There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No not one,
No not one.

Arabesque

"You can make your life look good
You can do what Jesus would
But you'd be surprised
What you can do with a hard heart"

So I just cut out the pattern for my dress. I decided that this fabric, the white one with the pink is going to be my graduation dress. I will try to take pictures through-out the process, BUT I think the guy who fixes our computer deleted 'Hello' off our computer. So I tried to download it again, but it wasn't working for some reason. So I can't post pictures at the moment.
The title for this post is a gorgeous and wonderful Schumann piece. I just asked Jon, (he's laying on the couch) how you spell "piece". He said; "You ALWAYS spell that wrong! I always read your blog and you ALWAYS spell that wrong!! Its pIece. It annoys me so bad!"
LOL. Ok Jon, thanks.
I am going to set up my sewing station in my room, on my desk. I think it will work out well, since all the family is home, and they'd rather I didn't take up our dining room table.
Ruth and I had a nice day today. We watched Pride and Prejudice. The good one. Meaning, the long one. : ) With Colin firth who rocks my socks off. We liked it. I wasn't feeling that grand, so it was probablly good to just chill. I am working tomorrow. So I better go to bed in a minute here. Early to rise. 5ish.
I think Friday and Saturday I will go to the barn. YESSSSSS! And ride ForgetMeNot. : )
Last night we went to Albany to shop. I went early with Micah and Vanessa. Micah said; "Boy Esther, you sure are boring today. We thought we'd have fun if you came with us."
Well, for one thing, I felt like I was going to throw-up. And then Heather called, and she's like; "Where is everyone? I'm at your house and I thought that Jon was going to meet me here!"
"Oh. Well, call Jon and find out where there are. Its just so mis-communication, it will be fine."
So I get off the phone, and Micah was FUMING because they were all supposed to have left and be halfway to Albany. So he called me a passive clam, because I wasn't upset.
We had a good time together though. We met Jesse, Ruth, Heather and Jon, and then another Jesse joined us, so it got a little confusing. Haha, Jesse Kuhn.

Well, Ruth and Jesse are carrying on a lovely little conversation about Figgy, and how she chomps on your feet. SO not true. So not true.
I'm offended.

I just found out we're going to dinner tomorrow. Sweet. Brooks. Brooks chicken is like, famed around the world. If you haven't eaten there yet, wow. All I can say, is that you're missing out big-time. I mean, I have a Brooks t-shirt. Yeah. So that will be nice.

Should I major in Piano performance or Piano pedagogy? Hmmmm. I get piano pedagogy classes in the performance major.
I am still pretty open about college. Just praying and thinking. Northland has continued to write me letters after letters..haha..
I wish I could visit that school, so I could get a better handle on their programs. Its pretty hard though, because they are far away and we really can't afford to fly or drive out there.
Well, if I went to Northland, I wouldn't be able to major in Piano performance.

Anyways, I'm going to hit the hay. I'm tired and not feeling the grandest. Pray I'll feel better. I think that something has happened to my immune system. I've gotten sick WAY too many times this year.

I think I am going to pick up on my study in Hebrews. It takes me a really long time to do one verse...I'm hopeing to start memorizing it again.

Good Night!


-E.G.E.

Loch Ness Lives!

We have a special guest this evening. I have asked Ruth to publish a post for me, edited by me, of course. Here she goes.

When Esther asked me to write this post I was flattered. Almost as flattered as I am to wear her shirt. My boyfriend is peeling a clemantine and i am typing this trying. trying to figure out what to write. you see my dilema rests in the fact that i have such big shoes to fill. My sister has fame that is spoken of and written about as far south as georgia. so, i embark on this task with a slight trembling of the fingers.
*sigh* today, we went to the mall. when i go to the mall, something mysterious and far from wonderful happens. I get all warm and annoyed and confused and a vacant expression comes to my eyes. I walk to slow or sometimes, as jesse complained today, far to fast. I lose my focus and i wonder why i came because i hate this place. My brother and his girlfriend are not good companions for me when i am in this state. They act as though shopping is a duty they must do. They have no choice. they must march into American Eagle and hollister and come marching out with an armful of clothes. this very distressing duty causes many sighs and complaints of the fit of a certain pair of jeans and of the way their shirts used to be to small and now are to big etc, etc, this results in a shopping trip that is five hours to long. *sigh* that was my day.
i am now wearing esther's shirt that has a shadowy form of my good friend Nessy and proclaims joyfully that the peaceful, very misunderstood giant does live.
i think she went into hiding because of all the paparazzi and unwanted press coverage.
believe it or not, i am twenty years old. you wouldn't guess it by this post becuase of my unacceptable spelling and grammar. this should make a certain mr. greene, who killed mrs. white in the dining room, very happy that i am also a wretched speller. (private joke)
Currently, my sister is downing hershey kisses and clementines and complianing of a sore throat. She was to ill to write this post tonight so i was happy to assist her.
My boyfriend is also currently delving into my precious dyno bites, which are the off brand of fruity pebbles. this incurs my wrath. not just because he is eating them, but because it is encouraging my sister to eat them as well. they both have taken large a large bowl full each of dyno bytes. Dyno bites, are one of the few tasty cerials that i, being on a wheat gluten dairy free diet can eat. i think it is rude of them and i am going now to tell them so. goodnight my sister's faithful readers. merry christmas.
ruthanna M. Ellis
student,
senoia, georgia

SMIDGENS

Yes. Chocolate Santa ones. That I picked up shopping with Heather, Ruth, and Matt last week. : ) Matt and I each got 4 boxes each. So on the way home, Matt says;
"Want some of my Santa Smidgens?"
"Of course not."
"Why?"
"I have my own."
"You don't have white chocolate ones."
"Did you ever think that maybe I didn't buy white chocolate ones, because I didn't WANT white chocolate ones."
"Well, You'll be sorry-"
"I really don't care about white chocolate. Did you get the caramel filled ones?"
"No."
"The peanut butter patties?"
"No."
"Keep your stupid white chocolate Santa Smidgens."

That was pretty random. Today is Christmas. And since company isn't here yet, I am doing one last post. To celebrate. The christmas season. : )
Later today, We are going to go outside, and go sledding, and then we are going to build some forts and have a snowball fight. Maybe another snowman or two.
You know how, when you say something, that is sort of funny, but no one says anything after you say it, and there is just dead silence? Well on the way back from the mall, we were getting off our exit, and I saw this car in front of us. It was really dirty. So I said;
"Wow. That car is so dirty. I could write my name on it. With my finger."
And nobody said anything. That happens a lot with me.

I'm not sure when Naomi and Rob are getting here. They probablly will be here any minute.
I spent a lot of time this morning getting ready. I wanted to get my Christmas look on. Yeah man. Which included, black stockings, and that dress I wore for our family pictures, but I am wearing my hair down, and pinned back with old barrettes. Spelling? And now I have a pink sweater on, with big pink buttons, that used to be my Grandma's. I am going to stay dressed up all day, because I think its fun. I never used to like pink, I sort of hated it. But recently, I have been getting in touch with my inner femininity. :D

I am going to go now. We are going to watch a Christmas movie, and I am going to knit. Around 4 this afternoon, is when we are going to go outside. We are waiting for Jon to get back from Heathers. Micah and Vanessa will get here around...8 or so. Then we will have food and our white elephant. Or white elephante, as nate dubs it. AND we get our NBC (Night Before Christmas) gift. Which is pajamas. Blue plaid pajamas for me. : ) I picked them out. I better finish wrapping presents. And getting my room ready for Mic and Van.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!
(Merry Christmas to those of the boring few, who are celebrating it today.)




-E.G.E.


Song of the day: Any Christmas Song of your choice. I'm picking "Sleigh Ride" You know, "Come on its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you...." Love that song.

Lets sit down and knit.

Oh lets! I bought some lovely new yarn tonight. Along with a pretty awesome pattern. One of my winter projects, is making a formal dress for college. It might come in handy. It think it will be pretty awesome. I'm going to try and take my time and not rush. Hopefully, on Teusday, Heather, Ruth and I are going to Albany to do some more Christmas shopping. I don't really want to go to anymore malls, but I want to go with Heather because I love her. : ) So then, I will force them to let me go to JoAnn Fabrics and find some stuff to start working on it. It's going to be about mid-calf in length, and it will be pretty sweet. Can't wait to start working on it. The hard part will be the sleeves, since there are no sleeves on the pattern, I've got to make them. It's ok. And also, I am doing a tule overlay on the skirt, which will be hard, tule is just plain ol' hard to work with. This skirt pattern is a little puckered, and I will have to make it less puckered, because the tule will poof a lot anyways. But thats ok, it will be cute. With some black pointy shoes, a string of pearls, and a clutch, I'll be set to go. I think it will look cute with the hair down, in a "notebook" sort of style.
So today was Mom's 11th Annual Ladies Tea. It went very well. Mom made awesome food...which I ate WAY too much of. Oh my goodness..I'm feeling so nasty.
I gave the devotional. I felt a lot of people praying for me, so that was a nice thing. About 7 unsaved ladies were there. So I felt a big responsiblity. But I know that I have said what the Lord laid on my heart to say. Well, I really didn't SAY too much, I just read scripture. You can't go wrong there. It was all very clear.
So then tonight, Jon, Heather, Ruth and I went into town. I drove. They said I am a bad driver. I am NOT a bad driver. Ok, well, leaving Taco Bell was a little sketchy, but that is because I was feeling cruddy from the chicken chalupa. It was nasty. Ruth LOVES Taco Bell. We waited about, 1/2 an hour. Well, I should say that I waited 1/2 an hour, I'm the one that stood there and waited for the order.
I bought sour patch kids at Walmart. Love those things. Then I finally connected with Ruth in the craft aisle. She bought something for Jesse's present. I can't say incase he reads this. Then Ruth bought her half-eaten package of sour patch kids, I bought my whole package, and we sat on a bench and ate them until Heather and Jon found us. It was pretty fun.
I think I feel like some more food.
Monday I am working. I think on Thursday, I am going to Binghamton with Ruth and Heather, (a recent addition) to go see Naomi. Wow. Christmas is coming pretty fast. I still have to order Dads present, Moms, Nate's, and Robs. Oh dear. Hopefully I will find stuff on Tuesday. I got a pretty sweet White Elephant. But I'm not telling because then Micah will find out. He reads my blog a lot you know. I think recently he's been reading it a lot more so that he can find out what his present is. He thinks I will slip it up. I won't though. I already know what he is getting me. Too bad. : ) Love you Micah. : ) See you Sunday...Christmas EVE! I got your baby something. Her first present from her Aunt Esther. Maybe I should just tell you all this in an email...
I am sitting next to the Christmas tree, wrapped in a white, knitted blanket that has my grandparents names on it. I am smelling the goodness of pine. Ruth just told me that Jesse is coming Monday, the day after Christmas, but in reality, our Christmas day. (We are celebrating Christmas the day after, just so you know.) So that is pretty sweet. She's excited. I'm excited for her. I haven't seen Jesse since MARCH! Wow.
I don't have too much more to say. Well, I have PLENTY more I could say, but just wisely choose not to. : )
I will try to post some older 'Sunday Thoughts' if I remember. I have quite a few that have collected up. I've been rather distracted and busy lately.
Good Night all.

Something I've been praying about lately: If you hear a good quote or good song, try not to say in your head "Wow. That was good. Something to think about."
( I for one, do that a lot. )
Try to remember that sometimes it is good to think, but that more often, you should DO.




-E.G.E.

Song of the day: "While You Were Sleeping" - Casting Crowns

last minute christmas shopping. oh yeah. look at that effort.  

My beloved sister is home, and we built a snowman today. Ruth named it "Jesse Snowman". Most things that she could possibly form an attachment to usually get "Jesse" placed before them.  

Well, whoever it was, he was pretty snazzy.  

Jon was at work in his own corner of the lawn. I think he speared his through with a large stick. That was before he jumped on it and completely destroyed it.  

Science Fiction: Tootsie Roll Style

My adorable little kitty. : ) Don't listen to what anyone else in the family will tell you. This here is one awesome cat.  

"...and his days like a passing shadow..."

Well, I do have a life. And it has been a very crazy one the past week or so. And will continue to be a crazy one. I have found a moment to catch my breath, though not for long. : )
I have been listening to the Paul Washer sermons that my dear brother Jon recommended for me. Ruth actually gave them all to me on cd for my birthday. You can hear them on this site.
Sermon 5 is incredible. It's actually the first one I heard, and the only one I have listened to straight through. I've heard it about 5 times now. I would advise listening to it when you can listen to it straight through.
I rode finally, last week. I was so happy. It was my best ride on FMN so far. She's really an awesome horse. Jackie pretty much let me make my own judgment calls throughout the lesson, which was nice. We mixed it up and I tried picking up the trot on a circle, or figure eight. It was really nice. She did absolutely awesome. I really think that a few more lessons, and we should be able to start working on the canter. I have a feeling that it's not going to be as hard as the trot. It might be though. Now, I'm really not putting any pressure at all on the draw reins, I'm just using the one snaffle rein. She's a very sweet horse. She's getting moved from the mare barn to the training barn...yesterday. lol. Now she'll be up with everyone else so thats nice. I decorated her stall really cute. I will take a picture.
We went to a 'Handel's Messiah' Concert last night in PA. That was awesome. Very Cool.
Except, I fell asleep weird, and my neck hurts now. Not AT the concert, but on the way home. But, I did lean my head on moms shoulder several times during the concert. : ) I was pretty tired.
Well, I just took a very long nap. I've been playing an interesting collection of songs today.
Before Sunday School, I played "Leibestraume: A Love Dream" By Listz
"Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor" by Chopin
"Nocturne in E Minor" by Chopin
"Etude in E Major" by Chopin
"Intermezzo in A Major" by Brahms
And last, but definetly not least..
"Pathetique" by Beethoven
Well, my piano teacher is trying, without an real progress, to pull me away from this style..not all together, but just to try some different stuff. As he puts it; "I think you've captured the romantic era well, lets try something different."
Then we started working on "The Sunken Cathedral", which I thought was completely awesome, and I don't think that he thought I liked it. But I did. I loved it.
It's by Debussy. It's a completely awesome peice. If it's interpreted right. Some people don't make that big part BIG enough. It's super fun. And it's "different". Although I would like to explore some different composers. I like Bach. He's hard, but it's crazy fun.
There is plenty more that I have to say. I still have to work on all my photos from our trip to Maine this fall.
April is my last TFC Competition. Man alive, that will be so sad.
I better jet.
I am going to go play all those songs I just mentioned. : ) I'm in a pianoish mood today. Thats a cool word. "Pianoish". It sounds slightly foriegn. Say it with an accent. And try emphasizing different parts of it each time you say it. It's fun.
Goodbye.





-E.G.E.

Oh, the following pictures are ones that my brother and mom took at the Landmark Inn, where they work. There was a B & B tour yesterday. I have no pictures from my Inn. Sorry.

mmmmm 

My Mom, (The Chef) and Elizabeth, the head housekeeper. The two people that keep that Inn running. : ) 

Inside the Landmark 

Photo Friday: 'Weight'

FOR THE CAUSE

I would request of each and every of my faithful blog readers, as well as the unfaithful ones, to comment on this post.

I am posting on behalf of my dear brother, Nate.
Nate is desiring to start a buisness...caretaking and property management.
He does need a title for his buisness.
This is where all of you will come into play.
The board is set.
The peices are moving.
Please participate.
We would like all of you to contribute by suggesting titles for his new buisness. I know many of you have wonderfully creative minds. Some of you don't. That is ok. Comment anyways.

If Nate decides to incorporate your suggestion into his title, For the lucky winner, He would like to offer a free pool cleaning as well as a 10% discount on all Vacation Homes.

On behalf of Nate,
Thank you so much for your participation and help.



-E.G.E.

The Code of the Woosters

I am posting a section from my favorite scene in the book.
I think I have mentioned before that this book from the popular "Bertie and Jeeves" series, is one that my class is adapting to a play that we will be performing next semester. My assignment was the Antique Shop scene, as well as the scene where Bartholomew (a small "vicious" terrier) attacks Constable Oates, and summons "Stiffy Byng" as Bertie looks on.
The following is some of the best narraration you'll hear for a long time, from Bertie. He was sent to the Antique Shop by his Aunt, who wants him to sneer at a silver cow-creamer, so that the dealer will lower the price. That is all I will say about the scene, in effort not to confuse.

"The antique shop in the Brompton Road proved, as foreshadowed, to be an antique shop in the Brompton Road and, like all antique shops except the swanky ones in the Bond Street neighborhood, dingy outside and dark and smelly within. I don't know why it is, but the proprietors of these establishments always seem to be cooking some sort of stew in the back room..."
(I am editing out a couple pages...)
And so, the subject having come up, I said that I understood that he had an eighteenth-centruy cow-creamer for sale.
He shook his head. He was a rather mildewed bird of gloomy aspect, almost entirely concealed behind a cascade of white whiskers.
"You're too late. It's promised to a customer."
"Name of Travers?"
"Ah."
"Then that's all right. That above Travers is my uncle. He sent me here to have a look at the thing. So dig it out will you? I expect its rotten."
"It's a beautiful cow-creamer."
"HA!" I said, borrowing a bit of the Dictators stuff. "Thats what you think. We shall see."
I wasn't expecting the heart to leap up to any great extent at the sight of this exhibit. But when the whiskered ancient pottered off into the shadows and came back with the thing, I scarecly knew whether to laugh or weep. The thought of an uncle paying hard cash for such an object got right in amongst me.
It was a silver cow. But when I say 'cow', don't go running away with the idea of some decent, self-respecting cudster such as you may observe loading itself in the nearest meadow. This was a sinister, leering, Underworld sort of animal, the kind that would spit out the sife of its mouth for twopence. It was about four inches high and six long. Its back opened on a hinge. Its tail arched, so that the tip touched the spine-thus, I suppose, affording a handle for the cream-lover to grasp. The sight of it seemed to take me into a different and dreadful world..."

There is much more funniness in this book. But maybe this will tempt you to buy it. Because its hysterical.


-E.G.E.

Photo Friday: 'Experimental'

My First self-portrait. Very 'Experimental'

the village... 

stairs. : ) 

another shot 

"...christmas is a-comin..."

Even though I'm not quite in the Christmas Spirit, we decorated the house last night. And that helped. So I will post a few pictures. Nate and I finished the village today, and I bought some more decorations for the stairs and finished those. The general store in Cooperstown has some pretty nice decorations. Cheap too. Which is great. : )
Mom bought some fake snow, which I told her would be an absolute mess, and sure enough, it was double the mess I thought it would be, because Nate decided that a "North-Easter" was coming in, and we ended up having to vacuum. But the village does look pretty cool. We mounded the "snow" up on the roofs and around the people. The horse and cart are pretty much knee-deep. We need some people sledding though. And some ice-skaters. The village that mom bought to add to our collection today, didn't come with a light, so we have to buy one. But until then, we're pretending that its closed at night. (Nates idea, not mine.)
Hopefully within the next day or so, Dad and I will hang the icicle lights outside, along with the two little trees that go on either side of the front steps. But its going to be fairly busy, for me at least. I'm leaving tomorrow for Binghamton for the day and night, and most of the next day. And then my Christmas concert at school is Saturday night.
Next Saturday is the B & B tour. We're going to the Handel's Messiah concert in PA, so I will miss dressing up as a colonial caroler, but oh well.
I think Sunday afternoon is the Christmas Craft thing at the barn. I might help out. The 17th is my moms Ladies Tea. I'm doing the devotions for it. And the 18th is the Holiday Open House at the barn. YAY! I love that. I get to see all my friends and we dress up, and then after we eat we go up to the barn and give our horses their presents. Last year I wore stilleto pointed shoes, and I walked up the hill to the barn in them. HAH! I'm so good. Usually, half the people I don't know. But its ok. I know Kyle Ayers, Kyle Bertrand, Megan, Joce, Erin, and Steph. And Randy and Ilene, Chelsea. Well I geuss I do know more than that. But a lot of the people I don't know. But its still fun. It will be a busy month.

Merry Christmas Early. Not too early mind you. Its coming fast. : )
*
^
^^^
^^^^^
^^^^^^^

( I made that up. Its a christmas tree. Incase you couldn't tell. )

-E.G.E.