Ponderings on A Weekly Focus and Goal Making

I have a friend who's pretty brilliant. I look up to her in a lot of ways. Her name is Tanney, and she has a blog called Our Fairy Tale that she maintains much better than I maintain this here blog of mine. There are two blogs that I actually read, hers and my friend Michele's, because I love them and I miss them.

And you know what? For a while, I tried to be like other bloggers. I tried to do the different link-ups and different daily designations of topics, like Tasty Tuesdays and what not. I tried to fit in with the blogging world. And then I got bored and stopped. I'm not that kind of blogger. I'm the kind of person who just likes to sit down and write a note to my friends and family, or to myself, add some dumb pictures I created on the fly, and then call it good. And that works for me.

BUT my friend Tanney has a link-up that I actually think is a good idea. It makes sense. She calls it the Weekly Focus. You know what I think? I think that a lot of people make yearly goals, and then forget to make plans to attain those ideals. I think that people neglect the fact that it is the everyday and weekly adjustments that make the most considerable difference in the outcomes of our actions. Having a weekly focus is a great way to gear your attentions on a specific area in which you aim to gain greater control and achievement. 

So I shall participate in this link-up. I doubt that anyone will really read this post, since it has none of my nonsensical pictorials or hair brained witticisms, but that is absolutely fine. I have thoughts and ponderings on this subject, and as a true student of my subject, I'm going to write about them.

If you hadn't noticed from some previous posts, pregnancy and I do not always get along like good chums. Sometimes we don't even get along as well as the snot-nosed geek and the snot-everything-elsed bully on the school playground. One of the biggest problems is hormones, mood swings, that part of you that rises up and fights with the other part of you for no other purpose than to make you confused and irately irrational. This just makes me more upset, since I'm not the kind of girl who was granted monthly practice with these evils during my formative years. Nope. Hormone-induced idiocy to this extent is new, horrid, and blatantly stupid. 

I made a goal that I would stop being ridiculous about my hormone swings. Actually, I called Mama in a fit of tears and begged her to tell me what to do. She suggested that I learn to differentiate between myself and the hormones, because getting upset at myself when there was not always a lot I could do was just pointless and aggravating to the situation. As usual, Mama was right. And that's when I made the goal to stop being ridiculous about how I reacted to hormonal swings.

But that's a tall order, isn't it?

So what was I supposed to do? Just stop it? That wouldn't work. That wouldn't work at all. If that were an option, I think more pregnant women before me would have opted for that one. You can't really effectively work for a goal if there isn't a way to have applicable, practical, and viable steps of achievement along the road to the ultimate finish. Rather than declaring brashly that I am no longer going to be ridiculous about the most ridiculous part of pregnancy, I must rather detail blatantly the steps that I will take when I come into a situation that would test this goal of mine.

For example, please consider the following:

1. I become overly emotional regarding the selection of a dinner item. I am disheartened that no dinner selection is made, that Andrew isn't more specific in what he wants to eat, that I am now very hungry, that I have no reason to be so emotionally upset over this decision process and I am anyway, and that all of this is pathetically lacking in any kind of result, especially results that would lead to us eating dinner any time soon.

2. What do I do? I have a goal to be non-ridiculous about my hormones influencing my reactions and actions and feelings. But HOW do I make that an application right now, when it actually matters?

3. I have to recognize that the hormones aren't necessarily me, and that I should stop getting more upset at myself. If I'm trying to fight a battle against irrationality, my rational side getting beaten up by my rational side itself is not going to help anyone.

4. I should take a step back from the situation. Is there an underlying cause for this? Well, when I get hungry, I'm not known for my charm and easy-going nature. Could my hormones be aggrandizing this typical reaction of mine to megalithic proportions? It could be that having a quick snack could help me to be more realistic about what is happening.

5. I should do something about the actual problem. We need dinner? Well, shoot. Let's have something for dinner. Even if it's cereal as a placeholder till we can find a real supper, that's still something for now. Stopping looking for grand, miraculous ways out, and do something small and simple while you can.

6. Maybe tonight is a crisis because nothing was done to prepare for this moment earlier. I can avoid future repetitions of this problem by making sure that dinner articles are prepared earlier. Meat to be thawed can be stuck in the fridge to defrost, menus can be made so that there are no decisions to be made nightly, shopping can be done so that ingredients are available to use. 

Do you see what I mean? There has to be a method in which to apply your goal to your actual real life. Your life isn't a hypothesis, so don't make goals like it is one. Make goals that are livable by having steps you can actually do on the way to becoming that goal.

And those are my ponderings on weekly focuses, which will help you to break down your bigger goal into manageable portions, and goal making. If nothing else, my head is clearer. That tends to happen when I write things down. I'm a writer. What can I say?

So, have any thoughts on the subject? Want to see what my friend Tanney has to say on it? You can read her blog post at that link right there. Happy thinkings!

Challenge of the Book Question Accepted!

Some of you may remember the fact that I am special. I talked about it a lot when I received the Liebster Award nomination from my friend Tanney on her blog Our Fairy Tale a week or so ago. Well, I nominated her in return because I like her and her blog. One of the questions that I posed for my nominees to answer is a genre of question that no book lover/English major/avid reader person enjoys answering. The questions that require them to pick AN book. Because you want to know a secret?

We can't. Picking just one is not an option.

I asked Tanney the following question: If you could be in any book, which would it be?

Well, Tanney answered, but not before issuing a challenge. She said, "Natashya!!! That's such a hard question! I expect you to answer it as well, either on the comments or make your own post about it! See how it feels to be put on the spot like that and go through the miles-long list of books you have read to see what book you would like to be in....(love you though)."

I'm glad that she reassured me of her love at the end of that rant. I was slightly worried. But I do accept her challenge. And I will see her challenge with some answers, and raise her some pictures. So there.

If Tashya could be in any book, which would it be? 

1. Pride and Prejudice, or First Impressions, by Jane Austen

Don't I look positively stunning in my Regency era garb? I think I look rather fetching. Much more handsome than barely tolerable or well enough or passable! Other than the fact that I love the story, there are several reasons that I wouldn't mind being in this story.

Elizabeth is the second of five sisters. I'm the second oldest, and the second of six sisters. Of course, I also have four brothers, so my count does go up a little bit, but that's alright. I still feel a connection with Lizzy. Mr. Darcy is first fascinated with Elizabeth's fine eyes, beautiful and expressive. Now, call me a proud soul, but I have always fancied myself to have rather fine eyes. Andrew likes my eyes, you can ask him. He thinks they're beautiful. And of course, there is the very strong reason that this book became even closer to my heart. The original title of Pride and Prejudice was First Impressions. Our love story is a story of first impressions and what happens when you can overcome them. For more information, please read The Story. 

2. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

I love Shakespeare a lot. I really love this one. It's all about two people who are excellent verbal sparring partners, but hate the snot out of each other. And actually, that might be a useful side effect if you had a nasty cold. But they didn't have colds. They are also nosy, and fall for a trap set for them by their friends because of it. If you haven't read or seen this one, you should. The witty banter and quick dialogue make for much laughter. 

3. Star Wars by good ole Lucas

No, this isn't actually a book. Yes, this is Andrew's pick when I asked him what we would be in. Wouldn't we make a great Han Solo and Princess Leia? I will say that we're good with sass and words. I think that Andrew is better at fixing things than Han Solo, and all of our vehicles get us where we need to go. And we do have a mini itty-bitty key chain gun that makes tiny laser gun noises when you shoot it. If I did my hair right, sewed some yellow stripes on Andrew's pants, and hired some goons to chase us, it would be like we actually were living in Star Wars.

You know what? The truth is that I have many books that I like. I could have included The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, but after the horse, I didn't think anyone could stomach another animal drawing (just keep reading- you'll see soon enough). You want to know another truth? I don't want to be in many of the books that I like. They're great books, but they definitely aren't great fun to be in. For example, we have:

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

This is one of my favorite books. In it is one of the greatest lessons on redemption and charity that I have ever read outside of the Scriptures. A man is condemned, judged, for a transgression committed to save his sister's children from starvation. That man, Valjean, is changed when a Bishop buys his soul for God. Javert is the police man who chases Valjean throughout the years, and ultimately meets his demise because he cannot understand or accept that people can change, they can improve, they can be redeemed. And that's not even me going into all of the details and examples of how beautiful this lesson really is, and why it's important for us in our lives today. Maybe I'll go into that in another post sometime. However, for now, you have to admit that the book is just about the last place you'd like to be. Think about it. The very title means the MISERABLE PEOPLE. No. I think I'll learn from here.

Ben Hur by Lew Wallace.

In the same lines of favorite book-ness due to profound truths of the story, we have Ben Hur. Really, it's a wonderful story. Please don't let that horridly frightening horse turn you off of the book. You should read it. Don't let hatred and vengeance eat you from the inside out! And if you don't like reading books just for the lessons to be learned, then don't worry. I don't either. I don't like boring books. That's why I don't like Virginia Woolf. At all. But this book is filled with adventures and Romans and princesses and heroes who need to make very critical and pivotal decisions. It's a great read. And it's also filled with death, leprosy, and sorrow, which is the reason that I wouldn't want to be in this book either.

I have a lot of other books that I am fond of as well, and I would love to tell you all about them. In fact, my friend Michele and I are reading Oliver Twist and will be holding a discussion about it. If you'd like to read it as well, then great! Reading is great for your person and your mind. 

And, out of mild curiosity, I'd like to know. Which book would you like to live in?

I'm Special! The Liebster Award!

I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Tayler from Our Fairy Tale. You may remember her better as Tanney, the friend I posted about and her dastardly day with devilish students. She also did a guest post in which I give a great yellow cake recipe. She's definitely not new around here, and I happen to like her a lot. And she nominated me!

How cool is that? Almost as cool as that suave and awesome cat up there? I feel pretty honored. It means "dear" in German apparently. This basically translates into the fact that someone likes my blog. Huzzah! To accept the nomination, I have to take certain steps. I answer questions my nominator posed, I give 11 random facts about myself, and then I ask 11 questions of the bloggers that I nominate. I'm supposed to nominate 5-11 new people. The rule is that the people nominated have to have less than 200 followers- I'm well below that mark, so I'm surprised I even got this. But hey. I'll take it! So to the questions!

Questions from Tanney/Tayler/Whatever People Call Her:

1) What made you start blogging?

It was to keep in touch with our families after we were married. I suppose I could have written an email and then spammed it to everyone in the family, but we have a lot of extended family, and that would have been bothersome. Besides, once I developed Pictorials, it became a source of venting and great fun.

2) What is your blogging dream?

TO CONQUER THE WORLD! Or just to give people a good laugh when they need it, or a spiritual and emotional boost when it's something they need, or to share my love of food and Andrew with other people who love food. But they can't love Andrew. Well, they can, but they can't have him. He's mine.

3) What is your dream job, and do you have it/are you working toward it?

My dream job is a wife, mother, and homemaker. What more noble cause is there than to take a structure of walls and floors and ceilings, and to make that elaborate box into a home? A home is a place of love, refuge, comfort, peace, laughter, and goodwill. What more noble cause is there than to bring precious spirits down to Earth and to raise them in truth, light, and love? I love Andrew, and I love being his wife. We'll get to the children part when it's right.

4) What are you a junkie of?

Reading. And reading. Sometimes I read. And reading. Have I mentioned reading? Oh, and my brownies. I make good brownies. And 60's music. And Jane Austen. And Andrew.

5) Since I'm a teacher, what was your favorite subject in school? Why?

English and History because you can come to better understand the world and its people by understanding the stories and legacies they have recorded in their books and cultures.

6) What is your favorite book? Why?

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I first fell in love with it when I was nine, and I never really changed my mind. Elizabeth is a snobbish judgmental person, and Darcy is an introverted snot head. I love that they change for each other, even admitting their character flaws in the process. True love makes you better. (And I can't help but mention Les Miserables by Hugo, Ben Hur by Wallace, and The Alliance by Lund. They're great books, too!)

7) Name a country you want to visit from every continent.

Canada, Brazil, Italy, Russia, Somewhere-With-Penguins, and Australia (SIDNEY! AHHHHH! Finding Nemo, anyone?)

8) What are all the languages you speak (real or fake, fluent or not)

English, Franglish, some French, and I'm learning Brazilian (more commonly known as Portuguese).

9) What is the most annoying thing people do?

I dislike it greatly when people butcher up adverbs. I did WELL at doing GOOD today.

10) What are three interesting things in your house?

a. This large and beruffled pillow by my side. It's pink, and looks like a flower attacked it. I like it.

b. A dog statue made out of a slinky-spring thing and some metal scraps and spray painted blue. Daddy got it for me for a high school graduation gift. His name is Fred, and it's the only pet I'll ever want.

c. Two quias. Those are cup/mug things from Brazil. They look pretty snazzy.

11) What is your favorite post that you've done in the past year?

That would depend on my mood. If I want a laugh, my Pictorials make me chuckle. Megan and Tashya- Sisters in Embarrassment may be my favorite in the past year. But if I want to feel clever, I read installments from The Story. Seriously. Go read Man Voice and the Water Heater and tell me that it's not hilarious and I'm not a writing genius. If we're talking about meaningful, then either Get Your Head Out of the Tomb or How to Be Happy With Your Miserable Life.

11 Random Facts:

1. When I'm baking, I generally don't eat much of the finished product because I eat so much of the batter or dough along the way. 
2. I like to paint my fingernails every week, and update my toes at least once every three weeks.
3. I own three pink dresses. One is bright pink and has a huge bow on the front.
4. I yell out "-LY" when someone forgets to do it themselves. Use your adverbs, people!
5. I talk to myself when I'm writing to the point where I'll even have grand gesticulations going on. I don't write while in public.
6. When I'm reading, I often make faces that reflect the feelings of the characters in the book. If they're confused, I look confused, if they quirk a brow, then so do I.
7. I'm very proud of my eyes. I think that I have rather nice eyes, probably my best feature. In fact, I'm proud of my family's eyes. We all have great eyes.
8. I love to sing. I love pretty songs. I love to listen to beautiful music. I burst out into song frequently.
9. I don't like country or rap at all. I'll admit to a Taylor Swift song or two, but that's just about it.
10. I love my daddy's voice. He sometimes wishes he could sing bass, but I wouldn't trade his voice for anything. Some of my fondest memories growing up involve the family singing around the piano together, and sometimes just listening to Daddy sing.
11. Cigarette smoke makes me very ill. Very ill. And I'm very sensitive to it- I can smell it from across the parking lot when the wind is blowing the other way. Just ask Andrew.

Were those good random facts? I just wrote down some stuff. I tried not to repeat too much of what was already in the About Us tab up there. But now we're on to the last section!

My nominees!:

1. Suzzie from Suzzie Vehrs

2. Michele, Matt, and Offspring from Matt and Michele's Mundo

3. Kristen from Happiness is a Mood, Not a Destination

4. Danica from Our Fletcher Family

5. Tayler from Our Fairy Tale

11 Questions for the My Nominees:

1. What is your favorite color?

2. What is your favorite time of the year?

3. Do you have a Disney princess with whom you identify? Why?

4. What is your favorite genre of reading material?

5. What is your favorite thing to make (be it food, craft, drink, music, or whatnot)?

6. What do you think is your best feature?

7. What luxury item do you most want?

8. Why do you enjoy blogging?

9. Who is your hero, past or present?

10. What is your favorite thing to wear and why?

11. If you could be in any book, which would it be?

And so that's my participation in the Liebster Award nominations. As far as people that I've nominated, I really must confess to something. I don't really stalk all that many people on blogs. To be honest, I look at mine a lot. I realize that's really snobby sounding, but I like my style, and I like remembering what I did. I'm generally pretty picky about writing style, but sometimes I let that take a break if I think that there is good character behind the flaws, or if I like the person that's writing. So there's my nomination stuff. You'll notice that I didn't nominate myself. I am, however, about to go and draw some pictures.

Have a glorious day!

PS. Tanney, I had to nominate you. Your kinda sorta maybe all sorts of my blogger buddy. And you're better at blogging than I am. I had to return the favor. I love you!

I'm a 16 Year Old Russian Princess

The title of this post really does say it all. I'm not actually 22, I'm 16. And I was crowned Miss Russia this year. Oh, and one more thing. I'm really great friends with Jane from the Kiera Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice. Are you wondering how all of this started?

I have heard from more than one person that I look younger than I actually am. Usually I get pegged down a few years. However, it seems that the older that I get, the younger I get according to the people around me. And I'm pretty sure it's not because I'm getting more immature. There is one young man (to whom I've never actually spoken- I heard this from his mother) who said, "Every time I see her, I think she's 16!" Yup. I'm 16 and I'm married to a 28 year old dude. Man, I sure did find a serious cradle robber!

And now I'm constantly worried about flashing my ring all over the place, so no super awkward moments happen. My friend Kristina was out and about, and some guy came up and asked for her number. Kristina is married and has three kids. Yup. Talk about awkward. Super flattering, but awkward for all involved.

I'm not offended, and looking forward to the future, I think that I'll be flattered when I get older and I'm a 75 year old hag getting taken for a 50 year old hot mama. Yup. I'm sure that's how that will go. At least, it will if I go down the same road that my Mama leads. That right there is Mama and Buggy. Yes, that woman gave birth to all 10 of us children. And she looks fantastic.

(NOTE: For a good Pictorial read, go refresh yourselves by meeting Buggy as she and I almost die in smelliness and as she gave us directions to nowhere.)

(ANOTHER NOTE: Mama is neither 75, 50, nor anywhere in between. I just thought I'd point that out. She's a spry spring chicken.)

Not only was I recently informed of my true age and my return to the teens, I also discovered that some people think that the lady crowned as Miss Russia this year bears a striking resemblance to myself. I, of course, think that it's highly fitting that I be taken as a Russian princess. Isn't my name very suiting?

Miss Russia 2013

Miss Natashya 2011

What do you think? Close enough? My Aunt Becky said that I'm prettier, so I think that means that I should get the crown. I think it's only fair. Even if I don't live in Russia, or participate in the pageants. I've loved Russian crowns ever since I saw Anastasia when I was little, and formed a subsequent mild obsession over her story (and the beauty of her dress which ended up destroyed by Rasputin- what a shame). Dimitri is definitely one of the best looking animated characters out there. Not that he's anywhere near as handsome as Andrew. Andrew is the fairest, er, handsomest in the land! True story.

NOT a picture of Andrew. Or Dimitri, for that matter. This is Tess.

My friend Pook, more commonly referred to as Tess, also received information regarding her appearance recently. (I would like to take a brief moment to note that I have very few friends that I call by their actual names. No wonder I confuse people when I'm telling stories.) She was told that she looks a lot like Jane from Pride and Prejudice. That's pretty complimentary, considering that Jane is described as an "angel" and "classically beautiful." I'll settle for Lizzy's description of having "fine eyes" since I also get the Miss Russia crown. Also, Pook- you are pretty fantastic. I think you're a swell gal, and I'm glad that we're friends.

Can I just add one more note? I'm married to Spider-Man. Just take a look at this face.

Andrew has been informed more than once that this hero resembles his own person. Andrew is by far and away the most handsome superhero ever. But he's not just any kind of superhero. He's a Ninjaneer. He saves people from technology. He's cool like that.

And that's all I've got for now. I was just going through life this week when I kept getting all of these "HEY! You look like 'name of person, place, or thing' that I saw 'in/around/by/at or time'!!!" I think it's interesting that we sometimes determine who looks like who by who we know better, or by who we are talking to. Do I look like Miss Russia, or does she look like me? Or do we look like each other? Perspective, I suppose, makes all the difference.

Do I know any other famous people out there? Seriously. Who have you been told that you look like?

NOTE: Dear Pictorial Requester- I'm sorry that the Pictorial didn't come today, or yesterday. But I do promise you that it will come. I send my love and a small box of assorted cookies in your general direction.

What's in a Name? Let's Discuss it Over (Yellow) Cake

Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Have you ever been fascinated by names? I have been, for a very long time. And it turns out that one of my very best friends shares that interest (see below). I love my name, and I'm very proud of it. There was also a time when I was jealous that Megan's name meant "pearl, or priceless treasure," because I was pretty sure that I was the princess in the family. But Megan really is a pearl of priceless worth, I can tell you that.

I promised you a cake recipe today as well. And thus I give unto you,

BETTER THAN BASIC YELLOW CAKE (and what's better than regular yellow but sunshine and daisy yellow? See decorating and consuming suggestions beneath recipe.)

4 eggs, separated                 2 3/4 cups flour                       1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt                           1 cup butter, softened              2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla                          1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350*, and grease and flour two 9" round pans. 

(For egg separating tips, please see notes from the White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe.) Beat egg whites stiff, but not dry, and set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. I used Swans Down cake flour, which has been America's favorite cake flour since 1894, and is 27 times finer than all-purpose flour (how do they even get that specific?). You can use regular flour, too. Don't worry.

In large bowl cream butter. Gradually pour in sugar. Mix until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. Add vanilla and continue to beat. Add the flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk. Fold in egg whites gently and thoroughly. You don't use high speed mixers to "fold gently." You want to keep the fluffiness in the cake. I used a rubber spatula.

Pour batter into baking pans. Spread with spatula, Bake 35-40 min, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Another trick I learned from Daddy is to tap the top of the cake lightly. If it's springy, it's good. If you leave finger prints, it's not done. Cool in pan for 5 min before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. (If you're using a 9"x13", bake 45-50 min.) If your cake turned out crumbly, it may have been underbeaten, or the eggs you used may have been too small. Don't use tiny eggs. If it's dry, you may have baked it too long. Or left it on the counter in the open for way too long before frosting it.

Decorating and Consuming Ideas: Now, the best way to eat yellow cake is with a good chocolate frosting, made with cream cheese and butter, not with shortening. It tastes better that way. I would say to lovingly slather your cakes in said good frosting, and stack the cakes. Maybe some flowers would be cute, since it's getting to be spring. I like to use colored tootsie rolls instead of fondant, since I think it is so tasty. Make daisies for your Better Than Basic Yellow cake. That's what I did for my birthday cake one year, with leaves and stems. It was very cute. Too make everything perfect, serve with vanilla ice cream. 

NOW, since you've been prepared to make food for the digestive system, read on to find some food for the thoughtful system. And the part of you that wants entertainment. Have you ever been on Facebook, but there's nothing to look at on there, and you don't know what other site to go to for distraction? Try Tanney's blog. She's way more entertaining than staring at the blinking cursor in the URL bar, trying to figure out what to type and where to go. She's also one of my dearest friends. You may remember her from this post here about why she's my best friend, or this one about how we're twin sisters. I also did a guest post on her blog about the Arabian way to stop a smoke alarm. You should meet her.

My name is Tayler Morrell. Tashya knows me as Tanney Christiansen. (Nickname, Maiden Name). I am married about 8 months to my best friend, Justin.

I love to read fantasy and historical fiction, as well as just plain fiction (I am currently reading The Secret History of the World by Mark Booth. It is taking all esoteric and religious traditions and trying to make one solid history/truth out of it). I love writing--blog writing, journal writing, poetry (which honestly, I haven't done in a long time), and fantasy writing. One day, I hope to be published and be famous!

I love playing volleyball and soccer and would rather get down and dirty in the snow and mud with the boys, then sit on the sidelines cheering or even watching college/professional sports. I also love to cook!

I am a history teacher, hoping to teach English next year. I am currently doing a student teaching internship at Springville Junior High. I am trying to make sense of all my feelings and of my students here.

I want to travel. I have learned Welsh (Dw i'n siarad yn Nghymraeg.) and have studied abroad in Great Britain. That was almost 3 years ago, and I miss it so much, sometimes it hurts.

I mentioned before that Tashya knew me as Tanney. Looking at my name, Tayler, one wonders, how in the world did she get that name. Well, long story short, I wanted a nickname and Tayler doesn't really have nicknames besides Tay-Tay. Tanney is an amalgamation of my first name (Tayler) and my middle name (Bethany). Not a perfect one, but workable. You can read more about it here. I now go by Tayler, but a few close friends still call me Tanney, and I'm still juggling whether or not I want it to be my pen name when and if I become a published author.

However, I have always been entranced by names. In elementary and middle school, even reaching up to midway through high school, I would spend hours looking through baby name books and exploring websites of the same. My favorite was actually babynamesworld.com. So helpful! I loved learning what each name meant (Tayler=Old English for a tailor). Natashya= Greek for born at Christmas (or Christ's birth). I've always believed that names describe who you are--they hold the key to your personality. The rest of who you are is based on your name. (Unless you are a silly, weird named Utahn)

Names truly hold a certain power. Catholics are given a new name during their confirmation. Other religions do the same in special "coming-of-age" ceremonies and rituals. Why do we do this? Because of the power behind a name. I am fascinated, truly fascinated at the importance that names, and naming things, has in a culture. That is why I feel so empowered now, because I am actually using my name, rather than Tanney. Don't get me wrong, I still love Tanney--it holds sentimental value to me, but Tayler is my name, and thus the source of my power, my personality, my essence.

I would love for you to explore yourself as you explore my world. What similarities do we hold, what advice can we give each other? I am very good at following those who follow me, so if you want an extra reader, come and read Our Fairy Tale.

<center> <a href="http://morrellfairytale.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGyk91ZnT77RZDZ9-Yqz7QD7S-AZ5fXUwUSq2SCRBZ4mmM_bTyzFDpra_EuUh0_vS2YKtA6bf_zchCchS6-k5ldXchkmAShKBhwoNkXMgXQpB28dn_9XHr2zueyolyEqJE2hyphenhyphendC_1Bdnr/s1600/photo.jpg" /></a></center>

That Tanney Girl- A Plea for Help and a Shout of Laughter

Hello, Friends and Family. This post is dedicated to a girl who has a Teaching Predicament. Her name is Tanney. Well, that's not her actual name, but it's the name that I use. That means that when I get on Facebook and I try to type in her name, she doesn't pop up.

That's right. Her name is Tayler. She's a very nice person, but she's not having a very nice time at work right now. She's a Junior High teacher. Some of her students are having issues. (And this is just ONE of the situations: read about her Bad Day here.)

Seriously, though, someone should tell that kid the real story of Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Darcy wasn't a total git in character, had gentlemanly breeding, and was chastised by the woman he declared his love to- and then he loved her enough to change. Not everyone needs to be a Bingley, but for goodness' sake, don't be a WICKHAM!

Poor Tanney was trying to review for the test, and these goobly gooks decided that it would be fun to not let anyone review, and to be insufferably rude to the teacher. They have often interrupted the class, and are ridiculously out of control sometimes. It has gone on for a good while now. Nothing will stop them. Not speaking with vice principles, not in-school detentions, or any other kind of disciplinary action that's been attempted.  Poor Tanney. She doesn't know what to do. Are any of you people teachers? Do you have any suggestions? For more details of the situation, take a look at her blog (link in next paragraph).

I decided that Tanney needed a pick-me-up after this last post of hers about her frustrating day at school (and yes, that's an actual link, not just fancy lettering). So I'm writing this post as a plea for help (see above), and a cry for joyous happiness (see below).

Tanney is a MARVELOUS PERSON. She is a FANTASTIC FRIEND. She is an ENTHUSIASTIC TEACHER. She is also a person of SPECTACULARLY REFINED TASTES!

Notice anything that wasn't there before?

We complement each other so well in our literary tastes!

When I do something like what's on the left, she comes in with what's on the right! Though, to be fair, we have been in the reverse roles as well. We're a good balance.

We will someday both have read every book in existence (worth reading), and both be published and  find our books in a fantastic library somewhere.

That's right! Tanney LOVES Beauty and the Beast, Jane Austen, books and writing, and history. Does she sound familiar? If you answered with "GOLLY! She sounds a lot like Tashya!," you'd be absolutely correct! I told you she was refined!

I really hope that things work out for Tanney and those Trouble Kids of hers. If anyone has a suggestion, I'd love to hear it and pass it on to her. Or you could put it in a comment on her blog post.

Tanney, you are one of my best friends. I love you. You are a magnificent person. Your love for teaching and your love for your students are inspiring. Don't let this take any of the sparkle out of your life. Know that there are plenty of students that do love you, and that you have friends who can't give you hugs in person, but can draw funny pictures of you to try to cheer you up. Have Justin give you lots of hug from me. Keep smiling, keep loving, and keep making the world a better place.

If you get desperate, go read the last PICTORIAL post again. I'll even suggest you pray for a laugh- and happily be embarrassed on your behalf.

Get Yours Today!

Matt and Michele are some good friends of ours who live in the same apartment complex as we do. We enjoy talking and hanging out- and Michele and I both do baking and crocheting attempts and entertain each other with successes and fantastic un-successes that keep us on our toes.

In our apartments, the windows are double-paned. They have cute little squares on them too. I like them. Anyway, sometimes, some condensation gets between the panes... and it looks wet. Michele noticed one time when looking at her windows that some of the condensation had collected to create a vertical puddle within her window.

Not that this is an uncreative way to maximize on space in an apartment. I can actually think of a few ways to decorate this- more to come on that below- but Michele thought of something that made me feel extremely validated. That's right. She thought of ....

The DEAD FISH HEAD! 

Because apparently water equates to fish which equals death which produces a DEAD FISH HEAD between her window panes. When she told me this story, I laughed. And then as I got back to my place with Andrew, I thought about her pretty curtains that she made herself- cute little yellow curtains of sunshine and happy. I figured that I would allow my creative juices to flow and help her to create a functioning kind of decor in her little home.

Say hello to Bertie and Martha, two of the most adorable little fish to be had for Window Aquariums! They are so happy in their little abode that comes complete with a little cave to snooze in, some snazzy looking underwater trees, and those colorful rocks that tend to find their ways into fish tanks. The smell of fish and nasty is neatly contained within the confines of the window interior area, and the beauty can displayed both inside and outside. No need for DEAD FISH HEADS to make your adorable home an unsightly, unseemly, and unsanitary abode! Just grab one of Tashya's Awesomely Amazing Window Aquariums today!