October 29th This Morning, I Ate Breakfast

Usually on seminary mornings (Monday-Thursday) I don't eat breakfast before I leave because I don't have quite enough time, and then when I get home I might eat something.  But this morning I ate cereal and blogged before seminary!  How did I do it?  I skipped a shower.  My alarm went off at 5:30, as always, and I thought, "You're kidding me, right?  Ugh."  I set my alarm to two minutes later and turned it back on, thinking that two minutes is worth a lot when it's still dark, only to be disappointed two seconds later when it went off again.  So I got out of bed and decided on my way down the ladder that I was not going to take a shower today.  I was going to get ready and brush my hair without doing that, and this morning I was going to eat breakfast and...  Well, I was going to do something.  I wasn't sure what, but I was going to happily use my time for something other than what I usually do.  So here I am!  I have this strange feeling of pleasantness giving me happy shivers.

A. J. McKay

October 28th

Wow.  I've been blogging a lot lately.  I had an idea.  Sometimes there is not much to say.  Sometimes I just don't feel like writing a whole huge long post.  Sometimes I need to say something but don't have much time.  Sometimes a meaningful phrase will do the trick.  So if all I write is a meaningful phrase, that means I want you to take what you can from it and make it a part of you if you want to.  I have a meaningful thought today, and a meaningful phrase.

While discussing one of my new favorite phrases, "we will shake the world" (thank you friend), my dad was saying what he thought of it, what role he saw us playing in that; us speaking of me, my siblings, and our generation.  He said that when he thought of us shaking the world, he thought of us turning it upside down and shaking it; shaking it.  And when we shake the world, the bad things fall out and only the good, strong things stay there.

Meaningful phrase:  Sometimes we need to let the Savior take the reins.

I hope you enjoyed today's post.  Have a great week for me, okay?

A. J. McKay

October 27th GUESS WHAT!!! (And one other thing...)

Gueeeeess what!!!!!!!!  Guess what, guess what, guess whaaaa-at!!!!  The Hobbit is coming out on my birthday and I am SOOOOO excited!!  Guess why!!!!!  Because I get to go see the midnight showing!!!  ON my birthday!!!!!!  HAHAHAHAHA!!!!  I am SOOO excited!!!!!!!  AHHH!!!!!  *pant pant pant pant pant*  Okay, I'm done now...   :P  That was my excitement for the day!

Ok, the other thing is this.  Have any of you heard of McKay Hatch?  He is the president of a 35,000+-member club called the No Cussing Club.  He is 14 years old.  Read the story on how it started - http://nocussing.com/aboutncc.html.  Then his sister decided to start a club for modesty, the Modesty Club to bring awareness about modest dress and dressing for success.  Since she started it a few weeks ago she has been bullied.  Their parents got eggs thrown all over their cars.  Guys and girls can join.  Go to modestyclub.com and if you want to see what you would be signing up for, click on "Take the Challenge" under the silhouettes and then click "Join" at the bottom of that page.  That will tell you what you would be signing up for.  I joined it.  I am so excited!  They need help from people who sign up so that they can show those people that people really do care about modesty.  Please sign up if you can!  Thanks everyone!

A. J. McKay

October 26th Keepers

Dear Keeper,

 

I grew up in the  50's and 60's with practical parents; a mother who washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it,  then reused it (she was the original recycle queen,  before they had a name for it...), and a father who was  happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones.               Their marriage was good, their dreams focused.  Their best friends lived barely a wave away.  I can see them now, Dad in trousers, a t-shirt, and a hat, and Mom in a house dress, broom in one hand and dish-towel in the other.  It was the time for fixing things; a curtain rod, the kitchen radio, the screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress, and things we keep.  It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy.  All of that re-fixing, eating, renewing; I  wanted just once to be wasteful.  Waste meant affluence.   Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.       But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more.  Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away, never to return.  So, while  we have it, it's best we love it, and care for it, and fix it when it's broken, and heal it when it's  sick.              This is  true.  For marriage, and old cars, and children with bad report cards, dogs and cats with bad hips... and aging parents, and grandparents.  We  keep them because they are worth it, because we are  worth it.  Some things we keep.  Like a best friend that moves away or a classmate we grew up with.  There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special.  And so, we keep them close!          I received this  from someone who thinks I am a "keeper."  You don't always see them, but you  know they are always there.  Keep them close.

I got this in an email that someone that I love sent me.  I am very appreciative of that.  I was touched.  I don't forward emails chains on, but I thought this one was worth blogging about.  Thank you all for being my "keepers."

A. J. McKay

October 26th The Amory Wars

I was typing in my blog address on Google Chrome and it suggested "amory wars" for me.  I thought, "What the...?  Cool!"  So I pressed go and it brought up the wikipedia article for "The Amory Wars".  This is AWESOME!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amory_Wars

Heeheehee...  That was my excitement for the day.  :D

A. J. McKay

October 22nd Cuteness and Awesomeness

My brother.  Is.  So.  Cute.  The Frog, age 3, was watching a little movie on my dad's electronic device.  I said, "Hey, can you take that in the Big Room, please?"  (The Big Room is... well... the Big Room.  It's the biggest room in the house and where we do most of our work and activities.)  He looked at me, turned the volume completely down, and kept watching his video.  "Thank you," I said.  He looked up and nodded.  Cutest.  Thing.  Ever.  He realized after a minute that the movie was sort of hard to understand without sound and turned it up just a tiny bit.  AWWW!!!!  I can't believe how cute he is!  Thanks for being born, little guy!  And thanks for having him, Mom!

I am so nervous.  In two weeks, I have a Speech and Debate tournament.  I switched at the last minute from Impromptu, an event in the tournament that is very easy and takes hardly any preparation, to Oratory, an event that is not as easy and is all preparation to compete in.  I now have to write and memorize a speech within two weeks and my nerves have been driving me crazy.  After the tournament, I will probably put it on here.  The topic is Self-Esteem.  I am very excited but just way nervous.  Wish me luck!  I'll need it.

Also, I am so very excited for this new book that is coming out!  Queen Emily wrote it!  And that beautiful girl on the cover, that is one of my awesome, amazing friends!  Check out this link.

http://www.emilygrayclawson.com/2012/10/22/things-hoped-for-cover-revealed-and-a-giveaway/#comment-166

I can't wait to read it!!

A. J. McKay

October 20th Flashback

I had a moment today that I haven't had since May.  My uncle brought his dog over to my house today while he was doing some work on some lights.  After a while, we relaxed about having her wandering around the house.  We're used to dogs now and just needed a warm-up.  Later, I realized that the front door was open and I couldn't find Rosie anywhere.  I called and whistled outside for her for a few minutes and then my uncle walked out and I told him we couldn't find her.  He started calling for her and after a minute or two she came back.  My heart is still beating fast.  I've been scared like that before - when Bounder would disappear at least once weekly to wander the neighborhood.  When he was still here, I had actually gotten relaxed about him disappearing.  We would check his usual spots and usually find him pretty quickly.  But I can't remember the last time I was as scared as I was just now.  It was terrifying.  As I've heard her footsteps on the floors today, I've missed my dog.  It's that familiar clacking noise on the wood that I recognized.  When my uncle got here, I thought, "Yay!"  And then I heard the clacking - that old, familiar noise that I miss - and I was flashed back to the past.  I miss my dog.  I wish he was here to play with her.

A. J. McKay

October 19th Insanity

And no, I am no talking about the workout.

One of my friends was over today.  She was eating one of my cookies and thought they were really good.  She said, "Can I just have one more and I promise I won't eat anything ever again?  It would be worth it!"

"E, you're insane!"

"People tell me that all the time, it's actually very flattering," she says, taking a bite of the cookie.

We then burst out laughing and I came to the computer to post.  She was serious but she's sitting next to me laughing.  :D

A. J. McKay

October 18th New Poem - Take My Hand

I wrote a poem today that I called Take My Hand.  I put it on the Poems page.  You have to scroll to find it, it's about half-way down under Couplet Poems.  One of my Young Women's leaders said she thought it would be cool if I wrote a poem about the Savior so I wrote one about how He can lift us back up if we need Him to.  He will take your hand, that's what I mean by the title.  It's also really long.  And not very good.  But tell me what you think anyway.  :)  Thanks!

A. J. McKay

October 15th Awesome!

The Puppy found this on Youtube.  It's a different version of "Sixteen Tons," a song that we're singing in Choir.  I loved it!  It sounds amazing!  Enjoy!  :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJnERje97jw

October 14th Bursting Forth

My friend was talking to me the other day.  If any of you have seen or read Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, that is what this post is sort of based on.  Like the hobbits, we were talking about how our generation is going to burst forth and shake the world.  We share a belief that sort of seems silly but to me, it isn't.  This generation, the ones in my generation, are all connected.  Somehow we share a connection.  Lately, as in approximately the past three weeks, most of the people that I interact with on a regular basis have been having a hard time.  Just struggling; being sad, stressed, or upset.  I really do believe that we somehow all share an emotional connection.  It is so fascinating to me.  We were talking about how most of the people we know, in our generation, are around us, waiting as little homeschoolers in Mormonville, UT to burst forth and shake the world.  I can't wait.  All of the people I know, not just homeschoolers, not just people in Utah, but all of you youth, are going to shake the world.  Did you hear that?  I will repeat it.  You youth, my wonderful friends, are going to shake the WORLD.  THE WORLD.  That is HUGE.  The mission ages changed for a reason.  We were sent to earth now for a reason.  I am SO excited.  I can't wait to find out what the reason is.  I can't wait to shake the world, standing with the sons and daughters of Heavenly Father that I know and love.  I can't wait to stand with you all when Christ comes again.

A. J. McKay

October 13th Ow...

Limping.  Sore.  Overly cutified.  Overwhelmed (in a good way).  Excited.  TIRED.  This is what dances do to you.

I'm limping because...  Well, my knees hurt sometimes and I don't know why, but especially after a lot of walking or running.

The next four go together.  Ok, before I lose control of my breathing, just be warned.  I am VERY ecstatic.  My friend, MacKenzie (sorry if I spelled that wrong!  :-/), sh-sh-sh-sh-she m-m-made th-this ad-d-d-dorable l-little p-puppy.  And it's.  The most.  Ad-d-dorable.  Thing.  In.  The whole.  Entire.  World!  (*Pantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpant*)  It's s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-so cute!  It's quarter sized.  (*Pantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpantpant*)  And it's so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so cute!!!  (By the way, I'm hyperventilating.)  Hmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhm.....  I got a picture of it!  This.  Thing.  Is the.  Size.  Of.  A quarter!  Ooooooohhhhh!!!!!  It's.  So.  CUTE!

Ok, at a dance I went to last night, MacKenzie brought that and I was hyperventilating for at least twenty minutes.  Really, REALLY fast.  Even Caden was worried about me.  It.  Was.  Awesome.  I seriously could barely talk!  I would go up to everyone I could and tell them about it but I couldn't get the words out!  A lot of them said, "Amory.  Take a deep breath.  Caaaaalm down."  One of my friends said, "Blow bubbles.  Ready?"  But I blew too hard and she said, "No, no, no.  You have to do it slowly.  See, there's this film on the bubble wand that makes the bubbles but if you blow too hard it will break and you don't get any bubbles."  But I couldn't blow soft enough!  After such over-cutification (no, that is not a word.  Yes, I am using it anyway), I realized how tense I had gotten.  I was so worked up about this puppy!  Thank you MacKenzie!  You made my whole WEEK!  I love my friends.  :)  Yes, even you who I didn't see yesterday.  Goodbye!

(Limping away)  Ow.....

A. J. McKay

October 12th Shoes

Have you ever thought...  about shoes?  That seems a little ridiculous.  But really, when you think about it, shoes are just like people.  I mean, there are millions of things that are just like people.  Shoes are just included.

What about stories?  No story is ever going to be exactly the same.  No written story, no poem, no song, no life.  Every single one is different.  Thoughts and actions change them.  Worries, reliefs, smiles, frowns.  Every single life story is different.

Every fictional novel is different.  Different words, pages, covers, authors.  They all have their unique aspects.

Every poem is different.  They all have different words and rhymes and thoughts and structures to them.  All of them.

Every song is unique.  Not one person can sing two songs without realizing they are different.  Not even a two-year-old.

Two-year-olds are so innocent.  They have no idea what is wrong and right yet.  They haven't learned. We need to be innocent.  Stay away from bad things.  Bad pictures, music, language, etc.  Make wise choices.  Choose the right.  The scriptures say we need to be as little children.  To me, this means pure of heart, mind, thought, and spirit.  Be thoughtful of others.  Do your best to keep your mind free of inappropriate thoughts.  Do all you can to make the right choices.  Listen to the Holy Ghost.

That was my thought flow for the day.  Something interesting:  This "thought flow" started with shoes.

A. J. McKay

October 11th Update

Hello everyone!  Today's update:  I posted drabbles on the Short Stories page.  If you don't know what those are, they are stories written using exactly 100 words.  I wrote them all today and yesterday, plus a few more that I will not be sharing.  Enjoy these ones!  :D

Also, I changed my pen name (pseudo nym) to 3a.  Ammie A. Athena's initials are A. A. A. (three a's!).  In class on Tuesday, we were talking about pen names and one of them is 2e.  Ironfist said, "Hmm...  2... e...  3a!"  He laughed.  But I said, "Oh, oh!  I-!  Nevermind..."  I didn't want to interrupt class more than that...  Heh heh...  But now I have a new pseudo nym!  I won't be changing it for all of the stories and poems and things on my blog but from now on it will be 3a.  Ta-da!  I thought that was something worth mentioning.  Have fun reading (if you dare)!  :)

A. J. McKay

October 7th Friend

What does it?  What makes it so that I can feel happy when I blog?  I don't get it.  Is it the talking?  And what makes it so that when I talk to friends and family, I cry, I sigh, I worry, I laugh, I smile, and they don't care?  They listen.  They understand.  They talk to me more.  They lift me up.  They lift me to my highest.  They really, really do.  All you have to say is, "Amory, you made me smile," and I will smile way broader than you did.  I've been practicing smiling.  I'm good at it.  :)  You can say, "I'm sad today."  I will edge forward on my chair.  Almost literally.  Well, I usually sit up more.  What can I do to help?  I want to help.  I want to be trusted, relied on.  I want to become stronger by helping others with their burdens.  I have this knack for telling people how amazing they are.  It makes them feel good.  Because I tell them what's true.  They are amazing.  You are all amazing.  And then I'm happy.  Why?  What makes it that way?  I think it's because it's is a form of service.  My favorite form, actually.  I'm lifting self-worth and bringing people up when I let them talk to me and tell them back what I am inspired to say.  It is so fulfilling...  That's what it is.  I feel so full when I do that.  Please, oh please, if you feel sad or inadequate or upset or anything like that, I am so ready for you to talk to me.  I want to help you.  I want to be your friend.

A friend is someone to trust with your life.  Someone to rely on for anything.  Someone who will bring you up and lift you to your highest.  Someone who will encourage you to give yourself a high standard and help you keep it.  A friend is someone who will help you whenever you need it, no matter what.  A friend is someone who respects your requests.  A friend is someone who keeps every single one of their promises.  Even the little, seemingly meaningless or jokingly made ones.  A friend is someone that loves you for who you are, no matter what.  A friend is someone who supports you in your decisions even when they don't agree with you.  A friend is someone who will let you talk to them even at twelve o'clock at night when you need it.  A friend is loyal and true, never, ever leaving your side.  I am careful about my friends.  I choose the ones that are what I said just now.  I love them all.  And I am doing all I can to be that kind of friend.

A. J. McKay

October 6th

To go on a mission in four years.  That seems so close.  I want to do it.  I want to go on a mission.  I haven't made a firm decision that I will but I really want to.  It will help me throughout my life and give me an experience I will never forget.  This is such great news!  I can't wait to see what happens.  :D

A. J. McKay

October 2nd Memory

Have you ever wondered what your very greatest memory is?  I have.  Mine could be Summit.  It could be the best day I ever had with one of my friends.  It could be the best day I ever had with a small cluster of my friends.  It could be my first temple visit.  It could be my patriarchal blessing.  I don't know...  Someday, I will find out.  I might figure it out on my own.  I might find out when I die.  I just don't know.  I think about it sometimes.  Have you ever thought of this?  It's certainly something to think about.

A. J. McKay

October 1st

I have been posting so much lately.  But like I said, my mind has been reeling really, really fast.  I need to try to slow it down.  Blogging is a huge way for me to do that.

By the way, see that little thing to the right that says, "Follow By Email"?  That is for if you want to get an update every day that I post.  Then I don't have to send emails out!  And then you guys can just choose whether you want an email or not and I won't annoy anyone...  Sound good?  Yes?  Ok.  Good.  So please put your email in there!  I would like people to read my blog and I figured that was a good way to get it to maybe happen.  :)  I won't be sending any more emails about my blog.  And thanks so much if you are reading this.

I'm trying to think of what to write about.  I knew that today I wanted to write but I wasn't positive on what to write about.  So now I'm thinking...  Got it.  I'd like to write about the Book of Mormon.

This year in April I started for the third time to read the Book of Mormon.  I finished it today.  It is so interesting to me that no matter how many times you read this book, it will always mean something different to you.  This time I looked at it as a history book.  A very interesting one.  It wasn't boring.  And I understood it more this time than I ever have.  Something spoke to me.  I was able to think of it as something that really did happen.  Not just a book compiled of numerous little stories of fiction.  That's sort of what it was to me before now.  I mean, it meant something, and I knew inside that it had actually happened.  But this time I really realized it.  I felt different emotions - sadness, happiness, anger, relief, disappointment, excitement.  I had never really felt that before.  This time I really connected with the people in this history.  I knew that they went through what the book said it did.  I know that.  I know that everything in it is the truth.  I have developed a love for this book.  I know it's true.  And I know that if we want to listen and try to understand, Heavenly Father can use the Book of Mormon to tell us what He wants us to hear.

A. J. McKay