEY MOOOUUUSSSEEE!!!" Thank God for this kids.

Finally, please pray for a young guy named Louis. His family is here illegally technically, they are from Columbia and came to America because of their alcoholic father. He wants to become a priest, but he has no Social Security number and can't get into college. If they try and become citizens, they may be deported for entering illegally in the first place. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY, DANIELA AND HIS MOTHER. They need His grace.

"A lady of Narnia must try desperately not to cry while driving away from the best weekend of her life."

Current State of Union

1. I am now a high school girl!!! ("Yesterday we were girls, today, we're high school girls.") And I'm actually liking this. Taylor Swift's 'Fifteen' was running through my head all of first day, but I made it out alive. Better than alive: happy! (Monty Python... anybody get it? I think I'll take a walk now... LOL) Chorus is the definite highlight. Last period of the day + singing + awesome peeps = CHORUS. Between singing to my heart's content as well as chilling with the coolest and sweetest people on Earth (El, Jenn, Benji, Shane, Quinn, The Other Steven, and Hannah), I'm pretty happy. Just thought you'd like to know.

2. The Gentle is going nowhere. I need inspiration. Any takers?

3. Just one question: why can't we bang out Narnian movies FASTER!? VDT is ages away!!! Gimme a trailer, a poster, a television commerical, outrageous and pathetic Legos products, anything!!!

4. My El-radar (I think Elwen knows what I mean) is getting crazy accurate. I can even sense the people around her. When her cousins were in town, I knew before she even told me. Perhaps its cuz we share a brain???

5. New section: Anna's picks! Here's what I recommend for you to enjoy this week.
a) 'Falling Down' by Selena Gomez & The Scene (New album Sept. 29! Yessss!)
b) 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince' by J.K. Rowling (Brush up before the movie.)
c) On The Waterfront (Awesome movie... A good old classic. Great morals.)
I just felt like sharing. "I mix my meats! Gotta problem with that?"

6. Miley Cyrus is stalking me. I need Big Rob.

7) I have nothing much else to say today, nothing Narnian really... Anyways, comment and keep me company!!!

"A lady of Narnia must resist the urge to kiss up to seniors. ( ;"

Not All That Narnian...

"I don't wanna be afraid, I wanna wake up feeling beautiful today, and know that I'm okay cuz everyone's perfect in unusual ways. You see I just wanna believe in me."

- 'Believe In Me' by Demi Lovato

That song sometimes brings me to tears. If you listen to the full song, the lyrics and the tune perfectly describe how I feel about myself and the world. I find that it is a very inspiring and hopeful song that always makes me feel better.

If I could change the world in any small way, I would try and help people have a better view of themselves, mainly because I think of myself so poorly. Elwen knows more than anyone that I complain about myself a lot. Emma, too. But it is pretty difficult to have a healthy self-esteem when everything around you is perfection (or almost perfection).

As I always say, "The reason that girls have it harder than guys is because they have to look good for boys, other girls, and themselves." There's a lot of pressure. Not just the media, although that is a huge part of it. Part of my problem is that the people that surround me are all 'practically perfect in every way'.

Let's see... I cannot think of a single one of my friends who is not beautiful/handsome. I have never had a crush on any of my guy friends, but they are all good looking. Don't get me started on my girl friends. Elwen is probably the prettiest girl in our class. Think about it. Emma is a stick-skinny, fashionable, and very pretty girl. Calli is drop dead gorgeous, and I think that her older sister Elise is the most beautiful girl I have ever met. Sara is multi-talented, fun, and pretty. Ashley and Janine, who are both so amazingly beautiful that I'm surprised they like me, Rose, who's not only an amazing actress, singer, and fashionista, but is super cute, Anna Marie and Gracia, who are sooooooooooo pretty. And my own sister, too. I'm surrounded by these people all the time, and they're all nice, good people with talents and outstanding qualities and good looks and good grades. Then there's me. I sometimes wonder how these people got stuck with me. Inside and out, I figure that I am not good enough to deserve all of these girls/guys. I am not smart enough, not thin enough, not funny enough, not pretty enough, not brave enough, not this, that, etc.

But I have to wake myself up once and awhile. I am smart: I'm an honor student. (Hehe... Doigel...) I am smart: I made El's Dad pull over, made Mikayla H. snort while laughing, and have created most of my family's inside jokes. I don't know about thin... LOL. I am at the very least somewhat pretty, because I have been told before. And I am brave enough: I stood up for friends when no one else would (6th grade of EVIL). Unless I have a month and can whip up some Polyjuice Potion (more Harry Potter, sorry), I am still going to be me today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life. So I had better make the best of it.

(Note: Check out http://www.dove.us/#/features/videos/default.aspx[cp-documentid=8354359]/ and watch 'Under Pressure' followed by 'Evolution'. Both were real eye-openers. And listen to 'Believe in Me'. And buy me some chocolate.)

"A lady of Narnia must try and not lose her mind when she is stuck in a super small van for 6 stinkin' hours!!!"

A Montage

TOMORROW NIGHT IS HIGH SCHOOL ORIENTATION! I think I'm going to die... The seniors are going to beat me up, Elwen. Here is a montage of what's going on in my brain.

"Does anyone realize how hard it was to resist those Narnian bookmarks at the gift shop? It was very hard. Very, very hard. And Susan's, like, was so awesome, and Peter's was, like, also awesome. Ed's was okay... Lu's wasn't very nicely done... WHY THE HECK IS THE WHITE WITCH HERE!? WHAT DID SHE EVER DO FOR ANYONE? I'll be sleeping with the television, sleeping with the television, sleeping with the television onnnnnn... I like ice cream bars. I liked the 50's. Lauryn has a Twitter. Sweet. Yes, Janine and I are both hopeless romantics! I'm not alone! OMG, free postcards! I'll write one to Bob, my imaginary friend from Toledo. 'Dear Bob...' I don't like that guy either, Mom. He's pretty biased. The youth group is using my cake idea!!! I won't be there, I'll be off being cool with Ash, Janine, Rose, Jean Marie, Sean, hopefully Bobby and Ikaika, Jess... What was I talking about again? I'm failing in school, I'm losing my friends, I'm making my family lose their minds, don't wanna eat, don't wanna sleep... Ron the Marshmellow Man is my new BFF. I've learned you can dance and still look tough any-waaaay... AKA, the Ode to Neville. My back still hurts. I feel old. NO, GRAMMY, THAT'S MY TWENTY DOLLAR BILL! I named my guitars Joel and Neil. Joel is dead, Neil is practically disabled. Oh wait... Its almost high school time... I feal weak... Why is the room spinning? Am I in heaven or just a jelly filled donut? Oh man, nobody but HoHo knows what I'm talking about. I liked going on that hike. Dad was Moses and HoHo and I had Wizard Wars. Well, kind of. There was too much chlorine in the pool. School, right... Bad... Anyways, those fries at the park were soooo awesome, although the guy behind me ordered fries, 2 hot dogs, and pizza. My parents are stalking me to Europe. Awesome! What? School in a week? You've got to be kidding me!"

Anyways, as you can see my brain is jumbled with many thoughts. Tempting pointless merchandise, getting stuck in the same stupid Boy Boat, love of food, inside jokes, and food. Elwen: can you believe how close we are to school? I'm getting nervous. As I always say: "Who needs a hug?" (Or, "You're dead. You need a hug.") Please help me!!!

"A lady of Narnia must be very careful with the waffle maker. Veryyyy careful..."

Fearless!

"... And I don't know how it gets better than this, you take my hand and drag me headfirst, fearless. And I don't know why with, with you I'd dance in a storm in my best dress, fearless."

- "Fearless", by Taylor Swift

We all have fears. Some of them or worse that others. But we all have a deep, dark fear, one that can paralyze and terrorize us.

I know what Elwen is thinking right now. For some, it is indeed fire or claustrophobia. I know what HoHo is thinking right now. Yes, and for some it is spiders and giant flying biting stalker beetles. But we are all scared of something.

I started thinking about this after watching The Prisoner of Azkaban with my sisters. For those of you that don't know much about Harry Potter (I'm knew, I think El hates me, but...), there's this being called a boggart, which takes the form of whatever we are scared of most. It can form a scary Potions teacher, a snake, a spider, anything. I began to wonder what it would take form of in my case.

I hate bugs. Maybe it would become a giant insect. (Which I could put on rollerblades! "Spiders... they want me to tapdance..." Oh gosh, I'm losing it.)

Or darkness. I hate being outside in the dark while alone.

I don't think it would become fire, Elwen, I really don't.

I don't really have a good idea of what it would become, actually. I'm thinking a dementor, because like Harry, the main thing that I fear is fear itself. I'm scared of being scared. Well, anyways, the boggart just got me thinking. How is that we cope with our fears?

We can run from them, we can try and hide from them, or we can deny that they are there. Or we can face them. I'm not asking you to purposefully shut off the lights or go looking for spiders or make yourself bleed. But if we can put our trust in God (Aslan), we'll be just like a noble warrior of Narnia. Facing our fears, overcoming hardship, and doing our very best and being truly, truly FEARLESS.

"A lady of Narnia must try not to cry when J.P. keeps saying 'Bye, I'll never see you again!'"

The Gift of a Friend

Dictionary Definition
friend - (noun) 1. a person attatched to another by feelings or affection or personal regard
2. a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter
3. a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile
4. a member of the same nation, party, etc.
5. a member of the religious society of Friends; Quaker


My Definition
friend - (noun) 1. a person who is trusthworthy, honest, and loyal to you, all the time
2. a person who is respectful and understanding and gives you your space
3. a person who can make you laugh even when your heart is aching
4. a person who sees you differences and your flaws and doesn't seem to mind
5. "The world comes to life, and everything's right, from beginning to end when you have a friend by your side, it helps you to find the beauty you are when you open your heart and believe in the gift of a friend." - Gift of a Friend by Demi Lovato (I think that song says it all if you've ever heard it.)

Why am I posting about friendship? I don't really know... Maybe its because I haven't seen many friends lately, and I'm beginning to miss them all. Maybe its because I've been hurt by someone and need to remember what true friends are like. Maybe it's because I read too much and watch too many movies and I see what can happen when someone doesn't know what true friendship is. Maybe it's all of those things. I guess the world will never know what goes on in my brain. ( ;

OK, I think that was enough sappy-ness for today. Anyhow, it would appear that I must be going in order to fufill the day's duties ("Hehe, you said 'duty'." Quotacious...), so I'll be off.

"A lady of Narnia must try and not totally and completely panic when some idiot decided that it would be a great roadwork project to take out all the guide rails off the side of a dangerous cliff."

Boredom Is My New Best Friend!

Ohhhkayyy, I have to admit that I have been terribly bored for the past few days. Elwen is FINALLY back from Camp Freedom, so I guess that's a good thing. However, I have spent 3 out of 7 days sitting poolside, over-heating, over-eating and over-reading. Its a wonder that I haven't burned to a crisp (like poor El), but sunscreen works wonders when reapplied religiously. Over-heating: I winced in pain as my feet burned on the pavement. Over-eating: I've had enough M&M's and potato chips to last me a lifetime. Over-reading: I went through 6 of the 7 Harry Potter books in a week and a half. What else? OCD (Obsessive Cheerleading Disorder), OMED (Obsessive Marshmellow Eating Disorder) and a little bit of OPBD (Obsessive Peanut Butter Disorder). Interesting July, hmm? (Oh, and I'm a year older now. ( :)

So what if I'm bored? I shouldn't be bored. Considering that there are 3 new TV episodes tonight followed by The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and a picnic to attend. But alas, I am feeling rather 'droll'. (HoHo? Get my joke? NO? Uh...) Alrighty then... I think I'll go all poetic on you... That'll work... Here's a poem... Yah.

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Give me your money

Or I'll kill you!!!

OK, that obviously did not cure my bored or my anger management issues... I'm afraid I have to go. I'm sure I'll think of something to post later... I'll get something up later that's loads better. I love you guys!

"A lady of Narnia must forgive and attempt to forget, even if others tend to be a little bit more stubborn."

"For Narnia! And for Aslan!"

I shouted that in my head mentally today, as I was confronted with what (according to Janine) is "just what high school is like".

I volunteer at our town's hospital and work with a bunch of other kids and a few adults. We weren't getting a lot of calls so everyone was sitting around and playing cards. Mid-conversation, one of the boys I was working with gave me a very direct question.

"Are you Christian?"

My reply was : "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Are your parents, like, strict Christians?"

"What do you mean by 'strict'?" I recalled a saying that went something along the lines of (don't quote me on this one) 'Love God first, then do whatever you want second.'

"You know: strict."

"They trust me and let me make my own decisions." I had no idea what this guy was getting at. I love being a Christian myself, and it has nothing to do with my parents.

"Do you like Narnia?"

I thought we had a conversation finally going. "Of course!"

"I'm leaving. Don't follow me." He got up suddenly and left the room. A minute or two later he returned and said, "I'm done throwing up."

The conversation drifted elsewhere thanks to a bunch of other kids chatting about less personal stuff. He beat me at cards three times in a row, then hit all the buttons on the elevator when I needed to get back down to the first floor. (6 floors... funnnn...)

Tell me that I handled this right. I didn't want to start a fight, especially considering the fact I have to see this kid once a week. ("First, make friends with your opponents. It will become easier to persuade them." Somethin' like that...) I hope I handled this properly... I still don't know what this kid wanted to get out of me. I just hope I did the right thing.

"A lady of Narnia must try and contain her anger when this same guy says she makes funny faces when doing her British accent... do I? Seriously?"

Remember When?

Thanks, Elwen, for inspiring me to write this post. (You can read her post, 'A trip down Memory Lane' at www.narnianindisguise.blogspot.com) You got me thinking about my childhood and also my Narnian history.

Let's begin with my first Narnian experience. My father came home one day, raving about these books that were classics and they were so wonderful and I should be a good student and read them someday. 7 books in a nice, neat, boxed set were placed on my bookshelf, not to be read until years later.

Along with the books came a collection of films, a.k.a. the BBC productions of The Chronicles of Narnia. Let's just say that my first taste of Narnia was not my favorite. My sisters and I were slightly terrified by Reep (looked more like Chuck E. Cheese) and Lucy's bucked teeth. After watching the movies a few times, I decided to 'take a break' from Narnia.

Years later, out comes 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'. I had managed to get through the first three books of the series as a young child, but my memories were distant and faint. Watching the movie resparked my interest. I read all seven books. Correction: DEVOURED all seven books. I talked to myself, laughed, cried, and talked of nothing but Narnia at family dinner conversations. I was hooked.

After completing the final book, 'The Last Battle', I was an emotional wreck. C.S. Lewis had purposefully left Susan's fate for the imagination, and I was distraught. I continued reading, however, and I am still working on 'A Field Guide to Narnia'. I also read books concerning the making of the movies, more facts about Narnia, 100 most asked questions about Narnia (didn't find out much but what Turkish Delight really is, questions were aimed for young children), and a guide to accompany Prince Caspian.

Prince Caspian was in theaters, but of course, I missed it. I waited until Christmas, begging for the DVD. I finally had the shiny disk in my hand by December 25th. A few days later, my sister and I stayed up until 1:00 AM, giving ourselves a private, bedroom screening on another sister's portable DVD player. I woke up a few people when I shrieked during the intense battle scenes and I couldn't stop correcting ever little detail that was off. (My only real disappointment: RUINING PETER PEVENSIE'S CHARACTER!!!)

So here I am today, anxiously awaiting 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'. Still reading, still watching the films, and writing an ever growing line of Narnian fanfics. That is my not very exciting Narnian history. I challenge you to post yours, because I would love to know how you ended up at this website.

Now, for specificially Elwen's reading enjoyment... MY MEMORY LANE! My isn't nearly as interesting as hers and is noticably illustration free, but i would love to play a game of 'Remember When'.

Remember when...
We first met?
Your brother ended up taking his nap in my bed?
I hit my head on a church pew?
Our families went swimming?
You had that great Christmas party?
Your mother wore my shirt?
We sat together in church?
I cried at a slumber party?
You got super hyper after the football game?
Only you showed up for my 13th b-day party?
We had fun at the church picnic?
I spotted you at the amusement park?
We went skating?
We watched 'Battle of the Boys'?
You turned 'tomato red'?
We began spontaneously skipping?
You came to my graduation?
I made your family laugh so hard in the car we pulled over?
I gave you my painting?
We worked together at VBS?
We both made Narnian crowns?
I took you to Night At the Museum 2?
You first heard Demi Lovato?
I first heard Relient K?
We all ran outside and hugged your dad?
We had our amazing 'photoshoot'?
I first went up inside your treehouse?
I slipped twice on the stairs?
You slipped on the stairs?
You gave me my friendship bracelet?
I danced with a rope?
We argued over the true nature of cats?
Your mom's hair nearly set on fire on her birthday?
The day where you came to my school and got us extra recess?
The day you told me Phil was coming to school instead of you?
When your cousin thought HoHo was older than me?
We stayed up late writing our joined fanfic?
I told you that you were my best and most trusted friend in the entire universe? Oh wait, that's right now.

I love you, Elwen, and I miss you so much on vacation. I miss all of my friends and all of my family. I miss our stupid newspaper and laughing at inside jokes. I miss my Mom saying goodnight and my Dad blessing me. I miss knowing where everything is in the house and coming to your house on Monday nights. I miss everything so much, and if I may dare say it, I'll be happy when I'm home.

"A lady of Narnia must try and not choke her sister when she can't swallow the stupid pill. Grrrrrrr..."

Return of the Blogger

Sorry I've been gone for so long! I've been crazy busy, especially with CHEER CAMP!!! My new team is awesome. I have to admit that I can be a bit of an upperclassmen kiss-up, but I have to admit, I think I sort of like them better than some of the girls in my grade. NOT YOU, EL! I'll fill you in later. There are some things we must discuss dear. ( ; I only wish you could have seen our DHS Wonder Woman hair! It was amazing! We also had Michael Jackson Day. That was cool. We danced to 'Thriller' and 'Beat It' and stuff. Let's see, unrelated to Narnian things I want to tell my friends... My family (not me, though) spent the past four days at my cousins' house and apparently had a ball. We also found out that my mother may possibly maybe ever so slighly considering a dog!!! HoHo was like, "We were talking about dog names and we wanted to name them after a famous person. We were like, Swift? No. Joel? No. (Kinda cute, actually.) Lovato? No. Then we were like, COSTELLO!" Then I said, "I WAS JUST THINKING THAT A FEW DAYS AGO!" Then we figured out then when I marry Nick Jonas, our dogs will be Elvis and Costello!!! YAY!

Back to Narnia... HAPPY 14TH, GEORGIE HENLEY! Gosh, we love you! ("Big fan, big fan.") I am only a few days younger than you, girl! This is so cool! Good luck with VDT and another amazing year.

Well, uh, the Narnian front is kinda slow for me right now... Or at least I think it is... I have been computer-less for the past few days. You wouldn't believe camp: we were working out non-stop. I mean NON-STOP. El, next time your bro makes fun of cheerleaders, I am going to beat him to a pulp. I can hardly move right now. Unfortunately, another team got what should have been our Top Banana ("We didn't even get Gatorade!" - Cara) but things went well. Well, I have to catch up on things so...

"A lady of Narnia must try and not punch a girl's lights out when the girl is hollering at her to shut the lights off."

The L, The W, and The W Disney Premiere

Just finished watching the Disney premiere... There were technical issues at the end, so part of the ending got cut off and the sound got cut and I had to fill in the lines for my family. I was getting really upset, so my mom told me that "I need a life" (dead serious). I bawled like a baby at the end, and my sisters laughed at me because my make-up was all messed up all over my face. So, that was about it. I wish El could have been here, watching me shout at the television even though I have seen the movie at least a thousand times, crying when Aslan died, holding my breath during the battle scenes, smiling like an idiot at every happy part. I have to admit that The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is my favorite book/movie, the Pevensies are my favorite Narnian/Earth travelers, and Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers are my favorite Narnian friends. So... that's about it, folks.

Thinking Aloud

As of right now, I am thinking aloud. Please excuse the occasional random thought: I had nothing better to post!

I went through two hours of nonstop hard core excercise this morning. Cheerleading is most certainly a sport, and anyone who would beg to differ better show up at my next practice. We kicked the morning off by doing tons of running. Then there were push ups/sprints/crunches. We learned a dance in a few minutes, leaving me confused and looking stupid and slow compared to my teammates. (Not to mention I hardly know anyone... I miss Jordan's humor, Emma's laughter, and my sweet Calli!) Stunting went terribly. I am still pretty new to basing, and I was thrown into a sequence I hardly knew with a flyer that I didn't know very well either. The pressure was killing me, and no matter how hard I tried, I would dip too low and we would crash 50% of the time. Trust me: I have this GIANT bruise on my upper leg to prove it. There were tons and tons of nonstop jumps, leg lifts that sent searing pain up my legs, what will eventually rack up to be dozens of sidelines that were all memorized in seconds, and the occasional break for water. I came home sore and tired, and I could feel the definition of every single one of my muscles. And I still love the sport!

I would have studied for Physical Science, but right as I plopped on the couch Mother Dearest and the family clan arrived with a truckloud of guests which included Katie and Alyssa, which turned into four hours of pure insanity. I thought I had an hour before I had to baby-sit, but I was racing out the door the instant Alyssa had gone home.

Both girls were well behaved, and it was actually just as much fun for me as it was for them. We spent the first hour talking about yearbook, music, the 'questionable existence of Taylor Swift', Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and yes, Narnia. We filled one another in on our favorite series, and I had a great time. I fed the girls dinner, we watched Myth Busters and researched pictures on the Internet, enjoying a good amount of time laughing at the BBC Narnia films. The girls were happy that their teeth was not as bad as Lucy's. Lastly, we went out into the backyard and they taught me how to use their rope swings. It was actually really fun... I basically got paid to have a great time.

So here I am... I crammed in some studying, my arms are sore, I have to be up at 6:00 tomorrow to spend countless hours helping out at the hospital, and I have no idea whether or not El is coming to my house and whether or not I have more cheerleading Saturday. So there you have it. My mind, poured out onto this webpage, so that you could waste a few more minutes of your life bothering to read about me.

"A lady of Narnia must mind where she puts her head, because she may end up hitting her head a record breaking total of 11 times!"

One More Thing!

I believed I said something about posting about why I/we/etc. love Narnia so much. Considering I am having the absolute slowest day of my life, I have plenty of time to type. (I walked in slow motion for 10 minutes waiting for my dad. I am practically bored to tears right now.)

There's just something about Narnia. We can explain it as best as we can, but it will never, ever suffice. We love Narnia because it is a place where boys become men, where girls can be warriors, where adventure is inevitable, where animals talk, where magic is possible, where children are leaders. We're addicted to it because it gives us hope, it gives us a sense of purpose, and mainly because it helps us to see the magic in our daily lives. Once we picture our world a little differently, everything is an adventure. Nobody is just 'some kid', everybody is 'someone'. In Narnia, nothing is ordinary. Even the most ill tempered, cruel, dishonest, and overall rude (*cough* Eustace *cough*) can become great. We believe it because we want to, we need to, we basically have to. It exists because we make it so, and because it always has, whether we can see it or not. If you choose it not to be real, it won't, at least not for you. Narnia is a place we can all get to, but only with our consent. You just have to believe.

... Was that deep and fancy enough?

"A lady of Narnia must keep calm when her sister has been banging on the door for what appears to be two minutes straight, if her clock is correct..."

Chapter Four, peeps!

Yes! I have finally finished Chapter Four of "The Gentle"! Sometime soon, when this Narnian fanfic is complete, I will set up something somehow so that you can view the entire thing and not have to search this entire blog for the previous chapters. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter Four

Susan boarded a train the very next day. But no matter how fast the locomotive steamed ahead, her heart was back in London. In her bag were a few memoirs, things to try and keep her family close. She had held onto Lucy's diary, hoping to read some happier entries. The letter from the Professor to remember the times they had spent together. From her mother she had taken a silver pendant, which currently dangled from her neck. She had saved her father's old pipe, mainly because the scent of it made her think of home. Susan had found a small teddy bear: Edmund's, one from many years ago that he had forgotten around the age of five. She had even saved that hideous shirt of Peter's, and she smiled every time she saw it. The other items in her bag were her own belongings: clothing, a journal, jewelry, books, and other such things. And the train kept plunging ahead.
Susan slept. She ate. She read. But no matter what she did, she couldn't stop feeling so homesick. Grandmother's was only fifteen minutes away by now.
A horrible thought crossed Susan's mind. Her entire family had just died on a train, and here she was, riding one. Her stomach lurched and her head throbbed. The stress was becoming unbearable.
The minutes dragged by until the train finally pulled into the station. Susan pushed past passengers, eager to get off. She was finally standing on the platform, and the train raced off into the distance. She hadn't told her grandmother that she was coming, so no one was waiting for her. She would just have to walk.
Luckily, Grandmother's house was right in town and not very far from the station. Susan gather her things and buttoned up her coat. She stepped off the platform and began her journey.
Buildings towered above her, and people and cars buzzed by. People were shouting, children were laughing, babies were crying. Her heels made a clicking sound on the old cobblestone streets (Grandmother lived in a very historical, old town). In all of the noise, Susan could have sworn she heard music. It was faint and far off, but still very beautiful. It was so familiar... It reminded her of the time that she and her siblings had attended this gorgeous ball in Terebinthia, and there was all this dancing... Lucy got so tired of dancing they had to retire early.
"A stupid game," Susan muttered to herself, and a young boy looked at her like she was crazy. Susan ignored him and hurried along.
She could have sworn she smelled horses, the musky but soothing smell of horses. The memories were beginning to come back. Her horse's name was Rider, and they had spent so much time talking...
"I need sleep," Susan murmured, turning onto Grandmother's street. She saw a small group of boys playing, pretending that they were pirates fighting with swords. Before she knew what she was doing, Susan had gone over to them and was talking with the youngest boy.
"Here," she said, carefully taking the wooden sword from his hands. "Hold it like this. And watch were you point it: you don't want to be caught off guard." The boy held the sword as she instructed and almost immediately had the tip pointed at another boy's chest.
"Gee, thanks Miss!" he said, smiling. Susan smiled and turned to go to Grandmother's house.
What had she just done? How did she know? But Susan was beginning to remember. The first few years in Narnia were coming back to her, foggy and distant, but they were there. "All pretend," she told herself, then rang Grandmother's doorbell. "So I know how to hold a sword? I was playing that game for years, of course I know how to---"
"Susan?" Grandmother gasped as she opened the door. "Oh, dearie..." She pulled Susan into a hug, and they were both crying once again. A strange thought crossed Susan's mind: she was beginning to wish that her childhood games were real.

Horrible. Terrible. I know. But as my parents would say, "I'm only tryin' to git er' done!" I feel guilty, not having posted about it in so long! So there. Until next time...

"A lady of Narnia must not scream when she thinks that the pot of water she is boiling might explode."

Movie Premiere

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Disney Channel. June 19th. UNINTERUPTED. I didn't breathe for half the commercial. Ohhhhh yes... The commerical was so dang cool, I was swept away by the awesomeness of Narnia that even as a super fan I cannot yet comprehend! Watch it with me, El? If you happen to be in my neck of the woods. ( ;

I Have Returned

I have returned! (Bum bum bum bummm...) With a vengence! (Bum bum bum BUM!) LOL, just kidding! I just haven't posted in a little while because, well, I still have nothing to post about. I'll give you some updates on my life real quick and we can begin.

Okay. We kicked of GNO at El's house with melt in your mouth brownies, discussions concerning the pronunciation of gnomes, cousins, prom, whipped cream, counting the number of Joe's we know/know of (lots...), a short mention of Emma's laugh, the color of Elwen's bedroom, and the occasional outburst of laughter because of an inside joke. Oh! And I sang 'This Is Me' in Spanish ('Lo Que Soy', fyi) while everyone else sang in English while we walked Jenny home. I can tell this is going to be a great GNO filled summer, except for the fact that the GNO curse means that Em is moving. ) : Life can be cruel. Alright... I survived June 6th, the anniversary of D-Day, which was also what I had been calling My D-Day so I was freaked out when I realized that coincidence. The next day was the day of my grad party, which went wonderfully (ignoring the fact that Chrissy and Becca were both hit with the football) and ended with a water fight. And that's about it.

I should probably work on "The Gentle", so I will struggle with the new chapter in order to please you all.

What? Ohhhkayyyy, what's happening? I'm dead serious guys. This is NOT a joke. My Dad put on this See No Evil program so that we would never see bad stuff on the Internet. All that its done is randomly blocked websites. AND IT WON'T LET ME VIEW MY OWN BLOG. I'm not positive where I left off... Uh... Can we, er, work on this at another time? Sorry!

Let's see... Other topics... I need more planning time!!! Stephen's Lucy vs. Susan controversy... nah, too obvious... What is the first thing you would...? No, that's stupid... um, the Narnian Bird of Freedom? Better not go there... Okay. I think I have something.

I want to ask everyone a question and I want them to post their reply. What is, in your opinion, that makes Narnia so dang interesting? Why are we sitting around on our Narnian blogs writing about Narnia and I'm reading books about the books after reading the books? I'll post my reply once I see your answers. (Good thinking on a short notice, am I right? Huh? Huh?)

"A lady of Narnia must be very careful not to bang her head of Elwen's table, because she of all people knows just how painful it is to smash you head on wood. Specifically church pews."

No Need to Say Goodbye

The Call is such an appropriate song right now. I graduate tonight, and I am feeling so sentimental... "See this freckle? I had it when I slid into home base even though the ground was gravel." "See this eyelash? I had it when we fit eight people into a 2ft by 2ft square." "See this hair? I had it when Matt told me I would be hot if I wasn't so ugly." (Those were all 100% true, people. And strangely, I laughed during every event.) Yes... the good ol' days...

How did our Narnian friends do it? I mean, I just have to adjust to a new school, not a new world (or old world, I should say)! Not to mention the people that came and went, the time that they could never get back. "Time only goes one way, time only knows one way, and it don't come back." I'm pretty sure I got that lyric correct. But isn't it the truth? I don't know if C.S. Lewis saw it this way, but if I had been one of the children going to one world and then the next, I would be very emotional.

I will try and be like a Friend of Narnia and be strong, even when the world(s) change around me, when people come and go, when time passes me by. I can't promise I'll succeed, but I'll try.

Mass is at 7:00 tonight for whoever wishes to come. There will be food and a small celebration afterwards in the basement. (*ahem* Elwen!)

"A lady of Narnia must do her best to keep her promises, even if they ruin her entire day and leave her sitting alone on a swing all by herself."

Living La Vida Narnian!

Wow, so much to talk about... Uh... Life is just crazy right now, so I'll give you some updates on me and then go all Narnian-y.

I went up to the lake a little while ago with a family with SEVEN KIDS. We had what I like to call the Great Narnian Debate, where my friend Steven got Lucy and Susan confused and pretty soon we were yelling at each other... There was a big wooden boat and I dubbed it the Dawn Treader and I had to be pulled away... Oh! And I was mesmerized by this lion! I stared at it for 15 minutes while everyone else ate ice cream! My mother dragged me away from that too. Um... I miss Janine, Ashley, Gracia, Anna Marie and just plain everyone so badly it hurts, and I cannot wait for June 6th to be a day of the past. Graduation on Monday, FYI, Purple Palooza/my part-ay on other Monday... Cannot wait for 'One In the Same' premiere, 'Paranoid' vid rocked, if you don't understand me right now that's good... Ta da!

'The Gentle' is soooooo unbelievably slow in coming. STILL waiting for suggestions, but alas... 'UNF3' is going well, and just wait until Elwen gets a taste of what is yet to come!

Okay, Narnia! Um, hate to say it, but I'm drawing a blank. I am a terrible person, I know, a selfish, bratty, loud, annoying, misunderstood person who just can't think straight right now and needs an Aspirin. We'll continue this later... I think.

Still Here

I have not faded into oblivion, I simply took a blogging break. Not very long, though, considering that my life right now is on a computer. Almost all of my friends mainly keep in contact with me through e-mail since I go to a different school or live in a different state or country or something, so there's my social life. Not to mention the fact that I made a major rookie mistake on my Girl Scout project, and now I'm paying for it. ("Curse you Frankish King Peppin the Short..." Oh, I shall be avenged...) Anyhow...

El and I had a lovely time last night. Let's see... She arrived at my house sometime after 3:00... Basically, the afternoon was spent with looking up videos on the Internet (Cherub Bootcamp! Yes!), NOT working on our 'joint effort' book, talking to Mr. Tumnus, eating pizza, and watching exclusive Demi Lovato footage from my Don't Forget Deluxe Edition CD/DVD package. Then we headed out to see 'Night at the Museum 2' ("Don't mess with him, he has a Tommy.") and my totally awesome teacher Mr. Ferdock showed up to pick up his daughter! I was fired from yearbook, but I was the last to go, but we're letting Murphy think she was the last so that she won't kill me. We discussed 'my future' (ohmygosh, you have to save me El, please) and enjoyed more Demi on the car ride home. Now Elwen wants to buy 'Don't Forget', mainly for 'Two Different Worlds' collide a.k.a. our theme song. And that was our evening!

Back on the Narnian front, I don't really have all that much to say. I still need help for 'The Gentle', so would someone please post a comment regarding the next chapter! I haven't had any time to work on it with this GS thing, and I messed up part of it and my leader is furious with me. I have been working and worrying non-stop, and I barely even remember what I wrote last.

My sisters (that includes El) have a theory that when that evil wardrobe fell on me, I was being called to Narnia. Perhaps? I will post more later, when my mind is clearer and I'm not in a terrible rush to get on the road. (*sigh* "I am so misunderstood." ( ;)

"A lady of Narnia mustn't keep babbling on about the Tommy gun during a movie, because they don't even bother to use it in the film." (Which they should, because then that 'Battle of the Smithsonian' thing would be over in a flash, and don't tell me they don't have ammo because somehow the first plane was able to fly more than 20 seconds so anything can happen.)

The Beginning of the End

For me, this is the beginning of the end. School is coming to a close, and I am getting really sentimental. Watching Mr. Ferdock delete all of our yearbook folders, finishing my personal yearbook page, realizing that Emma (AND Jack AND Jordan AND Katie) and I only have one more summer together. Yesterday in voice lessons, my Skandar fangirls and I were joking around in British accents. I must have said something about Sara getting Skandar which made overprotective Emma VERY angry. Although she is about 1 ft. shorter than me, she tackled me to the ground. (?) I'm going to miss all of the yearbook quotes (Most of them have to do with Skandar, which is what happens when 3 of your best friends are obsessed.) I want it to be summer and all, but now I don't want to let the past go. High school sounds awesome and all, but it isn't SJS. You know?

And imagine how it felt for all of the Narnian characters when they returned from Narnia. You have something so great and then... it's gone. Poof! The Pevensies, Eustace, Jill, Digory, Polly, all of them had to go to the beginning of the end, sometimes more than once. I believe that C.S. Lewis said something about how he didn't think that the children would have much of a problem getting used to their old world and in some cases, age again. But for me, the end is the saddest part of the story.

See guys! Sure, I cry a lot, but there is a reason!

"A lady of Narnia mustn't drive her parents crazy with a really weird '80's song or else her sister might injure both her hand and her elbow."

My Diary

OK, so this isn't REALLY my diary. My diary kinda hasn't been written in since, like, months ago. There's nothing juicy in it. Although my old one... That might be used as blackmail. I had a dark past? Hehe... he... he... Actually, I just didn't have a title for this post. So... yah. Just some updates on me, the Narnian front, and other notes, ramblings, quotes, jokes, and more. I shall adapts El's points of interest again!

1) On a not-so-Narnian note, NEW JONAS BROTHERS ALBUM! June 15th, 'Lines, Vines and Trying Times'!!! I haven't even heard the new single 'Paranoia' (dead serious, El), but I know the video was filmed in the desert. ( ; I LOVE THEM!

2) "The Gentle". I am a little bit stuck on this one. I could take some suggestions if you have any. As usual (just like in UNF3, as it shall be temporarily called), I can forsee the future but am clueless about the present. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

3) 'Vlogging'. Elwen: that clip was hilarious! A few seconds that brightened my whole day! I think that Caterpillar Jr. is a'comin... do you think? Perhaps... I love the DLF, and I just saw Fiona today. She sings 'Ave Maria' like an angel, and I mean it! Viola: your vid made me laugh so hard, my folks thought I was crazy! You are such a pretty girl! (I sort of figured you would be, your being so awesome and all. ( ; Keep Vloggin', guys!)

4) My profile. Since nobody voted except for me (I was tempted to click 'I don't care, I don't even like you'), I'm just changing it. I'm sorry. The same elements will be there, but it needs some updating.

5) Narnia Thought of the Day. I was at my sister's soccer game today (gorgeous weather) and walking down the road to our car when I just thought to myself, "My gosh, this place is beautiful!" I felt right at home, and by home I mean Narnia. Call me crazy (most people already do), but I felt like the trees were alive and I was Lucy Pevensie venturing through a line of live trees on my way to Aslan (just my car...). The feeling drifted away when my sister stepped on my foot with her cleats.

7) Finally, the big news! My cheerleading try-out results! Wrestling, JV Football, and... VARSTIY FOOTBALL! I am still in shock! I never, ever, ever thought I was any good at cheerleading, yet I am one of the priviledged freshman on the team! Yah, baby!

8) I just realized... They actually call Peter 'Pete' a few times in the movie, mainly Ed. See, when I hear 'Pete', it makes me think of this old Italian guy I know, so I cracked up the first time and my sister kicked me during the movie. ("I think yours is done, Pete!" Miss you, El!)

Alright, I'll leave you all alone. Maybe I'll vlog someday... who knows? "It could happen."

"A lady of Narnia must try and remain composed and calm, or at least try to regain composure after screaming at the try-out results."

Games

Okay, this post is going to be totally unrelated compared to El's, but here goes. (PS- "The Gentle" is underway... I need to capture Susan's character in order for it to be good. PPS- 'Games' is a Jonas Brothers song. Teehee!)

I think our whole lives is a Trust Game. And I'm not talking about falling back into someone's arms (Elwen, don't get any ideas! Emma! Sara! DON'T!) or any of that goofy televised stuff. I'm talking about trusting your family and friends and strangers. Every day I wake up and trust God that things will end up being alright. I trust that my parents will be waiting for me downstairs. I trust that my friends will stick around, even though I still wonder what they're doing hanging out with me. (I'm so hard on myself!) I trust that a bunch of people I don't know will keep powering my house and growing food and keeping the Internet going so I can post. Of course, sometimes we misplace our trust. It probably wasn't a very good idea for Edmund to trust the White Witch. That wasn't a good idea at all. Then again, he did eventually come to trust Aslan. Now I'm going to go all Christian-y on yall. We trust all sorts of people to do all sorts of things. Humans (and sometimes even computers), who make mistakes constantly. But why can't we trust God? Is it because He's unseen? Or so great we can't fathom it? Why can't we trust Him? So... just banging that one out there.

On another note... I have a question for IASK (International Appeal of Skandar Keynes). Are you in love with Skandar or Edmund? Don't get angry, just an honest question! Let's see... Points of Interest.

1) I should be posting more Narnia stuff, shouldn't I? Gosh, I'm so self centered!
2) I'm so tired right now, I have no clue why I'm still writing.
3) WILL SOMEONE HUG ME? I am honestly about to cry. I get so emotional when I get deep into my Narnia mode!
4) Elwen's new blog format looks great. Can't view it on my home computer, but I saw it at yearbook and it looks fabulous!
5) Still crying...

Alright, I'll let you go.

"A lady of Narnia must try and not cry, even if Taylor Swift's gorgeous song 'Crazier' is making her misty eyed."

I'm Back!

I'm back! I don't think you guys even noticed I was gone. Three words: GIRL SCOUT SLEEP-OVER. 2 amazing movies, lots of warm cookies, very little sleep, awesome breakfast, donuts, Spring Fling, walking, and 6 hours at Knoebels Amusement Park. Then why was I still feeling lonely the whole time?

I blame you, Elwen Kirke! Hehehehe, it isn't your fault. But the sleep-over just wasn't the same without you! During the commercials, I was the only one squealing every time Prince Caspian and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe showed up. At the sappy endings, instead of crying WITH Elwen, I found myself crying on Bridget's shoulder, somewhat against her will. I felt like a total and complete loser on the carousel when I almost tripped a guy fighting for the horse that most looked like what I envisioned to be a Narnian war horse (and I was also the only one who would have made the connection between Aslan and the lion painting you throw your rings at after the ride is over). It was all very fun and all, and I have a new love of roller coasters, but alas, my heart was empty (although my stomach was full). Just remember, El: no amount of deep fried food can ever replace your companionship. ... Let me reword that. Just remember, El: I love you and nobody could ever replace you. I MISS YOU!

"A lady of Narnia must not eat too much funnel cake, no matter how amazing."

Oh, Brother!

Hello, everyone! We've been having great weather, haven't we? I'm loving the whole 80 degrees out all the time thing! "It's so warm out..." Yah.

Anyways, my post today concerns BROTHERS. Elwen has the misfortune of having Phil. (I'm just kidding, just kidding! I couldn't resist.) Emma says she'd trade Jack in a heartbeat (Tricia for Jack? DEAL!). Gracia and Anna Marie have two, so does Fiona. Lauren has Johnathan. Why do all my friends have brothers!?

I have a brother, but not in the same sense. My brother (he would be older) died before he was even born. My family is pretty sure it was a boy. My parents didn't even tell me until I was ten. If the baby had been a boy, his name would have been Christian.

I've asked a lot of my friends about brothers, trying to get a good sense of what having one is like. I asked Gracia on G-mail chatting once, and she said 'good and bad'. (PS- You have everything I don't have! Older brother, older sister, younger brother: I am jealous!) According to Emma, having brothers is a nightmare. Margaret can't stand having Nick as a brother, but I think she said that because he and Johnathan were going on about how she and Lauren couldn't date without they're approval.

You know how in movies, there will be a girl who's never met her father and spends forever trying to figure out what having a daddy is like? It's sort of like that for me. I really want to know what having a brother is like. I'm close with lots of guys, but none of them are really blood relations. When my friends can't really explain 'brotherhood' to me, I go to books. That's where Narnia comes in. I thought that it would be perfect if I was right in the middle of the Pevensie family. I could find out what having an older brother was like, in addition to finding out what an older sister and younger brother was like.

I know that I'll never have the brother I've always wished for, and I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing. I still have three younger sisters, and I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing either. For now, I think I'm going to remain content with borrowing my friends' families. That way, I have TONS of brothers! (Jack!!! *sigh* I love that kid...)

"A lady of Narnia must remember to get around to her Confirmation thank you notes. I'll do them soon... I hope..."

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

This message is only for Elwen, Gracia, and Anna Marie, but...

TEA IS DONE! COMPLETE! FINISHED! OVER WITH! I AM D-O-N-E!!!

Alright, that's all. Uh... "A lady of Narnia must contain her excitement when she's finished an entire fanfic novel (#2) and has had an awesome voice lesson! Huzzah!" (Huzzah! An adventure! Its about time... LOL) And if you don't know what TEA stands for GOOD, you're not supposed to. (Except for Viola. I'd tell you but... this IS the Internet.)

No Title?

I figured I'd update you and give you some fanfic to keep everyone satisfied. Alright, I'm getting right to business.

1) Confirmation was awesome! I had the best seat in the house, right next to 'Cecilia Rose' (Elwen), Katie, ME, Lauren, and Robert (with Caleb right behind us, laughing hysterically). I am officially CECILIA! As HoHo and I would say, "Bask in the glow..."

2) Emma is moving. I am going to figure this is public info because she told everyone at school. Phil didn't break it to me lightly, either... in fact, he was smiling... One of my best friends is moving to stupid Montana and he was SMILING! Whatever will become of IASK? (International Appeal of Skandar Keynes) We have until August. Life is cruel.

3) I'm doing my best to recruit some youth group members for Elwen's mom, and I think I've roped in a few kids for the dinner. I will show up as much as possible, because youth group can never be boring as long as Elwen is at my side!

Now, what you've all been waiting for... CHAPTER 3!!!!!!! It may be a little rough, but here goes...

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own this disclaimer (Vi), or Narnia (C.S. Lewis), but only Susan's pals. Not much, but its something. Oh! And Grandmother!

Susan had skipped dinner an gone right to bed. The next morning felt almost as terribly empty as the first, except that now reality had sunk in. To try and fill up the silence, Susan talked to herself instead of thinking.

"Perhaps I should go to Grandmother's..." Susan admitted. "But what of the house?" She sighed. "I guess I'll have to go through everyone's things and sort them out." Susan looked around. "Where to begin?" She decided upon her parents' room, because she figured it would be the easiest place to start.

The bed was made and the room was neat and tidy. "At least I don't have to clean up," Susan mumbled, although she felt a pain shoot through her heart. "Let's go through the dresser, shall we?" She walked over to the wooden dresser and lightly touched one of the drawer handles, as if it might be on fire. Then she pulled the first drawer open. Nothing but clothes. The second drawer was similar, as was the third. There was a fourth drawer, but what Susan found inside was not like the other three drawers. Instead of clothing, she found pictures and mementos and other treasures. In awe, Susan pulled the drawer out of the dresser and sat on the floor to examine what she'd found.

"Oh!" Susan cried, holding up an old photograph. It was her Mother and Father, probably from when they were dating. "Mother was beautiful," Susan muttered, and set the picture down. She sifted through tons of similar pictures, ones of her young Mother with friends on the beach and her handsome Father outdoors. Once she had gone through the ones of her parents, she found photographs of her and her siblings as children. The dates on the back told Susan of everyone's age. She found Lucy as a two year old, smiling up at the camera. Five year old Edmund proudly standing in front of a tree house. Peter blowing out the candles of a cake with four candles. Baby pictures of Susan when she was only a year old. Then ones of Lucy's first day of school, and Edmund and Peter sitting with Father, Susan playing in the dirt, and all types of memories Susan had long forgotten. When she was done with the pictures, Susan wiped some tears from her eyes and placed them back in the drawer, making a mental note to come back for them. "To think I had forgotten all those times," she murmured, and then caught herself.

"Times that we played pretend and games," Susan added. "As children." When she was satisfied with her self correction, Susan decided it was time to go through Edmund's (and what was once also Peter's) room. Opening the door, she found that the boys had kept the room nice and clean. She wondered what they would have said if she had found them snooping. Then that familiar pang in her heart returned, so Susan decided it was better to start sorting through the boys' things.

Unlike her parents' room, Susan did not photographs. However, she came across objects that brought memories back all the same. "I forgot about this," she said softly, holding up an object that was left on Edmund's desk. A smile crept across her face, remembering a sort of game that she and Ed used to play with it. She set it back down, and opened some drawers. "Not this shirt!" she laughed, holding up a hideous button up shirt that Mother had insisted Peter wore to Grandmother's. Finally, Susan came across a letter that was left lying about. She opened it up and read it.

Dear Edmund and Lucy,
I have already written to your brother Peter, and now I am writing to you. I fear that there are some serious matters to discuss, and it would be best if you came out to visit me in the country. There is danger: not of this world, but of another. I don't know if you can persuade Susan to come, but she had become rather stingy on the matter.

Susan made a face. She was not 'stingy'.

No matter. Please come to my house for dinner next week, Sunday evening, around 7:00. I'll pay for the tickets, and please do try and convince your sister to accompany you. If you cannot come, contact me as soon as you both can.

Sincerely yours,

Professor Kirke

"The poor old dear," Susan said with a sigh. "He was so sweet, the old man, but he could be so... unrealistic. I suppose he was lonely." Susan folded up the letter and set it on the desk, and tried to dismiss the dinner as just a way for the dear Professor to get over his lonliness. "I suppose that's it. I should be getting to Lucy and I's room," Susan said. Although she was quite familiar with her own room, she had something of Lucy's that she wanted to see.

Susan entered the bedroom and cautiously approached Lucy's bed. "Lu wouldn't mind," Susan said aloud. "After all, she's... gone." Susan came closer and closer to the bed. "I mean, why does it matter?" Susan bent over and looked under the bed. "Got it!" Susan pulled out a worn notebook and opened the book to the front page.

PROPERTY OF LUCY PEVENSIE: DO NOT READ! (ED, THAT MEANS YOU.)

"She won't mind," Susan said again. Susan skipped through the beginning, looking for more recent dates. She finally started reading at an entry a few weeks before her siblings' departure.

"Hmmm..." Susan muttered, scanning the pages. "Ms. Banks told us to... Mother and Father are leaving soon... What? So she thinks I'm stingy too!... I love Richard? Who's he?..." Susan finished the entry and went to the next.

Dear Diary,

The Professor has invited Edmund and I for dinner at his home. He also invited Susan, but she refuses to come along. I don't know why she's being so stubborn. Is remembering Narnia that painful for her? I guess it isn't painful, she just feels silly. Either way, it just won't be the same without her there. Narnia must be in great danger for us to be invited so last minute, and I only wish that Queen Susan the Gentle of Narnia would just get over her ego and come along!

Susan slammed the book shut, preferring to remember something else about Lucy. That was it. She couldn't stay alone in this house any longer. She was going to move into her Grandmother's house, at least until she felt a little bit better.

Terrible... I know. Anyways... "A lady of Narnia must try and remain calm when her sister has as voice that could shatter glass and she's getting quite a headache."

A Few Words

A few words. A lot of words. What's the difference? Elwen has left me in suspense with 'Yellow Rose' (which is the symbol of friendship, apparently), but I guess I deserve it for leaving such gaps in between my posts regarding 'The Gentle'. I promise: I am working on it. I have some bugs to work out, but the basic story line is in place. I think. Well...

OK, just going to mention a few things. 1) I have to pick my DHS classes on Weds!!! Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh... What if El and I don't have any classes together? What if Lauren and I don't have any classes together? What if everyone hates me? Ahhh! 2) Confirmation tomorrow! Huzzah! My Confirmation name is Cecilia, patroness of music, just in case you were curious. 3) Field trip to Inner Harbor either Thurs or Fri, I'm not sure. Wayyyyy excited! Alright, back to Narnia.

You know what drives me nuts? 'Twilight'. I haven't read the books or seen the movie, and I'm not making a judgement on it. It isn't the giant surge of T-shirts, folders, notebooks, and pencil cases (yes, they make pencil cases). Its the fact that there isn't any such novelty for Narnia! Seriously! I think I should start my own clothing line, with a Spanish/English/French/Anna-speak title... Here are some ideas.
1. Foshizzle la Narnia (Anna slang)
2. La Ropa de Narnia (Too much Spanish?)
3. Ropa a la Narnia (Spanish and French!)
I don't know, that's just the thought that ran through my head when I spotted about 5 or 6 Twilight tees today at school. I know, my post isn't very interesting. But I promised Elwen I would post!!!

Ummmmm... peace out?

"A lady of Narnia must remember NOT to laugh uncontrolably at Confirmation, even if she has the BEST ROW EVER (Elwen-Katie-ME-Lauren-Robert) and she wants desperately to chat her head off."

Just Things

I am just going to write about a bunch of stuff, so (if I may quote Narnia yet again): "BRACE YOURSELVES!" *sigh* I do that WAY too often.

OK, I am back from Philly! It was torture! I love the city, I hate the Eagles! I am a die hard Steelers fans, but I kept my mouth shut in fear of the crazy insane fans. Then I would really be a DIE HARD fan! Hehehehe... My mom lost her voice today ("Mum's the word!" I am tooooooo funny...), my new nickname is 'Gothica' (MY COAT IS NOT GOTHIC. I AM THE PEPPIEST PERSON ON THE ENTIRE CHEERLEADING SQUAD. DEAL WITH IT.), and I am very pleased with my Narnia/art themed Easter basket.

Chapter 3 of 'The Gentle' is underway, I promise! I somehow manage to find the time to post and e-mail almost every day, and yet this story takes forever! (Elwen: TEA is almost done! "Huzzah! An adventure!") Now, here are some more Narnian things that have been on my mind.

THOUGHT #1 - My Favorite Narnian Characters
I was knitting and thinking for 4 hours on the car ride home about Narnia. I was just pondering who my favorite characters were, and I think I've decided.
1- Puddleglum! I just love that guy... I think the reason I like him is he ends up being so loyal to Narnia, even though he doesn't seem like the most cheerful guy on the face of the planet. Who doesn't love that guy!?
2- Good ol' Reep. He's just so amazingly awesome! Definitely a lot braver than me. Plus, who doesn't love the whole 'honor' thing??? Also, he's the only mouse I think I wouldn't be scared of.
3- Peter Pevensie. I know what El is thinking: STOP, PLEASE! Yes, Will is very cute, but that isn't why Peter is my favorite. I am obsessively jealous of Susan, Edmund, and Lucy because they have the one thing I don't have and want most of all: an older brother. I am very, very, very jealous of Gracia, a.k.a. Georgie-who-is-not-Georgie, because she has every single thing I don't have, and that's an older brother, an older sister, and a younger brother. Stick me in between Ed and Lu and I've got it made! Doesn't it sound lovely? Anna Pevensie... SHUT UP ELWEN. I CAN READ YOUR MIND, REMEMBER!!!

THOUGHT #2 - Voyage of the Dawn Treader
I can't take it any more! JUST COME OUT ALREADY!

THOUGHT #3 - Bruce Springsteen
My sister and I are having a Brucediction. Perhaps Vi can help me stop... His music is just so amazing, I must have listened to it for at least two or three hours total over Easter break.

I think I'll let you all go now. "A lady of Narnia must try and remain calm when she takes her cousins' dog on a walk and finds out nobody knows how to clean up after it."

"Happy Easter Day!"

I'm a little bit high on chocolate right now (hehehehe), but I just wanted to wish everyone a fantabulous Easter and remind you that... JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN! ALLELUIA! I definitely feel Lucy and Susan's joy right now! I felt sort of like smiling like an idiot at church last night I was so deliriously happy, but the oppurtunity for being insane came at the after party where El, Phil, Fiona, Sean (CM! BUM BUM BUM BUM!) , the DLF (aka Chris) and I all enjoyed some cookies. The only sad part of the evening was the fact that our fuzzy little caterpillar is with us no more... Elwen and I held a service before we were forced to part. We even had the same dress! ("Attack of the clones!" What was it, 5 handshakes?) The joy continued this morning, when I woke up to find that my sisters were all huddled together waiting for my parents to return from a walk so we could search for our Easter Bunny baskets. My basket rocked! I did get 2 Narnian books, one of which told me what Turkish Delight is made of (why didn't Ed at least get some chocolate? I would probably trade in my sisters for chocolate...). I got Sleep-over Madlibs, and I can totally see where this is going with El and Em ("Hello and welcome to the Skandar Keyne's pizzeria." "I'm going to be throwing a Narnian party, and I..." You catch my drift.). Let's see... socks, chocolate, art supplies, fashion designer thingy and more chocolate. Yup, that was it.

HE IS RISEN! Amen! Have a happy Easter, everyone!

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. The computer is the only technology I am allowing myself to use today, and I have had to part with my beloved music collection (*sniff*) temporarily. I have been on a cross walk, gone to Stations, and plan on going to a thing-that-is-sort-of-like-Mass-but-isn't where I shall be singing (ohhhhh boy). I just wanted to make a short post.

I am sure that anyone reading this has seen or read 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'. If you haven't, WHY ARE YOU HERE!? Are you stalking me? I know people like that. I also know people who wear a little too much make-up, but that's off topic. Most people tend to get a little teary eyed while Aslan is being killed, right? (Unless, of course, you are Jordan and think that it's the best part of the entire movie and make the rest of us skip ten scenes just to watch him die!!! I didn't even get to see Peter push Ed over... My favorite part... Not fair, not fair at all.) I was just thinking about that scene today and was wondering, why do I get so emotional while I watch that movie, but not when I'm here in church? Maybe I feel a little guilty about the subject: I am more fascinated with fantasy than reality. I don't really have a good explanation as to why, but it might just be because there is something about an alternate reality that never ceases to amaze me. What I have found is this: if we could just take a look at Aslan's suffering and realize that REALLY DID HAPPEN, that not only Edmund Pevensie is saved but WE ALL ARE, and that He didn't just defeat the White Witch's army but DEATH ITSELF, it all comes into proportion.

... I know, that was very serious and very deep, but I felt that I just had to write it. Here are some more pleasant things I have to tell you... I would also like to tell you, yet again, to go to Viola's blog www.bitonarnia.blogger.com because she has lots of VDT stuff and she is getting me VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY pumped! I want to tell Elwen that I have the most amazing plan for TEA and I think I have the plot for our next novel basically worked out. I shan't be revealing anything other than that because, well, because. Just in case. I can't wait to hear from all of you and I'm sorry that I write so much. Lastly...

"A lady of Narnia should not eat her lunch early on a day of fast, or else she may just starve to death."

The Gentle, Chapter Two

I have quick typed up Chapter Two. I have been on the computer a lot lately, mainly because I am taking care of a lot of stuff before Easter break. I hope you enjoy the second chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in here, except for Susan's chums. I also do not own this disclaimer, as I have stolen it from Viola who hopefully won't mind.

Susan returned home later that evening. Her friends had been very sympathetic: they had listened to her crying, listened to her stories, listened to her complaints, her regrets, her problems. Susan left out some of the details, mainly the ones concerning Narnia. She didn't want to feel like a fool on top of being grief stricken. The house was noticably empty. Susan recalled the instructions she had received from Margie's mother before she left.
"Your grandmother offered to let you stay with her."
"But Grandmother lives out in the country. I would have to quit school!"
"Your other option is to stay in the house on your own."
"Alone?"
"I would have you stay with us, Susan, honestly, but... There's something... Perahps Margie will explain it all to you on a different occasion."
"Please excuse my ignorance, but I think I would rather get it over with now."
"Our family is moving this summer. Once Margie graduates, she's received a wonderful job offer in America. She plans on leaving this summer as well."
"Oh."
"Margie was going to tell you once it came closer to graduation, but..."
"That's really quite alright. I should be going."
"Would you like the girls and I to go with you?"
"I'd prefer to be alone for now, thank you." Susan had left right then and there, leaving her friends without a 'good-bye'.
The house was so empty and quiet. Susan looked around the living room. "My house," she said, hoping that the new responsibility would make her feel a bit better. Instead, she felt worse. Susan paced, talking to herself.
"What about money? How am I supposed to pay for food? Good thing I don't have to pay for the tuition. I never thought I'd be so grateful for school to be over. What about everyone's things? Do I... do I... give them away?" Susan was suddenly overtaken by anger. She crossed her arms and flopped into her father's old armchair.
"Narnia! Who ever heard of such a thing? Peter's a full grown man, he should have talked Ed and Lu out of it a long time ago. And dragging poor Eustace and Jill into their game." Susan stood up suddenly, clenching her fists. "Darn it all! They were all such children anyways. Lucy was always immature. She started the game anyways, and just wouldn't let things go. Why did the Professor play along? He must have thought he was doing a good deed. He always was saying stupid things about logic: why didn't he use it!"
Susan felt even more furious now. She grabbed a pillow and threw it at the wall to prevent herself from breaking something valuable. "What were they thinking!? Mum and Dad didn't need to leave anyways. They would be just fine right here. But they have to do everything, take every trip." Susan's face was growing redder and redder by the second. "What I don't understand is why they all actually paid to go on such a stupid, pointless trip!" She was back to Narnia again. "Why would they actually waste their time? It's Lucy's fault. She probably convinced them all that one good game would convince their sister Susan to play. It was probably Edmund's fault too, the little brat. Everyone thought he had matured so nicely, was growing up. I'll bet he was playing a prank on me, some big prank where everyone was really just going on vacation." Susan returned to the armchair again. "No, no. It had to be Peter. He's supposed to be an adult. He's gone to school, and he of all people should know that there aren't any other worlds. And Eustace! Playing along, probably to bother me. But dragging in Jill? She was probably in on the whole joke too, and the Professor and Aunt Polly were stupid enough to let themselves in on this whole plot."
Susan jumped up, screaming at no one in particular. "Oh, just blame them all and all those made up places and made up people and made up animals! There is no such thing as witches or sea monsters, and certaintly not fauns. I don't know what Eustace was talking about, a swampsquirm was it? No, a marshwiggle. It doesn't get more childish than that. There are no talking bears, no talking mice, no talking leapords, and no talking horses. Centaurs and nymphs are all mythology. Remember, Peter? You learned about that, didn't you! You can't have more than one King and one Queen: just trying to fit us all in the game. You can't have a hundred years of winter, you can't turn people to stone, and animals can't talk. And most importantly, there is no such thing, NO SUCH THING, as Aslan!"
Susan suddenly felt a shiver race down her spine and she collapsed in the armchair. She hadn't realized that she was sweating and that her dark hair was wet and sticking to her face. Her mouth was dry, her stomach hurt. Her eyes were dry as well, and she had no more tears. The house felt emptier than ever.

I hate to ruin the suspense after Susan's little breakdown, but I must conclude with a single sentence.

"A lady of Narnia must control her anger when she really wants to take someone and turn them into a quivering puddle of people pulp."

The Call... Please?

It is late at night. I posted yesterday. Why am I posting again? One word. STRESS. I don't mean to treat this blog like a giant squeaky ball that I squeeze when I freak out, but Narnia and my Narnian friends just make me feel so much better. I do tend to vent on this blog, and I apologize if it annoys you. If it does, just say the word and I will 'shut up' (too many inside jokes in those two words to fit in a novel). Allow me to ramble on for a little while. I promise: I will do my best to keep things relevant to Narnia.

Geometry class stinks. My teacher is somewhat frightening, and she sort of kind of yelled really loud at two boys today. I jumped in my seat. Literally. Perhaps I was taken by surprise. Perhaps I was staring out the window at the telephone pole thinking about Narnia. Perhaps I was brainstorming fanfic ideas, and hoping that a certain Princess Elwen of Narnia would send me the next TEA chapter. Perhaps I was wishing desperately that a certain person who will remain nameless would just go away and leave me alone for once, and that perhaps a portal to Narnia would suddenly open up and I would be free. Perhaps I was hoping that the release of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader would come sooner, even though it seems like I shall be waiting for an eternity. And then there's Girl Scouts. I didn't hear half of what anyone said. I didn't even pay attention to The Moose Game. I was too busy staring at the floor and thinking about Narnia. Here are some of the thoughts that ran through my head:
"Do you think Aslan might just call me?"
"I still hate my evil man-eating wardrobe. Why can't I have a nice, magical wardrobe?"
"These chips are really bad for me. I wish I was eating ham, I mean, roast beef in Cair Paravel."
(as I look at my reflection in the mirror behind me) "Do you think Narnians actually like skin that may be even paler than Snow White's?"
"Does Caspian really hate freckles?"
"Why did I wear this T-shirt? Gosh, I wish I was wearing a medieval dress right now."
"Where is a knight in shining armor when you need one?"
"I do not like that word. I highly doubt that Kings and Queens use that word. Call me a baby, but I still don't think a lady of Narnia would use that word."

So as I sit here alone at 10:00 at night, all of these thoughts rushing through my head, wishing desperately for what seems impossible ("Impossible things are happening every day!" You all may have been bored during that musical, but I loved it!). Maybe, just maybe, I will receive the call someday.

Lastly: "A lady of Narnia must not eat too many corn chips, because they are very, very, very bad for you no matter how amazing they taste when you've only had two bites of your dinner."

The Latest

Good day! I am having a terrible morning if I do say so myself. My sisters have stolen my conditioner (however will I mantain my mane?), there is an entire box of chocolate that I can't eat (stupid hazlenut allergy), and I have a huge Geometry test today which I plan on failing. However, on the bright side of things, if you go back to my post 'Happy Narnia Day', the one which regards the first chapter of "The Gentle", you will find that I have updated it to better fit in with 'The Last Battle'. My writing skills aren't the best in the world, but I'm afraid that they'll have to do. Now, where was I?

Of course! My terrible morning! On the brighter side of things, I had a lovely day yesterday. I saw Elwen at church and later found out that I had walked all the way to the car with my hymm book while we were talking. As you can see, I am not the brightest person around. I am also not the tallest. My younger sister HoHo is still taller than me, even in my 1 (maybe 1 1/2) inch heels. (She just can't get over the fact that Joe didn't believe me when I told him she was my younger sister. My whole family is pretty tall, excluding me.) I can't stop laughing at my mother's old yearbook, for as much as I love her, her boyfriend Ed was a sap. (hehehe) Not to mention the person who mistook my mother's yearbook for another. "Peter: to all that was and could have been. I love you. Love, H" El was interested by the Ed/Peter coincidence, but Ed's real name is Eddie, which sort of ruined it.

Other than that, my life is just average. I am so excited to be in school with Elwen and all her very cool and very awesome friends next year, but I am also getting very sentimental about the school I am in now. My personal yearbook page looks lovely, and the ever increasing Skandar fangirl club (please add Sara T. to the list) is doing just fine. I shall stop wasting your time now with one final sentence.

"A lady of Narnia must try and not give her grandmother a heart attack when she has an allergic reaction to a piece of fried shrimp in Perkins."

Whatever Is Up?

Greetings, faithful readers of 'Beyond the Wardrobe'! I have been away for so long... Or not. Maybe I've just been REALLY, REALLY busy with the play, cheerleading, and a bunch of other stuff. It's not like anyone is around to notice. Considering almost every single one of my friends is in either track, field, or field hockey while I sit around, dreaming of Narnia, reading, and taking leisurely walks. I'm not a cotton-headed ninnymuggins, I'm just... special.

I know, I know, I have yet to fix the first chapter of 'The Gentle'. Give me some time, please! I am working on two fanfics all at once, while trying to handle my busy social life. OK, so my social life isn't so great yet. But I got four e-mails from El, I have to go to yearbook, cheerleading try-outs are coming up soon, I'm trying to convince my parents to let me have a Facebook, and even Joe bothered to e-mail me! So HAH! Anyhow, where was I? Oh yes, The Gentle. I am working on it and will post my revised chapter ASAP.

On another note... Today is April Fool's day, and I find that I am unprepared. What evil pranks await me? I cannot tell. But my insticts tell me that today, I should be on the lookout. You never know what might happen when you're in my class.

Well, that's all for now. So much to say but so little time to say it in. (For truly, who wants to talk with a Worfle? They all mistake me for an ogre. Except for one near-sighted woman who thought I was the Tidy Bowl Man. A lonely life indeed... Not an exact quote, but fairly close.) I see the winner of the post asking who you would visit during the Golden Age would be the Kings and Queens (hmm, Elwen, I wonder why?). I cannot recall what I voted for... No matter. Alright, comment away!!!

And lastly: "A lady of Narnia must never use the word 'zinger', or else she will sound like a total nerd."

My Apologies

I am so, so, so sorry, but I will have to do a little bit of tweaking on that last chapter. Some of the facts are messed up and whatnot. I'll get it sorted (hehehe). Until then, please give me ideas, suggestions, ect. and don't forget:

"A lady of Narnia must remember to check the ingredients in the chocolate cake her friend brought to school so that she doesn't almost eat a cake full of stupid tree nuts that would have KILLED HER."

Happy Narnia Day

Happy Narnia Day, everyone! I made sure my entire cheerleading squad was aware of the occasion. My friend Emma and I watched Prince Caspian in car, until I started to feel sick. Then I sat up front and stopped watching. FEAR NOT! I watched the end of the movie as well as The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe the instant I got home. I definitely freaked almost all of my friends out by saying the lines along with the movies, and Emma and her sisters Jordan and Katie came to me with all of their Narnian questions. I am now desperately longing for an adventure of my own. Does anyone consider getting carsick an adventure?



On another note NOT about me, I can't help but notice that it seems like everyone wants a fanfic on this blog. Well, everyone except for the person who voted for bunnies. Here is a short preview of the novel I plan on writing.

"The Gentle"
Chapter One

Susan sat on the floor with her friends, Margie, Elizabeth and Mary. They were having a great time going through magazines and chatting and enjoying one another's company.
"Oh, look at this!" Margie cried. Of course, Susan looked.
"Its lovely," Susan said, smiling faintly. She shivered suddenly.
"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked.
Susan was not feeling very alright. "Of course," Susan said softly. Why was her stomach hurting all of the sudden?
Mary finished with the magazine she was reading. "I can't wait for the dance on Friday."
"I'll bet Charles will be there," Elizabeth said with a sigh. Normally, Susan would have playfully joked about Elizabeth liking Charles Michael, but for some reason her head was throbbing. Something was wrong.
"Are you going to ask him to dance?" Margie asked.
"I don't know..." Elizabeth muttered. "Should I?"
Susan held her stomach. Perhaps it was homesickness. It didn't matter whether or not she was homesick, her entire family was on the train. Well, sort of. The Professor (that poor, crazy old man) be getting dementia. Her Aunt Polly (not a real aunt) and the dear Professor were all certain that something was wrong in Narnia. Susan had thought they were playing along to keep Lucy happy, but soon all of her siblings as well as her cousin Eustace and a girl named Jill were all dragged into it. Now they were all on different trains, rushing around the country in one giant game of pretend. Susan rolled her eyes. They were being so silly and childish, taking a train on a mission to 'save Narnia', a land which Susan knew didn't exist. She recalled her conversation with her three siblings before they had left for their seperate trains.
"You sure you don't want to come, Su?" Edmund asked.
"No," she said firmly. "For the last time, no. I can't believe you're all being so... so..."
"Stupid? Childish?" Peter said with a scowl.
"Foolish," Susan replied.
"Susan," Lucy said softly, "You must remember."
"Yes, I remember," Susan replied coldly.
"Then you'll come?" Lucy said hopefully.
"I remember playing games and pretend," Susan said, crossing her arms. "There is no such thing as Narnia."
"Susan, you were there. You can't just forget something like that," Peter said, taking his sister's hand.
"Come on, Su. Be reasonable," Edmund pleaded. "You can't just imagine something like Narnia. It has to be real."
Susan held her head high. "Even if Narnia was real, I'm going to Margie's house. We've had plans for weeks: it would be rude to cancel."
Lucy pouted. "Susan!" she cried.
"No, Lucy," Susan said. Her mind was set. "Mom and Dad already purchased the train tickets. I'm not going, and that's final." Susan thought of the look on her siblings faces. Lucy's eyes had shown she was deeply hurt. Edmund looked at Susan sadly, while Peter had his arms crossed and was shaking his head.
"Susan? Susan, are you alright? You're white as a sheet," Elizabeth said.
Susan shook her head. "Oh, yes, um... I'm just a little dizzy."
"Do you want to lie down?" Margie asked.
"No. I'll be fine." Susan leaned up against the wall.
There was a light knocking on the door, and then the door swung open. It was Margie's mother. "Susan, I'm afraid you have to go," she said, her voice trembling.
"Why..." Susan started, but the look on Margie's mother face was so troubled that Susan had no choice but to scramble to her feet, wave goodbye to her friends, and scurry after her. Once the two were in the hall, Margie's mother took a deep breath.
"I'm afraid I'm the one who has to tell you this, Susan," Margie's mother said after a few deep breaths. "There's been an accident."
"What sort of accident?"
"A train accident."
"You don't mean...?"
"They're dead, Susan. It happened very fast, there weren't any survivors."
Susan blinked back tears, but it didn't work. She broke down, sobbing, and leaned into Margie's mother's embrace. All for some pretend world... Susan thought sadly, and continued crying.

Please, any corrections or ideas. I just typed this up real quick, so I'm always willing to make some changes.

And finally: "A lady of Narnia must try to look totally composed, even if she ran out onto the floor early before her individual routine and at least five moms have it on tape."

The Little Hero, The Winter Coat and The Wardrobe

I'll be honest. My first encounter with a wardrobe was NOT a very good one. I don't know about other wardrobes, but mine is a man-eater. It all started when I was around six...

My dad was at work. My mom was changing Girl #3's diaper (Girl #4 was non-existent). It was the middle of winter, and I wanted to go play in the snow. (For anyone who knows me personally, this was in the house before I moved across town.) So I headed over to the wardrobe to get my winter coat. However, the handle of our wardrobe is very annoying. I was five, so I guess I pulled a little too hard. The wardrobe came crashing down on me, but somehow, the door swung open just in time. (Aslan, perhaps?) Even though I was safe underneath the tons of winter coats, there was no air. I was suffocating and screaming, but my mom couldn't hear me. Luckily, Girl #2, my darling sister HoHo (not her real name) just so happened to pass by. Hearing my muffled screams, she summoned all the strength in her tiny body to lift the wardrobe. (More magic!) I was alive, but scared to death. Well, not to death. But you know what I mean. I paid back my sister by rescuing her when a cabinet fell on top of both of us. (I don't know how these things happen to me...)

Yet, years later, El and I did make one or two attempts to find Narnia through that same wardrobe. Of course, it wasn't full of winter coats any more. Rather, it was stuffed with table cloths and party favors and lots of junk. It isn't the kind of wardrobe you could step into, needless to say, lock yourself into. Perhaps we're just being silly, but I figure that I'd rather be childish and enjoy life for as long as I can before being burdened down with all the stupid 'grown-up' things that got poor Susan into trouble. But when I find a way into Narnia, you'll all be the first to know.

"A lady of Narnia must try and not fall asleep, even if science class is unbearably boring and she only had 6 hours of sleep the previous night thanks to a good book about a girl who lives in a funeral home."

Something NOT Related to Narnia

I know this is a Narnian blog. But just let me vent for like, 2 paragraphs! Please?

I finally got the New York Yankees baseball cap I wanted. Just one problem: IT IS HUGE. It covers most of my ears and my hair, so that the way my bangs hang out it looks like guy hair. And (according to El, Anna Marie, and Gracia) that makes me look like William Moseley, which is just plain weird. I quote: "Without my hair, I am nothing." Never have truer words been spoken.

A lady of Narnia must try and not throw up when the guys next to her are talking about bodily odor while she's trying to act.

"Start spreading the news..."

Allow me to quote the oh so awesome Frank Sinatra while I sing, "START SPREADING THE NEWS!" According to Viola's blog (if you are reading this, Viola, I love your blog so, so, so much and thank you for adding a link to my blog on your site), The Voyage of the Dawn Treader script is complet-o!!! I totally agree with Viola's point of view here, so here's the link to her blog so that you can read up and get ready for the next epic Narnia film!

(http://bitonarnia.blogspot.com/2009/03/vdt-script-is-done.html)

So, please, start spreading the news!!! VDT is going to rock (hopefully) and I'm sure that both Elwen and Viola will agree, especially since there will be more Skandar in it.

"A lady of Narnia must help her mother at the laundromat when their stupid washing machine breaks down, even if there are FIVE DIFFERENT WASHERS FULL OF CLOTHING and all you really want to do is go home and eat some raisins."

PS - It is true that I have touched a person (sister) who has touched a person (friend) who has touched a person (cousin) who is friends with Ben Barnes who has touched Skandar who has touched Will who has touched Georgie who has touched Anna which therefore means that we are strangely connected. I know that El is still recovering from shock.

The Winner Is...

The winner of the Most Popular Pevensie award goes too...

Peter Pevensie! Huzzah! Here are the results.

Peter - 3 votes (37%)
Susan - 1 vote (12%)
Edmund - 2 votes (25%)
Lucy - 2 votes (25%)

A very close competition. I shall post a new poll ASAP, and I hope you had fun voting!

Becoming Anna

As some (or most) of you have probably noticed, my username is 'Anna' even though that isn't my real name. I always say that my imagination takes up the space where my brain should be (it is all too true), which is where Anna originated from. Anna Buckley (Yes, Buckley. Just for my friend Ed.) is a sort of alter ego of mine, one where I think a little more and talk a little less.


This past weekend, I was stuck with my parents at a chastity conference. I was prepared for the worst (after all, I was stuck at a conference with my mom and dad while my sisters went shopping without me). Actually, the conference turned out to not be that bad. The speakers were pretty good, but I ended up having my thoughts drift away to Narnia as they often do. What really got me thinking about Narnia were the second and third speakers. The second speaker was supposed to talk from the guys' point of view, and the third speaker from the girls'. This was where I realized the genius of C.S. Lewis.

Lewis could not have picked a better time period for Narnia. He created a world where there was respect and honor, guys were chivalrous, and goodness triumped. When I was at this conference, the one speaker was talking about the fact that in today's society, girls have started to take the lead and the men are following. Somehow, my thoughts drifted to Narnia. I know that some people may think this is implying that girls are weak and incapable of caring for themselves. That, of course, is not true. However, think of Narnia. Go to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. When war broke out, Aslan did not think that Susan and Lucy were incapable of fighting: it just wasn't their place. Did you ever think of either of them as weak? Although the men upheld their place as the protectors, the women did their jobs as well. I don't know, maybe I'm getting a little bit too fairytale-y. This was just what came into my mind during this conference, in between the very interesting tasting sandwiches and jotting down Narnian story ideas in my notebook.

So as I am working on becoming Anna (To Elwen: Yes, becoming Anna did help me defeat the fliratcious Corky n' friend. Hehe...) I am also working on being like a lady of Narnia. Although I am fully capable of protecting myself, providing for myself, and being a leader, I will try and let the guy do his job. Because...

"A lady of Narnia must not take more than one pack of complimentary mints when the guy at the hotel offers them to you, even if they are sugarfree, minty fresh, and have trivia questions on the side."

CHECK THE GATE

I think the following clip is self explanatory.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2n6bb_the-chronicles-of-narnia-check-the_creation

And remember: Check the gate. Watch yourself. Show me what ya got!

"A lady of Narnia must never be caught on tape singing Bruce Springsteen 'Born to Run' from the 80's."

C.S. Lewis : The Early Narnia

I found this really interesting! I'm reading a book called 'A Field Guide to Narnia', by Colin Duriez, and I found some pretty interesting stuff about C.S. Lewis and how the Narnian chronicles came to be. Here are some facts I found interesting...


* C.S. Lewis was part of a group called 'The Inklings'. I had been aware that G.K. Chesterton (one of my other favorites) and J.R.R. Tolkien (another favorite) had been members of this group, but The Inklings consisted of Lewis, Tolkien, Chesterton, John Bunyan, Saint Augustine, George Herbert, Arthur Balfour and John Henry Newman. Other key members were Owen Barfield, Hugo Dyson, Lewis's brother Warren, and others.


* When war broke out and children were sent out into the countryside, some children were assigned to stay at The Kilns, a house shared by C.S. Lewis, Warren Lewis, and Mrs. Moore and her daughter Maureen. This is part of what inspired Lewis to being The Lion, The Witch and The Wardobe.


* Something I found especially interesting what that Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy were not the original names for the four children. In fact, Peter was only name that stuck. Here is his first attempt at writing the book:


"This book is about four children whose names were Ann, Martin, Rose and Peter. But it is most about Peter who was the youngest. They all had to go away from London suddenly because of Air Raids, and because Father, who was in the Army, had gone off to the War and Mother was doing some kind of war work. They were sent to stay with a kind of relation of Mother's who was a very old Professor who lived all by himself in the country."


However, C.S. Lewis abandoned the story and didn't come back to it until nearly ten years later, in 1949.

* Tolkien was not a fan of Lewis's creation of Narnia. At one point he said, "It really won't do, you know! I mean to say: "Nymphs and their Ways, The Love-Life of a Faun." Does he know what he's talking about?"


I am willing to post more about C.S. Lewis on this blog if it interests anyone, or you can buy the book off of Amazon. It is full of some serious stuff, but if you're willing to take on a challenge it is a pretty good book. Anyways...


Another thing a lady of Narnia must do. "A lady of Narnia must forgive and forget, even if that slice of pie was rightfully hers according to the Deep Magic."

( Below: C.S. Lewis doing what he does best: writing!)