Sad and disheartening news - but all is not lost!

You must have noticed my absence of posts lately.  Well, life has kind of caught up to me, and I've had to make the hard decision to take a break from blogging for a while.  I find I haven't had time to keep up with/comment on the blogs I follow, and I really want to be able to do that to be a good blogger.  Not only that, I find I don't really have much to say to y'all that is all that important, and even though I think I certainly shall take up the internet pen once more, I think it's time for a sabbatical.  So, even though I *really* regret having to say this, this will be my last post for a while.

However, I am *not* going to delete this blog, so please keep following it, because you'll want to catch up with me when I begin again.  When I do, it will be with purpose and conviction.  You guys have been *amazing*, and I feel bad that I haven't kept up with your blogs and sites like I wanted to.

Also, a friend of mine has started an online support group that I want to share with you.  She is a really special person with type 1 diabetes, and she started this support group and website to connect with other people who have type 1 diabetes.  Please take a look - you will be blessed!

Until later, my faithful friends!  Continue to write for the glory of God!

- Madeline alias *the Bedouin*

A study in description

Something I did for school.  The assignment was to describe something with more than just its physical appearance; to tell its essence in words.  It took a couple tries with a couple different subjects, but I finally settled on this one.

~~~~~~~

The ancient Bible was one of the first things I saw when I stepped into the room. Though its cracked leather cover, faded and worn from ages of poring and studying, was covered in a layer of fine, featherweight dust, it seemed to glow with an aura of sage wisdom and truth untold. The tome could have been as old as the earth itself - as I turned the first page, it cracked with the care and weight of being moved from its place. I replaced it and ran my hand along the cover, leaving an irregular blotch of dustless area that seemed to remove some of the hallowedness of the book. The dust gave it a sense of being the holiest book on earth - though it contained the same words as any cheap pocket Bible you could buy, it was not the same. If there was a Bible that God wrote with his own hand, this was the one. With gravity and splendor it had sat there in the dust for centuries, away from the prying eyes of skeptical readers, its enormous bulk threatening to crack the altar on which it sat with every tiny tremor of the earth, whether they be caused by marauding armies or tectonic plates. In silence, I backed away, and at the door I paused and looked at it again. Even though the high, gothic architecture soared above my head, even though the rows and rows of ancient and stolid pews vied for my attention, even though the golden crucifix, glorious and untarnished, hung in the nave, to me the stalwart and hallowed old book was the only thing in the room.

Novella news...and chocolate chips

Today I'm what you'd call *absolutely thrilled* because....

drumroll please.....

I've just hit 6,000 words in my novella!  Which, for me, is a huge deal, because that's halfway.  (Excuse me for a minute.)

I'M HALFWAY!!!!!!

Thank you.

Things are going swimmingly (which usually means something is about to go wrong...).  I've written parts one and two of four and done a once-over edit on both.  So I'm ready to continue to Part Three!  The excitement is growing!  The writerly happiness is brewing!!  The chocolate chips are disappearing!!

I think I'll have my brother make some frappuchinos to jumpstart Part Three.  What do you think?

In other news, I have a very long summer reading list.  To provide you with some droll enjoyment I shall show you some of the upcoming titles, and you can see what I'm reading.

I'm in the middle of this wonderful tale at present.  Yes, this is a school leftover, and yes, I've already passed the balcony scene.  I hope you don't need an overview of the plot.

I've read this before, but I don't remember anything.  This is also a school leftover.  I'm looking forward to it very much - Lewis is my all-time favorite author.

Apparently a collection of short stories in the Sherlock Holmes style in which Father Brown, a Catholic priest, solves crimes with panache.  This should be interesting.  Leftover from school.

A collection of fantasy short stories by a contemporary of C.S. Lewis.  Also for school.

This looks interesting.  It's science fiction - that's basically all I know about it.  It's the last book in my lit program.

This looks like a pretty hefty read.  I still haven't had time to do this one yet; hope I have time for it this summer.

Ugh, I STILL haven't got around to reading this!!  It's plaguing me with its presence!!!

Still haven't got a hold of this one.  The one at my library was checked out.

Finally decided to find out what this was all about.  The waiting list at my library is 40 people long, I kid you not.  So I guess it'll have to be Borders for me.

My grandmother swears this is the best book in the world, and my brother happened to have it on loan.  So I guess I'll read it.

I heard about this from a friend - so I want to check it out.  Again, the waiting list at the library is astronomical.

A perennial favorite of mine that I'm certain you're all familiar with.  Ah, the adventure, the pathos.  It never gets old.

Now, as I'm looking at this list, it seems a little ambitious.  But I'll see what I can do.  I'm a champion reader. *grins*

Till the end!  Endurance and victory!  For Narnia, and for Aslan!  Tora! etc, etc.

~ Madeline alias *the Bedouin*

Candid Room Tag

So, Chris decided to tag *everyone* that follows his blog with the Candid Room Tag.  Which means, unfortunately for me, that you have to take a picture of your room, without cleaning it, and put it on your public blog.  So he wrenched it out of me.  *sigh*

Maya Angelou

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS

A free bird leaps on the back

Of the wind and floats downstream

Till the current ends and dips his wing

In the orange suns rays

And dares to claim the sky.

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage

Can seldom see through his bars of rage

His wings are clipped and his feet are tied

So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill

Of things unknown but longed for still

And his tune is heard on the distant hill for

The caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze

And the trade winds soft through

The sighing trees

And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright

Lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams

His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

His wings are clipped and his feet are tied

So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with

A fearful trill of things unknown

But longed for still and his

Tune is heard on the distant hill

For the caged bird sings of freedom.

 

 

- Maya Angelou

Writing and Beloved

Hi guys, sorry I've been neglecting my blog lately.  You know how it is with finishing up the school year and everything.  I've had no time for anything, much less writing.

About that, I just realized that I hadn't used my code for my free proof copy of my Nano novel from CreateSpace - so I decided I better spruce it up a little so I could send it in.  Unfortunately, the code expires the 30th of this month, so I really am in a bind as to whether or not I should throw myself into finishing/fixing it up by the 30th or just send it like it is.  I still haven't decided, but I guess I will have to soon - I'm leaning towards sending it like it is.

At any rate, my novella is on hold for the present.  I still have high hopes for it, though, and I think I'll get back to it more prepared to finish the first draft strongly.

I hope soon to begin posting regularly again - until then, here's something I want to share with you: the beautiful lyrics to a song my friend introduced me to by one of my favorite bands, Tenth Avenue North (you can listen to it in my playlist at the bottom of the page).

--Beloved--

Love of my life
Look deep in my eyes

There you will find what you need

Give me your life

Lust and the lies

The past you're afraid I might see

You've been running away from me

You're my beloved

Lover I'm yours
Death shall not part us

It's you I died for

For better or worse

Forever we'll be

Our Love it unites us

It binds you to me

It's a mystery

Love of my life

Look deep in my eyes

There you will find what you need

I'm the giver of life

I'll clothe you in white
My immaculate bride you will be

Oh come running home to me

You're my beloved

Lover I'm yours

Death shall not part us

It's you I died for

For better or worse

Forever we'll be

Our Love it unites us

It binds you to me

Well you've been a mistress, my wife

Chasing lovers it won't satisfy

Won't you let me make you my bride

You will drink of my lips

And you'll taste new life

Cause you're my beloved

Lover I'm yours

Death shall not part us

It's you I died for

For better or worse

Forever we'll be

Our Love it unites us
And it binds you to me

 

You're my beloved

Forever we'll be

Our love it unites us

And it binds you to me

It's a mystery

It's a mystery

I've been awarded...

Thanks to Noah and Ness, I've been awarded the "Prolific Blogger Award" and the "Stylish Blogger Award"!  Thanks for thinking of me, guys!  =D

I will now award...

Squeaks

Seth

Nathan P.

Rebecca

Now I shall award...

Celebrilomiel

 

Rebecca

 

 

And now I have to write five random things about myself.  *sighs*

 

1. I have 7 siblings

2. I love rotini pasta

3. I can't stand clocks ticking when I'm trying to sleep

4. I'm scared of ghosts....

5. I don't like lace

 

I'll try to comment on all of your blogs in the near future...sometime...lol  When I get the chance.  But anyway.