The Trials and Tribulations of a Teenage Genius

Sur le bateau

2006-08-02T18:32:00.000-05:00

Sur le bateau

2006-08-02T18:29:00.001-05:00

Une baleine.. mm cool

2006-08-02T18:29:00.000-05:00

Plus des Bucherons!

2006-08-02T18:28:00.001-05:00

Rester un peu

2006-08-02T18:28:00.000-05:00

Fohawk maddy

2006-08-02T18:27:00.000-05:00

dun dun dun (what is maddy thinking now??)

2006-08-02T18:26:00.000-05:00

Les Voleures (�a c'est moi dans le hoodie)

2006-08-02T18:21:00.001-05:00

Les Voleures (�a c'est moi dans le hoodie)

2006-08-02T18:21:00.000-05:00

dun dun dun (what is maddy thinking now??)

2006-08-02T18:20:00.000-05:00

Les Bucherons Extremes!!!!!

2006-08-02T18:19:00.001-05:00

Les Bucherons Extremes!!!!!

2006-08-02T18:19:00.000-05:00

photo entry

2006-04-28T20:24:00.000-05:00

photo entry

2006-04-28T20:22:00.000-05:00

photo entry

2006-04-28T20:19:00.000-05:00

more drama

2006-02-14T20:35:00.000-06:00

Head Picture.. for drama

2006-02-14T20:30:00.000-06:00

More Algonquin; that's ME under the canoe!!

2005-11-18T09:37:00.000-06:00

wisdom

2005-11-04T19:33:00.000-06:00

Can He not enable you to do that will from your heart, in your surroundings? Are you sorely tried by those surroundings? Are they, in themselves, humiliating to you, or exasperating to you? Are they full of acute heart-pangs, or heavy with a chronic heartache? Not one of these things is forgotten before your Lord. Your slightest pain finds response in His sympathy. But let that thought be but the steppingstone to this, that for you as for the slave-saint of Ephesus there lies open in that same Lord the blessed secret of a life which shall move amidst these same unwelcome surroundings as a life free, and at leisure, and at peace, full of love and rest, blessed and blessing; a life hid with Christ in God; a life in which everything, from your rising up to your lying down, the smallest cross and the largest, is seen in the light of the holy, the beloved, will of God, and so is met not with a sigh, or a murmur, but "from the soul."
~ HANDLEY C. G. MOULE

changes

2005-11-02T19:11:00.000-06:00

Change, has never been something I've been scared of. In my life the biggest change I have ever had to endure was switching from elementary school to high school (such a wussy change, I know). I have never experienced someone close to me dying, my parents still love each other, I have never moved. Nothing big and unexpected - whether exciting or horrible - has ever really happened to me. My life has been secure and sheltered from change.
I think, no, I know that being sheltered from change is what has made me come to embrace it when I do experience it, even in the small forms. Change has become a game to me. A challenge. It is something I can compete against, something I can win against if I just lean back and learn to make the best of it.
But the fact is, every human is scared of change at some point in their life. For the first time, I am realizing that. I am looking back on my childhood and I can feel it giving way underneath me. I am too scared to move forward, to grow up and mature, but I don't want to stay behind either. For the first time in my life change is not a game, it is something unstoppable, something that means I can't go back when I want. I can only be forced forward by that big invisible change looming up behind. I'm scared.
As I write this, I can already hear the words tumbling out of my lips. Words that have been told me all my life by many different people, in different ways.
"God is there, He'll look after you."
That is another thing that scares me. I don't want to be dependant on anything. I want to be able to look after myself completely with no help from anybody or anything. I want to do it myself. Yet every day I realize that I do need God's help. I do need God's love.
Life is confusing right now. I am being forced to weigh my values, and figure out what's most important to me, and what I need to make more important. I'm becoming bored with the way life is moving, but scared to do something to make my life change. I'm trying to be responsible and good and stuff, and finding it harder and harder to do.
Yeah, life is weird.

soil core stuff

2005-10-15T19:11:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth, Hea Jin and I did three soil core samples. We wanted to see what the soil was like in three different places. First, we took a soil core sample of a fairly heavily wooded area - the trees were all coniferous trees. This was the most interesting soil core because although we turned and pushed the soil corer in as far as it would go, only a few centimetres of soil was actually in the soil corer when we pulled it out. I think this is because the soil there was mainly made up of half-decomposed coniferous needles that hadn’t completely settled yet, so there must have been a lot of air still in the earth. The soil here was pretty dark, though there wasn’t much of it. The second soil core we did was one of a mossy area. We got about five or six centimetres of soil. This soil was also quite dark, although the bottom few centimetres were a more rustic red colour, and seemed to be a different sort of texture as well. The third core we did was in a bit of a clearing. This soil corer went down the farthest and picked up the most soil. This soil was light at the top and got darker the further down. I think that the first two soil cores were richer than the third because they both had some sort of protection from the rain straining the good minerals and nutrients. The first area had the fairly dense trees to shelter it from the rain, and the second one had shelter from the moss growing on it. Surprisingly, we did not hit bedrock on any of our soil cores. I am not sure why this is. Normally, the soil in Algonquin is quite shallow.

la

2005-10-15T19:04:00.002-05:00

striations

2005-10-15T19:04:00.001-05:00

soil core number 3

2005-10-15T19:04:00.000-05:00

soil core number 2

2005-10-15T19:03:00.001-05:00

soil core number 1

2005-10-15T19:03:00.000-05:00

hea jin

2005-10-15T19:02:00.001-05:00

hea jin the garbage can

2005-10-15T19:02:00.000-05:00

pumping water

2005-10-15T19:01:00.000-05:00

Up-hill

2005-10-11T20:13:00.000-05:00

~~Christina Georgina Rossetti~~

Does the road wind up-hill all the way?
Yes, to the very end.
Will the day's journey take the whole long day?
From morn to night, my friend.

But is there for the night a resting-place?
A roof for when the slow dark hours begin.
May not the darkness hide it from my face?
You cannot miss that inn.

Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?
Those who have gone before.
Then must I knock, or call when just in sight?
They will not keep you standing at the door.

Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?
Of labour you shall find the sum.
Will there be beds for me and all who seek?
Yea, beds for all who come.

Performing at the Living Arts Centre...!!!

2005-10-09T10:12:00.002-05:00

Horray!

2005-10-09T10:12:00.001-05:00

Funfunfun

2005-10-09T10:12:00.000-05:00

MADdy

2005-10-09T10:11:00.000-05:00

Maddy's newfound talent: portaging canoes!!!!!! muahahaa

2005-10-03T17:23:00.000-05:00

Things I'm thankful for and appreciate after a canoe/camping trip in Algonquin:
clean, running water!!! -toilets that flush, -showers, -soap, -foooood, -warm, dry socks, -a bed!, -not having to think about survival every single day, -being healthy, -gloves, -sunscreen....
the list goes on, and on, and on.
I hope heaven is like Algonquin Park... and a million times more.
Yeah.. I absolutely love the rugged beauty of it all.. I could just sit and look and breathe it all in for hours and hours.. until my butt gets cold(heehee).
I have officially decided to buy myself a canoe, and a horse, and move to Alaska.. or some place like that. :)

In a Tree

2005-09-23T17:40:00.001-05:00

Death

2005-09-23T17:40:00.000-05:00

Bearded Devils (teeheehee)

2005-09-23T17:38:00.000-05:00

Wild Animal

2005-09-23T17:37:00.001-05:00

Snacking

2005-09-23T17:37:00.000-05:00

Hea Jin the garbage can

2005-09-23T17:35:00.001-05:00

My Cat :)

2005-09-23T17:35:00.000-05:00

Scary Cake, Scary Maddy

2005-09-23T17:34:00.001-05:00

Me and Daddy :)

2005-09-23T17:34:00.000-05:00

Skate (speed skating)

2005-09-23T17:33:00.000-05:00

Sport (ballet)

2005-09-23T17:32:00.001-05:00

Roof

2005-09-23T17:32:00.000-05:00

Ben Zander

2005-09-21T23:02:00.000-05:00

Wow.
So, a week ago, someone emailed my mom (my mom is my personal manager;)), and it turns out my brother's violin teacher had forwarded my name to the emailer. They were from a hospital, and needed a cellist for a business presentation on leadership.. which, at the time made no sense to me. Anyways, I agreed because it seemed like a pretty easy way to make some money. I knew that the speaker, Ben Zander, was the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, and that he was a really good teacher, but apart from that I had no idea what he was like.
Yeah, I was a little aprehensive about how some musician was gonna talk to a bunch of doctors and nurses and stuff about leadership.
Well, the presentation was today. I played the 1st Bouree from Bach's third suite (c+). Not a hard piece to play, but I was still nervous about playing it in front of 1500 people. So I played and Ben Zander was AMAZING. He made me realize that I'd forgotten why I play the cello. I had made it such a competition with myself. Cello was just another thing that I needed to get better at, to practice more. But, no! That's not why I started, and that's not how playing any musical instrument should be. Ben Zander picked up my stand, and told me to go to the front of the isle, right in front of the audience(I was about 3 feet away from one lady). Then he told me to look into their faces and play the piece. It was amazing! I suddenly realized that I was playing because I love to play, and I was playing because they wanted to hear me play. I was not playing for myself, or for the teacher. Without my realizing it, cello had become a chore.
So now, I am going to try to play every single note as though it were from heaven above. I am going to play because I enjoy and love music, not because I have to, or because I need to get better. That is my decision.
Anyways, if you ever get the chance to go see Ben Zander do his presentation, I would highly recommend it. It really opened my eyes to a new way of thinking and a new way of seeing the world.
Oh, and at the end, they gave me a standing ovation! I've never been given a standing ovation before!!!!

hello

2005-08-10T20:54:00.000-05:00

been a while... thought i should say something on here... hello
umm...
im over schroeder now.. :)...
today was the last day of tcm for me till march.. :(..
now i must practice TONS of cello (gah) to be ready for music camp on sunday, which i am sort of nervous about.. not that ill do bad.. but that i wont be good enough (which sort of means the same thing)..:(...
its my birthday next friday!!!! sweet sixteen!! haha. cant wait
and... getting ready for school..: i have to decide whether to drop chem or world religions.. not sure.. wanna take both next year and not in grade 12, have to write tons of music for the school play.. gah.. also.. i cant wait for school.. i think itll be more interesting than last year. i hope theres not too much homework, though
done
bye

Life is Good

2005-07-04T19:23:00.000-05:00

blah

2005-04-23T02:11:00.000-05:00

hey, so iss been a while... life is getting interesting. for the first time in my life i am actually scared of what the future holds. like, i have never ever been afraid of change, and now i am. i'm not sure why.. i think though, that i am more of a perfectionist now, and i am really afraid of failure. thats part of it. also, before recently, i always knew somewhat how things would go.. you know.. school, summer hollidays, etc. they were all pretty much planned for me. now, im actually having to think of where I want to go... what I want to do.. and its all my decision! gah and i have NO idea what i want to do with my life now.
i am scared about cello too... i am switching teachers, yet again, and the one that we have in mind expects a whole lot more out of me than i have ever been expected of before! like... more than an hour of practicing a day, no excuses... and i actually have to work hard.. man, i am going from a too easy teacher to a possibly too hard one.
and this whole schroeder thing, what do i do? argh... i am "talking" to him more... kind of... and i am actually going to this dramafest thing which he will be at too... as well as like the entire crazy drama girl population of three other schools. i am gonna probably end up being sooo jealous by the end of the weekend.
phoooo... i am kinda venting right now... school is getting tough and my mind is going overboard with thoughts.. i need to keep up my composure.. i need to be responsible, organized, cheerful, helpful, nice...
but.. THOSE ARE THE LAST THINGS I WANT TO BE RIGHT NOW.... I WANT TO BE A CRAZY LITTLE KID AGAIN WITH NO WORRIES OR PROBLEMS...
i think i need some time off... thank goodness for weekends. i really feel like the whole world is watching me.. waiting for me to screw up, and then they will all shake their heads and tut and then say how they knew i could never last.
actually, i was thinking how great it is that God is always there, he sees everything and even before i mess up things, he has forgiven me already. its such a comfort to remember that. i think i forget too many times how much he loves me.
well.... hope you all dont mind me ranting on.. i think this actually helped me blow off some steam
i shall relax a bit and then go and do homework..

some bad, but true poetry... (ps. its a metaphore!)

2005-04-02T11:00:00.000-06:00

Running a race, don't wanna run.
Got sucked in somehow, don't know why,
Now I've come
And Here
Competition's Fierce.
Instinct pulls back,
Mind pushes forward
People cry "go!"
Don't wanna run!
Got sucked in somehow, don't know why,
Now I've come
And Here
Mind pushes back,
Instinct pulls forward,
Strive, and get Scared.
Rush.
For the End.
End,
But End is not there.
Turn, and see,
Two,
Three,
Four, or more.
Faces poking at me.
Pointing. Know it is
End.
Finish,
Grinning End...
So Far Away.

sick and sad

2005-03-22T09:56:00.000-06:00

Yep, after a wonderful week in Toronto, I have come down with something... like a cross b/t a flu and a really bad cold. Hmm and I am sad... dunno why. Well, I do know why, but I can't help but think that I am bringing this sadness on myself so I guess it's my own fault I'm sad. Lalala. What do I write? the break is over, and one last looong stretch and then summer! It's this whole looong stretch thing thats worrying me. I must stay focused and disciplined when what I would most like to do is run around shouting and laughing and having a generally good time. argh! school should be cancelled when the snow stops. except that it isn't stopping..
I guess my goal for this looong stretch is to stay focused and work hard at school, but make sure there is still time for gallivanting. hehe funny word.. gallivanting
what does the word really mean?
1.To roam about in search of pleasure or amusement.
2. To play around amorously; flirt.
exactly what I shall do. :D

The Wrong Schroeder

2005-03-06T12:30:00.000-06:00

I am at an interesting stage in life. I'm not quite sure I want to be where I am right now.
Firstly, my love life. This might be kind of confusing. My school put on the musical Charlie Brown, and there were two casts because the musical only needs 6 actors and they wanted to cast a lot more. So there are two actors for each part. I have a crush on one of the actors. One who plays Schroeder. Now, the big problem is, is that the other actor that plays Schroeder has a crush on me. The first Schroeder(the one I have a crush on), seems to like me, but it's hard to tell because I don't really know him that well... He has been talking to me more lately, and my friend says that he watches me when I play the cello. This is good, except every time I am in his presence, I say or do something really stupid, so he probably has the wrong idea of me. Now the other Schroeder(the one I don't like), is very obviously crazy for me and its starting to get really frustrating. I don't know how to put him off me without being mean. Honestly, after spending time with him, my mood is always really grumpy and I feel like I want to strangle him. What do I do? How can you tell when a guy likes you, and is it okay to for a girl to ask a guy out? (I probably never would. Been there, done that, totally embarresing)
The other thing, is that people are starting to expect a whole lot more out of me. I am starting to feel the stress and pressure of being a reliable, responsible young adult and I like the feeling sometimes but hate it most of the time. This coincides with the fact that the drama director has asked me if I would like to write the sound track, or help write it, for next years play. An adapted play version of Les Mis. My instinct is to cry NOOOOO! but my smart side says, hey, GREAT opportunity. You'll regret saying no. So I am going to say yes, but AHHHHHH!! How can I write a sound track when I have barely written any music before?? Crazily enough, I expect that I am the most reasonable student to ask in our school because I know all about the Romantic period of music and am quite musical enough. I expect my mom will help me a lot. My idea is to take the Romantic style of music, and jazz it up with guitars, cello, piano, flute, drums and whatever other instruments the director wants.
I also need to really get into a routine for running, as I am planning on running the 10k in July.

Maddy - An adapted song written for Liz who came up with the idea, and it fits me perfectly.
Sung by The Wrong Schroeder to music played on the cello by Maddy

D'ya know something, Maddy?
I think the way you play the cello is nice.
D'ya know something else?
It's always been my dream that I'd marry a girl who plays the cello.

At parties she'd play something nice like "April Showers."
I'm sure you could play something nice like "April Showers,"
Or even "Frere Jacques."
Beethoven's nice too.

Just imagine
What would you think if someday you and I should get married?
Wouldn't you like that if someday we two should get married? (maddy shakes head while still playin on the cello)

My Aunt Marion was right, never try to discuss marriage with a musician.

..... so that's my life....

la whee

2005-02-26T20:15:00.000-06:00

Hmm.. I haven't written in here for a long time... almost a month. Not toooo much has happened since then. I think. Lets see, I am getting into the swing of things at school again. All easy-peasy courses this semester. History, careers, drama, english, math(math is hard). Easy, but a little boring. Anyways, I found out I was "pregnant" in January(the father is.. James!!), and then I fell for this guy at school and we decided to get married but he dumped me and I felt bad for James so I pleaded my way back into his heart, never to leave it again. hahahahaha. Make sense?? Had a good time last night. The jazz was... pretty good I guess.... It was good to see Elmo and Bumbum. Oh and my Jamesy-Wamesy! Hahaha hmm good times yes. Gah, had to do a rehersal for "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" today for seven hours!! I think I got tendenitis from playing so long. I haven't played for that long for ages! I'm outta shape even in my cello playing. Hmph. I have a busy week ahead of me.. what with more rehersals and then the actual productions. Yay but I get a whole day off of school for rehersal!!!!!!! :) that truly made my day today when they told us that.
Hope everyones well
God bless,
byee

life. don't talk to me about life!

2005-02-03T17:12:00.000-06:00

Hmm do you guys remember josh the squash?? well he called me last night. I haven't spoken to him since last june, so it was really wierd. It turns out he had two things to ask me... One, if I would cut his hair, and two, if I could come to his birthday party. So I, not sure how to turn someone down on the phone, am now subjected to style a guys hair (mohawk again) which I have never done before except once on my dad, and will probably end up going to his birthday party too. Yeah and the other thing is that he ended the conversation with "Talk to you later, love ya, bye!" love ya?! gah! what do I do?? I stopped talking to him last year bc he just made me feel so... uncomfortable. You know? And what does he want from me? He's two years older than me and that normally wouldn't bug me except I always feel so weird and funny(in a bad way!) around him. Like he's invading my space.
And now I just got back from school from the first practice of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown which i play cello in.. :)
hard but fun
tired
gah

another hottie

2005-01-25T18:33:00.001-06:00

Hottest Guy in the World!!

2005-01-25T18:33:00.000-06:00

If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bull!

2005-01-25T18:28:00.000-06:00

Hm works pretty well when you don't know the answer. So exams started today and I did old testament and math and they were almost easier than I thought. Lucky for me :) Anyways I'm feeling a whole lot better, at least about exams. Physically, I'm not doing so well. lol Had a bit of a fall this evening and managed to hit my head pretty hard. Not sure if I have a concussion, but I've had a headache since the fall. I fell in my basement, which is pure cement floor and for some reason I'm not sure why but I couldn't break my fall. My hands ended up hitting the floor right after my head. Hmm so I'm hoping that it isn't a concussion and that my mom will let me go sledding on saturday!!!

how do you make the pictures smaller?? :S

2005-01-25T17:06:00.000-06:00

sharky can blog pics now!! :)

2005-01-25T15:25:00.000-06:00

arghs

2005-01-21T20:57:00.000-06:00

Wow so pms and school stress just took over and I totally flipped at my mom. I hate how much she cares about my marks!!!! It's sooooo annoying when she bugs me about homework/studying as soon as I get home. I mean, I'm fifteen! I do have a study plan and an after school routine(sort of anyways) and she doesn't need to be there making sure I follow through with every little stupid thing. I'm old enough to look after myself and I have prooved that to her over and over againd but she just doesn't seem to get it! And school marks!! They are the most stupid thing in the world. It hasn't taken me long to realise that they really have nothing to do with who you are as a person. It is a cheap evaluation of knowledge and what is the point of having knowledge if you have no character, no personality? Yes so I yelled at my mom in my frustration and now I'm feeling bad but really, why does she care so much about my marks?? Yeah, I know she wants me to succeed but there are many better, bigger things in life worth succeeding at then school. Half the time I find it a waste of my life. I could be out doing way more interesting things and learning so much more that is important and that I can keep with me for the rest of my days.... hmmm

mappies, quizzies, grooties... so longies!!!!!

2005-01-21T10:14:00.000-06:00

hahahahahahahah!!!! i am currently in my last old testament class!!!! yaaaaay :) lalala whee

something i wrote

2005-01-18T11:49:00.000-06:00

My Name is Joshua,
Servant of the Lord.

Fear has Ai
In it’s mighty,
O, so powerful grip.

Gibeon and Israel,
Together in peace,
Soon to be,
Together in war.

And gripped has Ai
in fear.
Five Kings,
Five nations,
Five armies,
Together in fear,
Against two.

Two
and God.

Brawling riot in confusion.
Five are fleeing
Two are pursuing.

Two
and God.

And God
in his wrath
killed more with hail
than were killed at war!

And I,
I stood and cried out,
" O sun, stand still over Gibeon,
O moon, over the valley of Aijalon!"
So the sun stood still
And the moon stopped,
till the nation Israel avenged itself on its enemies.
Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

2005-01-09T12:22:00.000-06:00

I think God has been trying to tell me something for a while now and that I haven't been listening at all. The thing is, in the past few months, I don't believe that I have truly trusted in God to look after me and care for my needs and that is what I think he has been trying to tell me through friends and church and whatnot and I've only just got it! lol I am pretty stupid sometimes... most of the time heehee. So I guess what I need to work on now is just putting my whole trust in God and not trying to do everything myself.

Leznupar

2005-01-07T17:14:00.000-06:00

Heres a story I just found that I wrote a few years ago.
Once upon a time, when Merlin was still young, there lived a beautiful girl(except for the fact that her ears were 16 ft. long) whose name was Leznupar. When she was a baby, she was stolen from her parents by Merlin's evil clone. Merlin's evil clone, who we'll call Freddy, had locked Leznupar in a tower which had no doors or stair =cases, only a window in the top of the tower.
When Freddy wanted to go in the tower, he stood at the foot of it and cried,
"Leznupar, Leznupar,
let down your ears."
Then Leznupar would let down her ears and Freddy would climb up the ears and go through the window.
Leznupar was very lonely and most of the time she sat at the window, ears flapping in the breeze, drawing cartoons.
One day, the village idiot Gransnig, was taking his goldfish for a walk in the forest when he saw Leznupar sitting at the window and Freddy, halfway up her ears.
'That's the girl for me. Hehe!' thought Gransnig, so he waited at the foot of the tower for Freddy.
When Freddy came down, he asked what Gransnig was doing there for he was surprised that anyone knew of the tower.
"Please sir, I'm the village idiot and I've come to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage." Being the village idiot, he didn't know the difference between a wizard clone (thats Freddy) and a mere mortal (Leznupar).
Freddy thought it over and finally consented because who on earth wanted to marry the village idiot?
As it turned out, Leznupar did. But because she was a sensible person, she did not show she was happy in front of Freddy.
In the village, there was much rejoicing because since the days of Adam and Eve, not one single village idiot had ever married. Gransnig and Leznupar lived hapily ever after.

2005-01-03T16:32:00.000-06:00

lol how could i forget those
underwear = pants
pants = trousers

happy new year!!

2005-01-02T15:25:00.000-06:00

so i got back yesterday from anglo-land, the land of rain and beautiful sunsets/sunrises, the land of funny accents and weird chip flavours(lamb and mint sauce, ham and mustard, turkey and stuffing....yeah i know, weird) oh and christmas cakes yummm
the people are polite, the food is great, even the chips
words:
canadian vs. english
cookies = bisquits, biccies
tv = telly
hello = hallo
bye = cheerio
chips = crisps
fries = chips
breakfast = breakfast, brekky
lunch = dinner
dinner = tea
merry christmas = happy christmas
santa clause = father christmas
soccer = football
football = american football
thanks = ta, thanks very much
body lotion = body milk
white christmas = next to never
bar = pub
cool = coo
teenage binge drinkers = tingers

theres more but.. lol go to england

2004-12-30T05:10:00.000-06:00

well we found out last night that my uncle was fine and that he slept through the whole thing... so thats very good news

2004-12-29T12:13:00.000-06:00

well.. i have had an eventful week since i last wrote on here. last wed we took the train to london :) that was interesting .. we saw all the interesting places and went to abbey road!!!! and i baked a lot which was different christmas was nice and i ate a lot and was sick all of boxing day. my uncle is in thailand/malaysia this christmas so please pray that he is ok we havent heard from him yet but he is probably ok. most likely he was in a place that was more inland but we;re not sure. he likes to go to the islands off of thailand to go diving so we;re a bit worried. mmm
yeah
im really enjoying myself here but im missing canada and the cold and snow and skating and oh we went to see the queen elsie but she wasnt at home. the boys here are great looking but they dont get crazy girls like me here so they seem a bit scared of me.. haha well ill have to try aussies next :D

2004-12-21T09:38:00.000-06:00

oh i forgot.... i left all your addresses at home lol my bad so if you all want to send me your addresses and postal codes, ill send you a post card :P
its rather lovely here... nice and mild lol
i made marzipan fruit today and we put marzipan over the fruit cakes. andy, i think youd like my gran! shes a really neat lady
and for all your information... yes i have already started to get an english accent!! its really easy to begin without even wanting to. ive started thinking in british too
well its really exciting here. i must go though, my fam have left me at the library and i have to get home all alone so 10 to 1 i get lost lol
missing canada and my cello and my friends soo much!!!!! sniff
byee
looove ya

2004-12-19T15:47:00.000-06:00

got here safely. everythings smaller and weird. driving with my dad is a bit like riding a roller coaster. hes not used to stick shift or driving on the wrong side of the road..
:D
good times
howr you all doing??

Bon Voyage!

2004-12-16T20:29:00.000-06:00

And so, I'm off. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Hope you all can cope with me gone. Hope the country can cope with me gone!! Hope the world can cope with me gone!!!!!!! Hehe I wish you all the merriest of christmases and the happiest of new years!!!! Hopefully I can write an accounting of my travels quite frequently throughout the hollidays. I will tell of my escapades in London, all the cute british guys I meet, the food, the friends and family, the tourism stuff.... everything!!!
But right now, I must up and away. I'll think of you all and miss you soo much!!
Love you all,
God bless you!
Maddy

excitement

2004-12-10T11:46:00.000-06:00

excitement n. - 1. a. The act or an instance of exciting.
b. The condition of being excited
~An emotional state characterized by its potential for impulsive or poorly controlled activity.
~Aroused, augmented, abnormal activity of an organism

There is so much going on, and I am EXCITED!!!!!!! I want to jump up and scream and yell and laugh hysterically and grin and hug strangers and run around yodelling. Thankfully for my friends and family I do have a small amound of restraint, but one more thing to get excited about just might crack me. So many things! So much to think about. I can't wait for the banquet thingy on Monday!! Hm and I can't wait to see my little brother in his school play! And I can't wait for Friday next week!!! And I can't wait for school to be over! And I can't wait for CHRISTmas! And soo much other stuff is going on. Oh yeah, I can't wait to go skating with Kelsey and pick up hot guys!! haha
And in the longer run there is a ton of things I can't wait for. Hmm I think I need to ask God for patience!! Actually, I really am taking it one day at a time right now, which is good because if I didn't I would be going mad right now.

Oh by the way is there any specific thing anyone would like from England that I could possibly get for you? Otherwise I'll just come back with british sweets and flags and thats about it. =D

christmas =D

2004-12-06T07:26:00.000-06:00

yaaaay im at school early today for cello and i looked outside and to my delight found that it was snowing!!!! horay :) christmas is just around the corner and im getting excited and impatient for it to come! lol i was skipping in the halls today :S bad form especially when you skip past the teachers lounge and they're doing morning devos lol. im so silly wheeee
so much stuff is going on in the next two weeks its crazy!! this semester has gone by soo fast. i turned around, its gone! (heehee beatles)
looking forward to everything. yaay
lol

carrots and philosophy

2004-12-02T22:35:00.000-06:00

do the two go together?? i think so! while i was chewing on carrots today, i was chewing on a book about philsophy :) ive never read any philosophy before so its very interesting. also im gonna get into t s elliot at the prompting of my grandfather. what else..? well im hoping to work my way through war and peace this christmas!! woa its gonna be hard but i enjoy tolstoy. as well i am doing this read the bible in a year thing and possibly start a madeleine l'engle book called "and it was good" hmmm should keep me fairly busy!! :D i love books! gaah i sound as dorky as andy
so much to read so little time!!

hello??

2004-12-02T13:59:00.000-06:00

so.. i went to the ear doctor and the verdict is that my hearing is average, i do have scarring on my eardrums but that is from a while ago and not really big news. also apparently if i get a really bad cold, it can result in fluid being stuck in my ear and me going deaf again. if that happens, then im sposed to go back to the doctor and possibly get tubes put in again. am i happy? yes, but i find it a little weird that for the past year or so i thought i was going deaf. that cant possibly have just been my imagination could it??? like, i can read lips again! i couldnt do that after the operation when i started to hear properly so that makes no sense. but oh well.. at least nothing bad was diagnosed oh yeah the other thing - im not allowed to join a rock band anytime soon and im not allowed to crank up the music :( lol

bored

2004-12-01T12:19:00.000-06:00

bored bored bored bored bored bored bored
lalala
wheee
puffy
hmmm?
yes

grootenboer sucks
sucks grootenboer

gaaah
boo!
heehee
duct tape
icelandic
style
ok
landscaping
no.. not really
really
out there
i dunno
tell me
use of shapes
dictionary
slow
kelsey is slow
heehee
peinture
louis leroy
braille
think of questions
is thompson in that
time?
yes

:)

2004-11-29T19:37:00.001-06:00

in the Lord i'll be ever thankful
in the Lord, i will rejoice
look to him,
do not be afraid
in him rejoicing, the Lord is near
in him rejoicing, the Lord is near!
:)

Psalm 81:1-2
Sing Praises to God, our strength
Sing to the God of Israel.
Sing! Beat the tambourine.
Play the sweet lyre and the harp.
:)

tables are laden with good things
oh taste the peace and joy he brings
he'll fill you up with love divine
and turn your water into wine

sing with thankfulness, songs of pure delight!
come and revel in heaven's love and light
seat yourself at the table of the king,
the feast is ready to begin
the feast is ready to begin
alleluia!!
:)

lalala

:)

2004-11-29T19:37:00.000-06:00

~spa spa spa~

2004-11-27T09:17:00.000-06:00

wow. so, I went to my friend Amber's sweet sixteen party and for the last two weeks she wouldnt tell us anything about what we were gonna do at the party. well, it turned out to be probably one of the best planned parties i've ever gone to. it was crazy!! we went straight from school to the mall. there we did this crazy scavenger hunt thing(holy cow you wont believe what i did. one of the questions was to get a penny, so i walked up to a cafe and they had this glass full of coins there which i thought was one of those "leave a penny, take a penny" things. so i took a penny. suddenly, my friend steers me away super fast and is like,"maddy... what did you just take a penny from the tip jar for?" uh oh! lol turns out it was the tip jar and the cashiers were disgusted and whispering she just took a penny! i cant believe someone would do that! shes so rude!! hahahahahahahaha im such an idiot), anyways after that we went to her house and found out that the theme of the party was spa. i have never been to a spa before, never had a manicure, never had a face mask before, oooh it was pretty cool!! her house was all set up like a spa thing and we all had to walk around in our bath robes and paint each others nails and do face masks and wow it was really really good. it was a very very very very very very VERY girly party lol which is probably a good thing for me once in a while. im like only really girly very seldomly. hmmmm so a good party. i think i could be rich for about a week and then id get bored.
on another note... im kind of angry bc i cant get to toronto today. arghs

stress days

2004-11-23T12:11:00.000-06:00

ahhh :) im on a stress day.. soo glad my mom let me stay home. i was a wreck this morning but i am already feeling a whole lot better. a huge weight of sleepiness and worries are being lifted off my back :):) im listening to beatles white album :P yaaay and eating my fave breakfast(toasted whole wheat bagel with cream cheese) and relaxing a bit before i hit the math and science books
so i think everythings good for now.
:)

dead

2004-11-18T06:29:00.000-06:00

Its 7:30 in the morning, and I'm at school waiting for my friend so we can finish a project.. she probably wont come which means that i woke up and hour early for no reason. WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE??! argh I got a total two hours of sleep last night and I feel like shit... ahhhh I'm gonna cry!! :'( at least i finished my civics project. mmmm neeed sleep high right now off coffee and sugar but that will rub off soon.. well, when I get home I'm going RIGHT to bed

2004-11-09T15:59:00.000-06:00

i like benny goodman and i like "Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelly with the quintet of the hot club of france" and i wanna go to that movie "Ray"!! anyone wanna go with me?? plz?? :P

Currently Crash Course-ing

2004-11-07T17:04:00.000-06:00

Yes, so i have taken the job of teaching myself everything i can possibly learn about jazz!! I like most jazzy stuff a lot but i dont actually know much about it... so i am right now listening to Duke Ellington.. :P very good
ummm thats it for now
byeee

Update

2004-10-29T11:17:00.000-05:00

Okay, so how is maddy doing??
Hmmm I'm not sure... I'm like, bored with life right now? mmmmm sorta... its weird its not like im not doing anything ... i just feel like i want to go out and DO something
i guess im a bit frustrated ... things are taking forever to happen and im not patient right now
i tried out for the play last week thursday. it was really cool because before i went in i had to write a survey and one of the questions was "what instruments do you play and for how long?" so i put cello and for 10 1/2
when i went in to the audition, i met my future drama teacher(i have him next semester). he has a firm handshake which in britain means that he has character which is quite true!! whee ok so i handed him my survey and said hi to the music teacher mrs. burke(its cool she is the director of Toronto Mass Choir and two years ago she won a juno!!! shes awesome). when mr. peters looked at my survey thingy he was like,"cello?? thats sooo cool! ten and a half months?"
i had to set him straight... nooo. actually i have been playing for 10 1/2 years! woa yes it seems like a loong time for me. that is a third of my life!!
so to make a long story short they asked me if i could play stand up bass(same thing as double bass i think) and i said that i could learn and so the only thing they need to do is find a double bass for me and a part time teacher!
the actual audition went horrible, i was waaay too quiet and i had to sing happy birthday and i sang it a bit flat and in a weird key. but if they can find a double bass i will still be in the play! im not sure if that is a good thing or not.... as guido would say... meh!
ohhh this literacy test was stupid. IT WAS SO EASY I THINK I FAILED!!! if you took the test you'd know what i mean. i could have taken that friggen test when i was 10! grr
on a sort of lighter note... i got my midterm report card on wednesday and it was the best report i have ever recieved i think! my marks read as thus:
old testament - 89%
civics - 78%
math - 92%
french - 87%
science - 92%
that gives me an average of 88% !!! yay thats pretty good for me
but argh my parents made waaay tooo much of a big deal over it!! i just wanted them to shut up!! theyre just school marks!!! they should know who i am and what im like already... why look at a report and judge me that way? gah i just mainly wanted them to shut up
thankfully they have
so right now i feel like running around screaming my head off and laughing hysterically but i cant! i have two hours of cello to do today and a newspaper scrapbook thing to work on and math hwk and i have to finish my bird costume... so much for having fun
i guess disciplin is a good thing to have
well i think ive written some stuff to chew on
sorry for rambling on

The Emma Post

2004-10-22T20:08:00.000-05:00

This post is made entirely to introduce you to my bestest friend Emma! Emma is a charming young girl who loves drama, music, and the restoring effects of a hot bath. No, she is not a figment of my imagination, she is a real person. I met her at kindermusic when I was five and she was four. We have been best buds ever since!! Okay so she goes to Mayfield Secondary School for drama and she is awesome at her art!!!! yay. Her favourite bands are U2, Pearl Jam, The Beatles(yaay my fave band lol), Oasis and The Clash(yaaay my other fave band). She loves hockey, Monty Pithon, and funny accents. If your name is Jude Law, Emma would be very grateful if you came for a visit. So would I as a matter of fact!! Emma is going to be the maid of honor at mine my fiancee Orlando Bloom's wedding and I'm gonna be the maid of honor when she marries a hot young rock star!!! Hahahahahahaa.
Say hi to Emma everyone!!
Hi Emma!

meemeeemeemeeeeeeee

2004-10-18T18:43:00.000-05:00

My bad... its not a gospel as i was told earlier... it is bluegrass... its called "Cotten Patch Gospel" ... ive never heard of it before but it should be fun... i hope i make it...

musicals!

2004-10-15T17:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, Shark is signed up to audition for our school ~MuSiCaL~ lalalal wheee. AHHH! so she badly needs your prayers!

my mom is giving me a crash course in singing... and i'll be practicing my acting a bit before i go to the audition on thursday after school. i am NOT nervous, at least i keep telling myself that but i do have a few butterflies in my tummy. if i have to sing in the audition, ill be singing "Jesus, Lover of my Soul"
oh... did i mention that its a gospel musical?? i have had noo experience whatsoever in gospel singing. the odds are almost all against me so i need your prayers and support!! :) thank God for friends, eh

fiascos, projects and espressos

2004-10-13T18:31:00.000-05:00

This has been probably the most stressful day for me so far this year. I'll start at the beginning... I woke up this morning without the use of my right hand. It was soo painful and I couldn't do anything! It was really odd. I was so worried that I would have to use my left hand for the rest of the day, but the pain went away pretty fast. I must have slept on it or something. Okay, so I wake up with a sore hand and dead tired because I stayed up late the night before working on my french project which was due today. Its a really cool project. We are working on sports (my project is l'aviron or rowing), so for our presentation, i came up with the coolest idea. I would strut around the classroom sporting a cardboard rowboat around my waist with oars to paddle. I would explain to the class what oars, bow, stern, rower and stuff were in french. It was all planned out and the boat was all ready to go with me to school.
I got on the schoolbus, sat down and got settled, when I suddenly remembered where the project was, sitting in the middle of the livingroom at home! ahh if any of my friends had been on the bus yet they would have heard some most unusual rude words coming from my lips. :P
So anyway I get to first period class, having called my mom to see if she could bring it to me(she wasn't at home when i called so no such luck). I told Tosin one of the others in my french group to find that she had done her part of it all in english! FRIGGIN ENGLISH!!!! who writes a french project in english?!?! argh so an extra thing to worry about. By lunchtime i was close to tears, not having been able to find my french teacher to explain my pradicament to. I luckily passed her in the hall and she was completely understanding and said we could present tomorrow. PHEW!!! that was so lucky!
I was so frazzled by that time that I decided to see what an espresso tasted like for the first time in my life! My friend Carolyn who has also never had one came with me to Ninos, the italian store across the road from our school and we ordered two. It was actually pretty good, and I woke up a bit, but it didnt make me hyper. It just made me start to sweat a lot so I went around for the last two periods in an extra sweater, over-heating. Better that than to have people disgusted at your lack of deo (or so they would think anyway).
Hmmm so now I have a french project, a science project and a math test tomorrow. I gonna go have a nice loooong shower and then get down to work! ahh
that was my day... how was yours??

Yes!!!! :):):)

2004-10-10T15:23:00.001-05:00

Okay, I officially now have sponsor child(well, we have one)!!!! Yay!! She is not from Bolivia though, she is from Tanzania and her name is Neema and i am writing this fast so i can go write her a letter! Neema is in grade 2 and her bday is on dec. 3 and her fave subject in school is writing, which is soo COOL because thats one of my faves :):) i am soo happy

happy thanksgiving everyone, and have an AWESOME weekend!! and God bless you (He really truly does!!)
loove ya all
maddy

Yes!!!! :):):)

2004-10-10T15:23:00.000-05:00

O Give Thanks!

2004-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00

Hm. Another Thanksgiving is here and i think for the first time ever, i have realised just how selfish and unthoughtful i am. On Friday, a music group of three brothers came to our school and sang for us. they are refugees from the congo and are now canadian citizens but wow! they had some scary, sad, amazing stories to tell. i was almost in tears! it really made me think how sometimes, no. most of the time, i totally dont notice or understand what a blessing it is that i live in a safe country, with no threat of war or famine. i have a chance to a good future, a house, a bedroom all to myself, healthcare, clothes on my back, fresh water... did you know that a family of refugees has about 3.5 metres squared of ground to live in?? thats like my family living in half of my bedroom!
it was truly inspiring to see these three young men who have seen and been through horrors i cannot even imagine, be so joyful and eager to lift their voices to praise God! they are so happy to live in this wonderful country.

so this Thanksgiving is the first time i will be thankful for everything! even the things that sometimes i dont want to thank God for(like homework), God has given me soo much! :)

now here is some news!! i am going to have a baby sister!!!!!!!(no, dont worry, my moms not pregnant lol) ever since i was able to talk i have wanted a baby sister and i have wanted a sponsor child so finally, my parents have decided that we have enough money to sponsor a child and this thanksgiving we are going to get one!!! i am so happy :):):) we are going to try and sponsor a girl from Bolivia, that way, my dad and possibly me or my brothers will get to meet her!(my dad is part of a Christian organization called Hands Across the Nations who travel down there every couple of years to work at the jails and make them more livable) so i am very very very excited!!!! yay

I have much to be thankful for.
Thank you, Jesus!!!!!

GRHAGHHERJEHWJKHRIOAS!!!!!!!!

2004-10-05T20:40:00.000-05:00

as the school days go on, i am beginning to get the feeling that i am getting more and more and more boring and dull. gah!!! i need someone to make me interesting!!! to wake me up!! to scream insults in my face!!!! well, no, but i am getting quieter and sleepier and uninteresting. it makes me want to scream and yell and run around... argh one thing i hate about growing up is that you're not allowed to throw temper tantrums. i think a good temper tantrum would make a world of difference and id feel better. oh well, what am i stuck with?? boring, boring old school and homework and cello and sleep and more school and weekends(a small crumb of freedom).... i cant wait till i can one, find a place where i can have a good temper tantrum and two, grow up and be able to do interesting things rather than stupid stupid highschool.
i think i am a bit cynical today... :P
lalala

my weekend

2004-10-04T18:29:00.000-05:00

hmm the weekend was good. i spent all day friday creating a sculpture of joseph's dreams(the dreams where the sun, moon and stars bow down to him as well as the one where his brothers sheaves of grain bows down to his). i worked so hard on it that i forgot to eat breakfast and lunch!!! oh well
then on saturday i woke up and remembered to eat breakfast and then practised cello and did homework and then went to elsies house and hung out there.
lalala
then sunday i heard my brother play in his orchestra for the first time which was alright... lol um no but oh well, it was their first performance and only a small one. after that we went to a friend from churches art show which was really cool. she lives in this beautiful old house in the country and she does waay cool abstract paintings
so i had a good weekend but i still need to get denise a birthday present.... ahhh what do i get her??
i love this time of year... autumn is my favourite season!! yay

lalaaaa

2004-09-30T17:11:00.000-05:00

hmm..... an interesting week. i think... what happened? i don' t really remember. so a forgettable week.
i am right now listening to The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Its a new radio series, finishing off what was started a long long time ago... ahh what am i talking about? i dunno but its a good series.
life seems to be getting more and more interesting, in school, cello, friends(i think the friends that i made last year in grade 9, i have started to get to know better and am closer to them now.), i am learning more about the grace of God, (although my old testament class is possibly the most boring class i have ever had, maybe i am learning patience.. lol)

sharky!!

2004-09-29T18:04:00.000-05:00

i showed up at robins house on tuesday!! whee she looked scared when i rang the doorbell. she was on the phone with katelen which is sort of weird that i popped in at that exact time.... lalala
oh katelen i need to talk to you!!! call me or ill call you w/e

2004-09-27T22:22:00.000-05:00

the england trip is being decided. it seems that i will be away all of christmas break which is a bother. i was really hoping to have some time to visit friends (yes you in toronto!! lol) and do things like skiing and skating, normal canadian things to do. if there is any skating in england, i will probably be one of the best skaters there!! haha which is really funny as i'm not that good... and no chance of skiing, unless we get to north north scotland. hmm
well we are figuring out where to go. i want to visit orlando bloom if hes in london for christmas!! haha and the tower of london and buckingham palace to see the queen. it is also my wish to make a guard smile!! my mom wants to go to a concert of this orchestra who are known to be the worst orchestra in the world. believe me, i have heard an mp3 of them and i can see why. i do not wish to put myself through that horror and will stay home that night lol. i will be looking out for elligible bachelors (lol elsie!! inside joke i guess..) with an irish accent and cute and likes to travel. unfortunately prince william doesnt match up for this but i could settle for him.

oh also in january or march i will be visiting my old cello teacher who lives in aurora, just outside of chicago. that will be awesome plus i will get to meet all of her new cello students which is neat. ill probably go there with my friend aurora(haha weird..) on the train. should be fun. i really miss my teacher. shes more like a friend than a teacher now and i was crying a lot over her leaving last week (odd because she left in august, but the thought of her not here hadnt settled in yet)

then, back to england for a semester i hope. unfortunately, that means that i probably wont be there in time to visit andy and guido underneath the eiffel tower but i'm sure they will do fine without me!! staying in england for a semester looks like it might really happen! all we have to do is figure out about my dua citizenship and about whether the english government will pay for my schooling and then its settled. wow this is crazy because i came up with the idea in grade seven and never thought that it would really work out. things are looking very optimistic now.

so i will have a very busy year next year. i hope that it is not too stressful and that i can enjoy my time away from home. im starting to feel old (not as old as you, robin, you're pushing 70!!) and wisened... maybe. you know, people tell me that i am wise but im not too sure what that means. i am smart in the things i do, most of the time i think. but that's not really wisdom is it? one thing i am sure of, i can totally understand why solomon chose wisdom above riches. i remember that when i was a little younger i used to pray to God and ask him for lots and lots of wisdom because i thought that would solve all my problems.... well wisdom is a good thing to have but i'm not sure im quite there yet. my grandfather is wise. i respect him and love him a lot. he is very smart too. and humble. someday i would like to be like him. that would be awesome

books

2004-09-26T19:16:00.000-05:00

Maddy's Book List
current books i am reading, or am thinking of reading in the next month or so
1. I have been reading Letters and Papers from Prison by dietrich Bonhoeffer for the last 5 weeks. This book is taking me a long time to get through.... ahh maybe a bit above my head lol... oh well
2. I also am still working my way through The Idiot by Dostoyevsky.... actually... not really working on it anymore. I think i spent too much time on it. I've forgotten a lot of the details. It had to go back to the library and i havent really worked at getting it out again. I'll try it again sometime
3. I just started Crime and Punishment. This one is hard to read. I like tolstoy better. tolstoy is not as dark as dostoyevsky
4. The Truth by Terry Pratchett. He is an extremely funny writer, i love his stuff. he's very popular in britian
5. I just got a book out of the church library called What's so amazing about grace? by Philip Yancey. my mom likes yanceys books a lot so i decided to give him a try. i havent started this book yet. i hope you understand... i am a bit preoccupied lol!! ahh i loove reading. deff my cup of tea..
sorry for being so boring...!!
lalalala
wheee
oh well
byee
oh i almost forgot... anyone have any good french literature to suggest?? im wonering what to read next, and i am starting a french cello piece soo something french will get me in the right "mood" lalala

Shark is going to England!!!!

2004-09-23T16:15:00.000-05:00

wow... i am in a state of shock.. sorta. last night my mom came into my room and said that she and my dad wanted to talk to me.. i was a little worried(like.. what had i done??) well it turns out that my phone grandma wants to pay for us to go to england for christmas!! my first instinct was to yell for joy which is what i did lol... but now i have kind of mixed emotions about it.. it will be awesome to spend time in england and its even better at christmas, but ever since i can remember i have had the same christmas... church on christmas eve, open presents at home in the morning, go to my canadian grandparents house for lunch with relatives and open more presents. this has happened im pretty sure since i have been born! so this christmas is my first different one... also i had been planning a lot of things with friends... its gonna be totally different from what i was expecting. i have no doubt that i will totally enjoy myself in england. We are going to London and doing many other awesome great things but i think there will be a sense of sadness as well.... i will miss all my friends even more than normal and i will be thinking of everyone... ahhh well that is about it
see ya
maddy