My Weekly Parchment

         Every Monday for the past couple of weeks I have written my grandparents a letter using my ink well and feather on parchment paper. They told me it meant more to them than just giving them a quick phone call that lasts 5 minutes once a week, because have you ever written a letter using a quill? It is terribly difficult. I don't understand how James Madison wrote the Constitution of the United States of America like that. I wrote one paragraph and it was so difficult to do!
           I have ink stains all over my hands. I am so glad I am not a leftie I would die. All of the ink on that paper would have smeared and all my hard work would have been killed. ALL OF IT DEAD. Do you know how upsetting that would be? At least I am not part of the 10% of people in the world who would have to like hold their hand uncomfortably to try not to smug the ink. My heart goes out to all lefties everywhere. 
          Sorry I got a bit off track back to what I was saying, "The Weekly Parchment" is what I label to return address as on my grandparent's letters that I send them and I really enjoy sitting down and writing letters. Even though my handwriting isn't too beautiful especially when writing with the quill I am slowly improving which is nice. I was writing earlier and I just wanted to like throw the quill across the paper, because INK SPOTS EVERYWHERE. It killed me. So bad. so bad. so bad. so bad....
          Everytime I write a letter I lay out paper on the table like you would do when painting, because if I don't I will stain the surface I am writing on.... not like that has happened to me before or anything... *coughs*. 
          I do genuinely enjoy writing letters to people more than texting them or giving them a phone call, because it feels more important. Someone sat down for 20 or 30 minutes to write to you, I just personally wish it would come back. I think it would be great if people started writing letters to people weekly. If you read this try to start writing letters. That doesn't mean never text or call someone obviously, what I mean is if you want to call someone just to check in write them and tell them in the letter to write you back. Trust me there is nothing like the anticipation of waiting for a letter to be delivered to you.  

New Hobby - Photography

     I have decided to take up a new hobby......Photography! You probably knew that by the title, but I still felt it necessary to mention. I have had a camera for a while, but I recently thought about taking actual professional pictures. So, here they are....

    I hope you like them! I will be posting a Photography blogpost once a week of the pictures I have taken these are the pictures for this week.

Reasons to LOVE yourself

     I haven't been happy for a while now and I was talking to my mom today when we went to visit her at the hospital and she told me to make a list of all of the reasons I like myself. I asked her what if I can't find any and she told me, "You will always truly love yourself but society has covered you in this shell of mean words that you have to break through to find who you truly are and what truly defines you." If you don't love yourself make a list of every little thing you can think of that makes you smile about yourself. This is my list.

1.  I really like the way my eyes look. I don't know why but if I ever take a picture there is a 99.99% my eyes look nice.
 It looks like I have no nose, because of the filter I used. I do have a nose I am not Voldemort I swear.
2. I like being considered an introvert.  Less than 30% of the people in America are Introverted and it makes me feel special. Being introverted also means I need to time to be alone and recharge and that means I am comfortable being alone.
3. I like that I am considered a "smart kid" by my peers.      
   4. I genuinely think I have a good taste music. Music is an opinion and a personal taste that is why I like mine so much.
      5. How much I love Science. I genuinely love science. Astrophysics particularly I find space fascinating. Science has a place in my heart because it can always tell me why. Any question I ask there is always an answer for it. If I ever ask my dad a question and I ask why and he doesn't want to tell me he will tell me, "because I said so" and I absolutely hate it, but Science can always tell me why
.
This is a short list but I couldn't think of much but I will make more
of these in the future.

A quote by John Green

State Testing

    IT HAS BEEN OVER A WEEK SINCE I HAVE WRITTEN A BLOG POST.

               Just thought I should state the obvious, but now why have I not written one is the real mystery. *Thoughtfully strokes invisible beard*
               I haven't written a blogpost, because State Testing is coming up! Yay. -_- I dislike state testing very much because it is ridiculously easy. I take 2 advanced classes and 2 horizon classes which means I am classifies as a "smart kid". I do like to think of myself as relatively smart, but I guess to the state of Georgia I am a genius. State testing or Standardize testing has never been something I worry about. I have never had any problems with it I have always exceeded every subject every year that I have taken it so I have nothing to worry about..... right?
  Wrong.
      This year I am incredibly worried about the "Social Studies" section of the test. This year I was put into American Government which is a class a year above me so my teacher taught me all of the things I would need to know for next year first. DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE TO ANYONE? We are SEVEN LESSONS BEHIND SEVEN. The Social Studies test is in a week. I have been studying so much for that test. The rest of them I am not worried about Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science are all easy, but considering I haven't learned half of the material for Social Studies I am a bit anxious. Now the thing is it isn't like this is about the Civil war and Islamic Religions OH NO IT IS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF GEORGIA. If it was about the Civil War I could watch some Crash Course videos on it banda bing banda boom I'm good to go, but no of course it has to be strictly about Georgia. Hopefully the test will be ridiculously easy and I will pass with flying colors.
      Maybe I am worrying about it for nothing but I am definitely going to try my best on it. I NEED TO EXCEED.
      The only thing I don't like about State Testing is that you can't read after it. So, on each test there are two parts. When you get done with the first part you can't go on you have to wait until the timer goes off and then you can do the second section. The thing that sucks is you can't read after the first section. After you shut your book when you are done with the second section you may read but you can not open you booklet for the test again.
            Wish me good luck!! :D
 

My emotions this week summed up in one picture. 

Young Southern Writers Contest Winner

     In about January we had to write a fictional story that was for a UTC contest. It was called the Young Southern Writer's Contest. In my horizon ELT (extra learning time) class which is a creative writing class for students that my Lit. teacher chooses. So, what we did is everyone wrote a paper and then we would check each other for grammar, punctuation, spelling mistakes before my teacher sent them in. She wanted everyone to vote for the story they thought was best. I had read all of the other student's stories and I thought their stories were much better than mine. So, did the rest of the students as my story didn't get one vote. I guess they were wrong though, because MY STORY WAS ONE OF THE WINNERS IN THAT CATEGORY I AM SO EXCITED YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. 

           There will be an awards ceremony that I will not being attending due to other things scheduled for that day, but my teacher is going to be picking up my medal for me. I am so happy that I won this award. I love to write as shown through doing a blog and just writing for fun, but the fact that I won something for doing what I love means so much to me. I do wish I could attend. I just want to say thank you UTC for giving me an opportunity to be recognized for what I love. 

(I will post my story tomorrow!) :)

New Eating Habits! :D

   I can admit I use to not eat healthy food and I could have taken better care of myself. I had a "life style change". I am not going on a diet, I am just going to eat better and exercise. This is how I changed my eating habits and started exercising.

• No more caffeine, I use to get headaches if I did not drink caffeine so I stopped drinking it and I have been feeling way better. 
• No more junk food. Every once and a while I can have a piece of chocolate or a handful of chips, but it isn't an everyday thing anymore. 
• More organic foods. Organic foods are grown with less pesticides. Pesticides can be harmful to human immune systems. (more info at  Help Guide- Organic foods) 
• Waking up earlier.
• Exercise!!!!! Exercise is extremely important. For information on the benefits of exercise - Physical Activity benefits. 
• Vitamins, to be sure I receive the proper amount Vitamins I take multi-vitamin gummies, Fish oils, fiber supplements. 
• Drink lots of water!\
• Sleep proper amount of time! Teens normally need more sleep for my age (14) it is recommended I get at least 9 hours of sleep.
  
  My exercise routine- I work out at around 7pm which lasts an hour, then I shower, then go to bed.
  ***If any time during your exercise if you feel tired PLEASE stop and take a break. DON'T over work yourself. 
• Walk for 2 minutes on treadmill
• Run for 6 minutes on treadmill
• Jog for 2 minutes on treadmill
• I then run from my garage door to the wall about 25 times. 
• Do 20 crunches 
• 15 sit-ups 
• 20 push-ups
• Then I take two 5 pound (2.3 kilograms) weights and lift them horizontally over my head about 15 times.
• 30 jumping jacks 
• Then I take this thing that looks like a jump rope but it is made of rubber and has two handles on the end. I put the rubber part under my foot and lift up with both my hands about 15 times on both arms.
  *******Each exercise and diet needs to be tailored to EACH PERSON. What works for one person will not always work for the other. ALSO, remember to eat properly don't try and starve yourself that will only cause harm to your body. Just because you are eating healthy food doesn't mean eat more, eat until you are full.
        Something I would like to say about losing weight. PLEASE LOSE WEIGHT FOR YOU!!!
  Don't lose weight, because you think you need to "fit-in". Society makes it seem like you need to be skinny to be accepted. Being healthy is more important than being skinny. Don't lose weight, because of society. Lose weight and be healthy to feel better mentally and physically. <3 Love you guys. 

Poem for Lit. Class - Fear

     In my literature class we have to do a poem about an emotion. I didn't really have anything to write about today so I thought I would just share it with guys. I hope you like it. :D

Fear Fear grabs you and shakes you losing you in paranoia.

Doing anything to get away from the feeling.
Sprinting away from the darkness, only to be in gulfed once more.

Falling through pit of lies.
Nothing is real; only figments of your imagination.
Merely things you have thought of.
Even with the knowledge of reality, you can’t shake the feeling.

Death and pain pour down upon you unable to escape their presence.
You are shaken by the fear, slowly losing your sanity.
Any sense of direction you had is gone. You are lost in the dark.

Stumbling through with every step you grow weaker.

Until you are on your knees begging for mercy.
Mercy from whom?
Yourself?  

You have locked yourself up in the depths of Haydes or is it your own mind?
No matter you are still unable to see the light.
The light is no longer tangible it is nonexistent.
Only a dream.

You live in a nightmare.
The pain is a constant, but you can’t feel it anymore.
Numbness fills you.
The things that once scared you are now knives being thrown at your chest.
Anxiety in your bones.

Happiness is gone painted over by fear. Not erased only covered.
The light is locked away for only the good to see.
Are you still good?
Have you only been tricked?

Tricked into this never ending maze of pain and demons.
The river of fire is the only source of light left. It is almost a liquid substance.
You tried to drown you demons in the fire, but they know how to swim.

They swim and laugh at your petty attempts.
They believe you are weak and can not break free they are the fear.
They are why you are still here in this awful place.
They are the thieves of the light, the bringers of death and darkness.

How will you be saved?
Will you give in and swim among the darkness?
Will you keep your heart of pure alive and battle against them?
Hoping for an answer that may never occur.

You ran into the darkness the glowing of the river of fire out of sight. You are in isolation.
Lost in your memories, you remember happiness and joy,
Things that no longer seem real anymore. They feel like a fairytale.

Stuck in the vortex of your madness forever.
Never to feel relief again.
Waiting and waiting.

It feels like days, weeks, months pass. You haven’t been found nor have you died.
The demons find you and now they know you are weak.
They try to invade you, but are repelled by your heart.
Your heart is pure unlike your mind.

The land transforms to life after the purity bursts from your soul.
Bringing light to your home and fear has been destroyed,
but how long until it returns?

P.S.- It is 100% my work. I may be flattering myself here, but please don't steal this. Thanks again for reading it!