Just a little speech about Christmas!!!

It honestly doesn't feel like Christmas is less than a week away. I am sitting at my desk, having surrounded myself with random winter items in an attempt to persuade myself that it isn't still Autumn. It isn't working....

I have a festive woolly hat beside me, which I did put on but decided that I looked a little too odd. I think I went past that point a while ago, but singing along to Christmas songs, wearing a scarf and woolly hat and watering a mini Christmas tree which looks as though it is on its last legs is perhaps too far even for me.

However, despite that it doesn't feel like Christmas, I succeeded in buying Christmas presents. Usually I just buy a load of sweets and be done with it but this year I decided it would be different. I bought presents for all of my friends, although the majority of them were small and under-appreciated, and for my close family.

It's very hard to give away presents though, especially when you just buy everything you want and decide to give it to your friends. I have made a compromise to myself though, and by that I mean several. My Christmas shopping involved several gifts to myself, namely; a scarf, a Christmas colouring book, yet another notepad, a set of dessert recipes which I didn't need and various other bits and bobs.

My sister and I made candy cane chocolate treat things, which Zoella had made on her YouTube Channel. It wasn't my idea but I take full credit for cutting off the majority of the candy cane wrappers. :P

That concludes my short reflection on Christmas for today, as I am aware that this was not exactly what I set out to do on my laptop.

Bye! Write Again Soon????

Thinking About EVERYTHING Too Much

I seem to be starting a trend, one that will eventually be hard to break away from. Finding something worthwhile enough to share with whoever stumbles upon my inner dwellings is more difficult that I first thought. There's been plenty of things I could have written about; spending more time with my family, going back to school, the list goes on. Is that really interesting enough though? At the end of a lot of unnecessary fretting, I've decided it doesn't matter. I want to write about what interests me, because writing is what I do to de-stress whilst listening to random music on shuffle. (for any interested it's currently a remix of titanium, at least I think it is :D it's good anyway).

My youngest brother had a giggling fit this evening, lying on Mum's bed asking to be tickled. The time seems to slip through my fingers, to the point which I have to count backwards to figure out how old my brother is (to be fair I do have three ages to remember and that's only my siblings). Lying there on the bed, he looked little again. As he's the youngest I don't notice how much he's grown up until it hits me on the head. It's not that I don't try to spend time with him, loom bands being something which I often play with him even if only for a few minutes. More so in the summer holidays which passed far too quickly for my liking. I know that I should spend more time with him as this is how he'll always remember me, as the big sister who sits in her bedroom plugged into her laptop for hours on end or head stuck in a book. Is it selfish of me to need the time to relax and unwind? I don't do nothing all day, I do try to achieve something everyday. What would Stephen Fry say? (Don't you just love the adverts on Spotify? And back to Ellie Goulding, oh yeah.)

The view on the way to Brighton

On the bright side, our family have been spending a lot more time together. It's nice although the weekend just gone we didn't do too much together. We've always been the family who try to go out together. Since the beginning of September though, we've been on a drive to spend more time together. This has resulted in several walks, all of which have been great. We've also been on some really nice day trips, such as Brighton, and we've also had two overnight expeditions. The image of my youngest brother springs to mind wielding a stick about three times his height. My other younger but older than youngest brother is also an avid reader like me and I've had many more conversations with him about books. Can you believe he hasn't read Narnia? I am horrified that I have let this go on for so long in my own family!

Dad's not too bad at making conversation either although the intellectual reading conversations are better left alone. Recently, I've learnt a fair bit of history although I am glad I didn't continue my studies in the topic because I can't remember the dates for the life of me. His phone is a tad annoying but I can forgive him for that. ;) (please take everything I'm saying with a pinch of salt- listening to Clown by Emeli Sande and I will be your clown). My sister may or may not be pleased to know that I have found my headphone splitters or at least I had, they've gone on walkabouts but they'll turn up eventually. My mum's just Mum, as funny as always.

I need to finish reading the Heroes of Olympus series, along with the other eighteen books I have to read. I returned my brother's kindle but I'm dreading carrying the Blood of Olympus to school. I also know that once I start, I won't stop so I'm holding off until half-term when I can spend five hours reading the thing. Don't remind me how many tests I have this week, mainly to 'test' my progress. And then there's the English controlled assessment of which I have yet to think of a topic. (Paradise just came on, quite fitting don't you think?- I do). Dad's got Trio in his arms and my heart is melting, she is definitely from paradise.

I think I'm going to have to finish up the thoughts from today, this has been most useful to me. Probably not so much to you. I did a music solo on Friday. I went too high and couldn't find my way back down so the teacher stopped me- how embarrassing. However the fact that the rest of the class balked at the prospect of singing in front of the class makes me feel slightly better. I faced my fears and conquered although I have a long way to go before I nail it. I only heard the song on the Sunday before the solo though, that also makes me feel better. You know what, I'm going to stop making excuses. I did well. Let's leave it at that.

I'm so tired, but only one week until the half-term and freedom! For one whole week. Halloween and choir trip. It's going to be great, Only a Chemistry test and possible IT test before then and maybe the ensemble performance. And after that a debate, maths test, controlled assessment, and other stuff. But I have an inset day first day back. I just realized that I have a PE assessment tomorrow. Really got to stop thinking. I'm going now, promise.

(finishing on 'I won't give up'- Jason Mraz)

The Glasses Thief

This is a plea to the Glasses Thief. Who is this? The Glasses Thief is similar in stealth to the Easter Bunny or Jack Frost or Santa Claus. Although we know he is there, we never seem to catch him in the act. Instead of bringing chocolate, frost or presents though, he likes to collect things. As his name suggests he has a particular tendency to collect glasses. He usually returns them but occasionally he's slightly forgetful.

My glasses have gold frames and shine in direct sunlight. This shimmering comes from the silver gems which were affixed to the sides of the frames. Unfortunately over time, and through no fault of my own, many of the gems have miraculously disappeared which has left glittery black orbs in the sides.

The ends, or templates according to the internet, are two shades of brown, both light and dark through which you can still see the ends of the frames. These have also lost their curve which means that they are prone to sliding off my face whenever I look down. When the glasses are placed on a table, the frames are slightly wonky. This was also no fault of my own and I definitely did not put a book on top of them.

The left lens itself has a small scratch in the top corner, nearest the nose pads. This is of little consequence compared to the small issue of the greenness. The nose pads and the front of the frame are turning green due to the powers of nature. I personally don't see this as a major issue unless anyone remarks on the green nature of my glasses and questions whether I know.

A couple of weeks ago, the Glasses Thief snatched my glasses when I had my back turned. After a week of fruitless searching they reappeared on the mantelpiece as if by magic. This is a precaution against my glasses being forgotten again. I can see why he loved my glasses so much and I agree with him. Yet he can get his own because I need mine.

(I couldn't resist adding Trio into the photo because she's so adorable)

The First Post

Blogging. A prospect that seemed relatively simple late last night. In the light of the day the overwhelming fear has struck again. I've considered blogging a lot and it's always seemed far too daunting. The number of times I've begun writing a post, an attempt that always ends in the trusty deletion of the two hundred words glaring at me from within the complexities of a screen. Yet there is no time like the present to deal with my irrational fear of blogging.

The concept of blogging has always intrigued me; a place to spill my opinions and release my inner genius. A place that I can pour my, often crazy, thoughts into before sharing with the world (figuratively, not literally).

In the interest of creativity, I shall ignore the many posts I have read giving advice to choose what you want to write about prior to starting a blog, I won't confine myself to any particular niche. Instead you can glimpse into my brain, if you're still reading that is, and witness my brain whirring away in a haphazard fashion. However before I grant you entry to that hallowed place or perhaps before I am spirited away by faeries, let me give you some background information which you are welcome to breeze over.

As the blog name suggests, I go to an all-girls grammar school. You can often find me with my head in a book, devouring the words that take me to fictional realms. I also have an uncanny ability to shut out reality as I read, a trait which never fails to irritate my closest friends and family. I spend an unreal amount of time on the internet, surfing the virtual waves as I lose track of hours at a time.

Sailing and singing -aka the two Ss- are big parts of my life. I collect stationery *the third s*, though not intentionally, and as such am never short of notebooks. I am very prone to losing things, whether these are odd notes that I have jotted down or something more essential such as my glasses. I prefer to use the term temporarily misplaced as things mostly turn up eventually.

When I remember to go to basketball club, I play Basketball but that only runs until the summer term when the tennis nets are put up which is a sad state of affairs. Like many other teenagers I have braces permanently fixed to my teeth. I can, for the most part, deal with sour sweets but spicy foods are a whole other story. I have two adorable dogs; Coco and Trio. Coco is a serene, wise creature whilst her daughter has yet to mature. This monstrous puppy is out to chew anything in her path.

I'm at a loss to think of anything else you may, or may not, need to know. So here ends my 'first post', hopefully one of many more to come.