The past...week, maybe?

Okay, so so much has happened!!!

My dad got here from Connecticut, which was stupendously exciting. I actually started crying when I hugged him at first...I never cry from joy! That's how happy I was. Except we'll be leaving him for Ithaca, NY tomorrow, which makes me sad. I think seeing him for a week is going to make me miss him more now.:-( My sister agrees. :-(

Okay, so we stayed with my dad's friend, the chiropractor Randy. He was lovely...and there was a hot tub at his house! That was great, except one problem: we managed to break it the last day. Or at least, it stopped working while Ella, my mom, and I were soaking.

Speaking of my mom, we had a Hanukkah dinner with her and my dad. Is that a MIRACLE or what? I'm very proud of them, though it did leave me feeling very weird and twisty inside.

Okay, and before that, we went to this clothing boutique of my dad's friend Marta's friend Liylou's, and all the clothing was AWESOME. It was all organic and fair trade and coolness like that. But everything was soooo expensive. She gave us each a pair of leg-warmers though, which was awesome. $24 each though...very very generous. We must have looked like starving little children in need of expensive leg-warmers.

And now we're at Marta's house with some pretty cool people. There's Marta's daughter Clara, a teenage guitar-strumming couch-hopper by the name of Dylan, and quite a few more interesting characters. I <3 them. :-D They're very fun to be around, and also Marta gave me a carrot. :-)

So we're going to Ithaca tomorrow, which I already mentioned. David's taking my turtle, Devika Annevieve Niamh, called Devi. She's a pretty cool turtle. David is lucky to have her company.

So...yep...that's what's been happening so far. Plane tomorrow, and I need to write a bunch of my story while I'm flying. I hope Iris&Jonah actually gets somewhere, and I hope I come up with a semi-decent title for it. Iris&Jonah isn't really cutting it.

Much love (to whoever reads this, though no one is...I think)
-Sofie

New Favorite Poems!

I'm absolutely in love with this one, regardless of my shaky religious views:

And A Meadowlark Sang
by Ravindra Kumar Karnani

"The child whispered, 'God, speak to me'
And a meadow lark sang.
The child did not hear.

So the child yelled, 'God, speak to me!'
And the thunder rolled across the sky
But the child did not listen.

The child looked around and said,
'God let me see you' and a star shone brightly
But the child did not notice.

And the child shouted,
'God show me a miracle!'
And a life was born but the child did not know.

So the child cried out in despair,
'Touch me God, and let me know you are here!'
Whereupon God reached down
And touched the child.

But the child brushed the butterfly away
And walked away unknowingly."

That's just beautiful.

Another:
as it happens
by Kyle Parrish

"Who told you this would be easy?" she said, eyes glittering like sea-wet stones. A flush, gentle as rain, rose in her cheeks.
Nobody, nobody, the voice in his head clammered, I'm sorry, sorry, my love, it is blessed, it must be; I cannot ever deny love.
At that moment he met her eyes and it occured to him that we live only in moments, arranged as it happens. Someday we shall live entirely in nothing but a single kiss.

Christmas Break!

Okay, so I just got out of school for Christmas Break, and I'm very excited! I've been exhausted all week studying for finals- I got home today at about 3:15 and slept until about 8! I definitely need this time to recuperate from being so freaking tired.

Okay, here's what I thought of my exams:
Tuesday- Math- It was better than I would have expected, but I still don't really know how I did. For some reason, how easy it is for me to take math tests in his class doesn't seem to have that much correspondence with how well I do.
Spanish- Horribly easy. I got my grade back, and it was a 94. I thought I did better, actually, but I'm not complaining.
Wednesday- Chemistry- I'm really iffy on this one. I seemed to have forgotten a bunch of formulas and stuff- what is it with me blanking out on tests this year?
Thursday- English- Very good. It wasn't tedious to take actually, which surprised me, since that is generally the point of exams. I got done really early, and then Mrs. Leary told me my essay had to be a page longer. I could only manage to get it a half a page longer, so I hope that's okay.
Friday (today)- History- Ugh. That did not go as well as planned. I'm just glad it's over with.

I'm planning a movie marathon tomorrow with my mom and sister, because the day after that...

I'm so excited that my dad's coming on Sunday! I haven't seen him for- what- four months? I'm very, very happy about that. We're going to have so much fun, and the latke party has been "approved" (well, despite the guy whose house we're staying at not knowing anything about it!)

I have some new poems to post. Not that I wrote, but that I found. Next post...

Halfway through fall exam week, and many a thought in my head.

I just finished my chem exam. It was a freaking easy exam, but I blanked out a lot, as I do in that class. Ergh. Oh well, tomorrow is English and I'm sure that will be lots of fun!(big, exaggerated grin.)

I absolutely can not wait until break, and until I see my daddy on Sunday. Mucho, mucho excitement. I haven't seen him for quite a few months now. It's very sad. I'm thinking about having a latke party where we're staying with him- invite Fenno, Chandler, & David. That'd be quite nice.

Oh, I just took some pictures, which I sort of like. Let's see.....



I have come to the conclusion that I look much, much better in B&W. Maybe I should have been born albino. That would have been...interesting I suppose. But I'd have to have blonde hair, and that would look odd on me. Hmmm....

Oh, yeah, I haven't posted my newest top 20 name lists yet. Here we go:


1. Florence Audrey Jane “Florrie” Florence Adelaide Jane/ Florence Aurelia Jane/ Florence Amity Jane/ Florence Allegra June/ Florence Jane Allegra/ Florence Emilia Jane
2. Cecily Mabel Agave “Celie” Cecily Astrid Agave/ Cecily Miriam Agave / Cecily Mirabel Agave/ Cecily Amabel Agave
3. Delilah Penelope Hazel “Lila” Delilah Penelope Ruth/ Delilah Harriet Penelope/ Delilah Hazel Penelope/ Delilah Catherine Margaret/ Delilah Primrose Hazel/ Delilah Margaret June
4. Winifred Rosalie June “Winnie”/ Winifred Elsbeth May/ Winifred Mercy June
5. Iris Theodora Maeve Iris Emilia Jane/ Iris Leonora Maeve/ Iris Leora Mabel/ Iris Guinevere Mabel/ Winifred Rosalie Carmen
6. Mathilda Rose Lenore “Tilda” Mathilda Ophelie June/ Mathilda Ivy Rosalind
7. Josephina Lucy Maud “Jo” Josephina Ivy Maud/ Josephina Lucy Marigold/ Josephina Lucy Naomh/ Josephina Lily Maud/ Josephina Lucy Ruth
8. Beatrice Anna Mireille “Bea” Beatrice Anna Mirabel/ Beatrice Lydia Mireille/ Beatrice Margot Ann
9. Helena Frances Pauline “Lena” Helena Ivy Frances/ Helena Frances Delphine/ Helena Frances Rosaline/ Helena Violet Irene/ Helena Freya Pauline
10. Cornelia Emily Saffron “Cora” Cornelia Vittoria Faye/ Cornelia Emily Saoirse
11. Rosamond Mary Ophelia “Romy” Rosamond Mary Ottavia/ Rosamond Mary Mathilde/ Rosamond Ophelia Mary/ Rosamond Lucy Ophelia
12. Calista Temperance Naomi “Calla” Calista Temperance Eve/ Calista Naomi Clemence/ Calista Naomi Pearl/ Calista Penelope Jane/ Calista Temperance Leonie
13. Lyra Valentina Margaret Lyra Emmeline Mairead/ Lyra Violet Marguerite/ Lyra Magdalene Violet/ Lyra Margaret Valentina/ Lyra Valentina Margot/ Lyra Penelope Margaret/ Lyra Margaret Hazel/ Lyra Josephine Mabel/ Lyra Emeline Ruth
14. Ingrid Amabel Violet Ingrid Mirabel Jane/ Ingrid Aoife Violet/ Ingrid Antonia Violet/ Ingrid Arabella Violet
15. Pearl Euphrasie Constance Pearl Euphemia Constance/ Pearl Anneliese ?/ Pearl Francesca ?
16. Bernadette Felicia Daisy “Bette” Bernadette Lucia May/ Bernadette Cecilia Rose
17. Alice Isotta Roxane Alice Olympia Roxane/ Alice Roxana Iseult/ Alice Mabel Isotta
18. Ginevra Carys Fay “Ginny”/ Ginevra Pearl Magdalen/ Ginevra Elsbeth Cerys
19. Kerensa Ann Colombe “Wren” Kerensa Eleanor Grace/ Kerensa Ivy Grace/ Kerensa Edith Rosemary/ Kerensa Astrid Colombe
20. Zinnia Katharine Camille “Zia” Zinnia Margaret Estelle/ Zinnia Catharine Clare/ Zinnia Catharine Maeve/ Zinnia Catharine Lucile

1. Rhys Edmund Josias
2. Jude Christopher Egon/ Jude Christopher Ian
3. Damien Frederick Emil Damien Milo Frederick/ Damien Milo Frederick
4. Noam Lysander Mark Noam Lysander James/ Noam Leander Mark
5. Shaw Nathaniel Rupert Shaw Nathaniel Reuben
6. Tristram Leopold Hugo/ Tristram Louis Hugh
7. Vincent Rafael Joaquin “Vin” Vincent Rafael Joachim/ Vincent Rafael Andres
8. Theodore Wolfram Oisin “Theo” Theodore Owen Silas
9. Macsen Florian Edgar “Max”/ Macsen Philip Edgar
10. Luka Seth Peregrine / Luka Sebastian Peregrine
11. Abram Jasper Miles / Abram Miles Thomas/ Abram Zachary Miles
12. Matthias Gregor Ashley / Matthias Joseph Gregor/ Matthias Gregor Anselm
13. Wyn Malachi Charles
14. Conan Hendrik Tobias / Conan Liam Tobias
15. Fintan Lemuel Oscar Fintan Oscar Leander
16. Ronan Felix Tadhg Ronan Felix Matteo
17. Colm Taliesin Arthur / Colm Maksim Arthur/ Colm Thaddeus Arthur
18. Elias Reuben Anders / Elias Reuben Anton
19. August Menachem Peter / August Samuel Peter/ August Malcolm Peter
20. Jonah Lucius Bede/ Jonah Bennett Lucius
21. Miles
22. Bennett

Some of them I haven't quite decided yet, and I may throw Wyn out for Bennett on my boys' list. I can't decide what to do with Miles yet. Maybe replace Conan? I'm not that in love with it any more.

Okay, that's enough for today I suppose.

Here are my poems....stupid as they be. I'm especially not that proud of "Scared at Night" but I like "Real Stuff."

Scribbles
The poetry inside my head
remnant
bouncing as tissue paper
shredded as to be tossed
If tiniest essence involves
my pencil in this project,
will sin be taken seriously?

_______________________________
Real Stuff
In any case, punctuation works.
Dimensions don't always measure right
but what does?
And life in a mirror could suffice,
the questions flipped.

_______________________________
Window Blinds
Wafting stagnantly slats
turned down, make sure down, down
so that view is improbable
at least.
For why should they mimic our curtains?

_______________________________
Sequoia
Plushy fields of the blanket engulf
And my angel the dog
Indents his chosen

_______________________________
Scared At Night
I read a little, write a little
As is recommended or told
We musts stop from worry, start imaginating
Or imagining, either
However, worry is the main option
In a me-sized purple bed

Okay, so I am in the midst of studying for exams right now. It is a very intensive, annoying process, so I thought I'd distract myself (as if I needed distracting) by posting some of my favorite poems on my mind right now:

From the book (Mother Love by Rita Dove) that got me into poetry this time:

Wiederkehr

He only wanted me for happiness:
to walk in air
and not think so much,
to watch the smile
begun in his eyes
end on the lips
his eyes caressed.
He merely hoped, in darkness, to smell
rain; and though he saw how still
I sat to hold the rain untouched
inside me, he never asked
if I would stay. Which is why,
when the choice appeared,
I reached for it.


-Rita Dove

It's intriguing, you have to admit. But definitely very sad. Being used as an escape for a guy does not sound fun at all.

Most people are familiar with this one, but it does such a good job of exemplifying love to me, that I have to post it:

Sonnet 130 - Shakespeare

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses demasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

Absolutely beautiful........ah Shakespeare.

One more, from perhaps my current favorite poet:

At the back of the noisy café
bent over a table sits an old man;
a newspaper in front of him, without company.

And in the scorn of his miserable old age
he ponders how little he enjoyed the years
when he had strength, and the power of the word, and good looks.

He knows he has aged much; he feels it, he sees it.
And yet the time he was young seems
like yesterday. How short a time, how short a time.

And he ponders how Prudence deceived him;
and how he always trusted her -- what a folly! --
that liar who said: "Tomorrow. There is ample time."

He remembers the impulses he curbed; and how much
joy he sacrificed. Every lost chance
now mocks his senseless wisdom.

...But from so much thinking and remembering
the old man gets dizzy. And falls asleep
bent over the café table.

Constantine P. Cavafy (1897)

I'll be back in a second to post my poems that I wrote in the earliest of the morning (i.e. 2AM when I haven't fallen asleep yet.)

Service Day Report

Today was service day! I went with Drama Club to read books to preschoolers, and it was so fun! Decked out in my bright-yellow overalls, multicolored hat, watermelon-toned scarf, and Dr. Seuss T-shirt, I hopped onto the mini-bus with Bridgette, Janam, Kelsey, Chloe, Emily, JJ, and Karishma, and ventured to three schools throughout Athens. I took my book of "vegan-brainwashing (JOKE!)" Shel Silverstein poems and read some pretty awesome ones to the kids, particularly "Ridiculous Rose," "Hug-o-War," "One Inch Tall," and "Sick." Here are some interesting things that the young'ns did:

• When I was reading, one teacher said to a young child, "David! No kissing on the mouth, remember!"
• While Chloe was reading her Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus story, there was many a chorus of "NO!!!!!!!!!!'s" whenever she asked, as the pigeon, "Can I drive the bus?"
• During Emily's Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving, when she said "aww, he got his feelings hurt," one little boy was like, "That happens to me sometimes. When I make toast."

So, yes. They are very, very interesting little things.

On a, erm, darker note, Ella went to see Twilight the Movie with friends. Unfortunately, she forgot to get a ride home. :-Z. Not that great, and it puts a lot of pressure on me, who should have gotten my learner's in...let's see...March!

Oh, now she has a ride. GOOD. That scared me. I'm sort of worried about what Mom is going to be like when she gets home. She will not be happy about Ella. Oh, well. At least I'm the good little girl who did the dishes while her sister was watching a movie!

So...whirlwind day. And...oh yeah! I'm staying with Ginger for five days in January. FUN! I'm excited, especially since I haven't seen the dogs in forever.

Happiness.:-)

I know it's too soon for another one of these, but I'm not testing out any more...I'm writing!

So that went rather well, I think. Right now I am sitting in my kitchen listening to my dogs bark at something unknown outside the door. I'm quite hungry, but I'm resisting that urge so that I can type.

__________________________________________________

Okay, I'm back *says Sofie, her mouth full of cracker and margarine.*

I think I have a new favorite current song. It's called "Operation American Freedom" by the amazing Kyle Smith. I just newly discovered his music and it's phenomenal. Apparently there's nothing on him anywhere.

Send me your poor, your weak, your misinformed, and I will send them overseas
While the papas and the mamas spend each and every night on their knees
He said she said, "I won't let you take my son, despite his bravery."
Well mama, I'll be back someday, and you can be proud of me.
Well I won't forgive you for this.
I won't forgive you for this.
Cuz' now I'm never coming home.
I used to be proud, but now I am alone.
I think about a war in life, the paparazzi down and pray.
I think about the empty caskets rolling on into the bay.
I think about a patriot takes away my right to speak.
And the hand that rocks the cradle is that same hand that rocks the weak.
My sin, my right, my convocation, as invisible as the line.
That separates the right from the left and the blessed from the left-behind.
So sit and watch those fireworks and breathe in the gun-powdered air.
That is the smell of freedom- that is the smell of care.
And I won't forgive you for this.
How can I forgive you for this?
Cuz' now I'm never coming home.
I used to be proud, but now I am
Alone.

I really do believe that is genius. Unfortunately, there's nothing about him anywhere. I found him on Last.fm, which is absolutely amazing if you want to find obscure songs, but not that great when you want information! It also has some wonderful free mp3 downloads, such as the above song.

__________________________________________________________________

Today was such an odd day. I woke up after having a weird dream, but I can't remember it any more (I never can- maybe tomorrow I'll be conscious enough at that time to remember to type it out.) My sister didn't catch the bus, so I got my own seat, which was nice, but I had to finish reading the assigned part of Fahrenheit 451, which meant no music or else I would have no concentration whatsoever (which was disappointing considering the wonderful new group of songs I had finished uploading to Zivvy (my purple iPod Shuffle) last night.) After Class Meeting that day, I became really upset about my dad (well, I haven't seen him in months) so I went to talk to Mr. Sears during advisory. That was really nice, actually. I had gotten Advil for my headache there earlier this morning, so the office became a regular destination for me today. Anyways, Mr. Sears came up with the wonderful idea of my getting a part-time job within walking distance from my house, so that I could use the money in order to buy my dad plane tickets to come visit us. I'm thinking Smoothies (<3) style="font-style: italic;">incident with the window in Ms. Sensing's room. Because of this, the Nuccispace Service Day Project was meeting outside, so I had a nice little two seconds with Topher before I jumped over the little ridge-thingy between Lampkin and the Tillman Center and landed on my knee. So I went to the office again and had to clean my knee off. It still hurts at the moment. Then I went to math, where we were supposed to get our (to me, all-important) test back. We did at the end of class, but unfortunately I had to catch the bus and I couldn't look at my grade. Tomorrow I will discover whether I am still a member of the math elite or my time has come to step down.

Ah, well. On to memorize polyatomic ions, now!

SO...

I decided to start keeping a blog (sort of a given, but oh, well.) This will be filled with day-to-day musings/chimeras, whines, names, words, and the like. My history with blogs has been quite shaky, as I've started a few have gotten too distracted to keep up with them. This will be the blog of change.

Below is my inspiration for this blog. Her name is Olive Ostrovsky, otherwise known as Celia Keenan-Bolger. In either form, she is definitely a hero of mine.