I'm not the hugest fan of Jenna Marbles. But I did laugh at this video, and since I haven't come up with anything legitimate to say yet, I'm going to post it. Have a good day.
~Stephanie
Friday, May 24, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
9 Things That Are Never a Good Idea
...but that I often do anyway.
1. Reading old journals. Sure they're interesting, but also depressing, infuriating, and confusing. Let sleeping pasts lie.
2. Ignoring the beginning of sun poisoning. No, it WON'T go away, but if you acknowledge it early on, you may be able to ward off actual Hell.
3. Trying to convince Cassidy that the City of Bones movie isn't going to be that bad. No matter how much I believe it when I start talking, by the end of our conversation, we're both convinced that it'll be the worst thing since the first Twilight.
4. Threatening/tormenting Sam with anything other than needles or pinching. Do not fool yourself; he WILL retaliate and you WILL be sorry.
5. Salt and vinegar chips. No matter how good the first chip tastes, by the end of the serving you'll feel like gagging.
6. Playing "Rollerskate" to annoy your friends. It will, without a doubt, get stuck in YOUR head too.
7. Breaking a clean streak. Yes, it is a big deal. Yes, you will regret it in twenty minutes. Yes, you can resist it if you try.
8. Eating carrots to see if they still make your throat swell up. Guess what? THEY DO.
9. Deciding not to take a notebook with you. It pretty much never fails. You forgo the notebook, inspiration assaults you. It's just that simple.
~Stephanie
1. Reading old journals. Sure they're interesting, but also depressing, infuriating, and confusing. Let sleeping pasts lie.
2. Ignoring the beginning of sun poisoning. No, it WON'T go away, but if you acknowledge it early on, you may be able to ward off actual Hell.
3. Trying to convince Cassidy that the City of Bones movie isn't going to be that bad. No matter how much I believe it when I start talking, by the end of our conversation, we're both convinced that it'll be the worst thing since the first Twilight.
4. Threatening/tormenting Sam with anything other than needles or pinching. Do not fool yourself; he WILL retaliate and you WILL be sorry.
5. Salt and vinegar chips. No matter how good the first chip tastes, by the end of the serving you'll feel like gagging.
6. Playing "Rollerskate" to annoy your friends. It will, without a doubt, get stuck in YOUR head too.
7. Breaking a clean streak. Yes, it is a big deal. Yes, you will regret it in twenty minutes. Yes, you can resist it if you try.
8. Eating carrots to see if they still make your throat swell up. Guess what? THEY DO.
9. Deciding not to take a notebook with you. It pretty much never fails. You forgo the notebook, inspiration assaults you. It's just that simple.
~Stephanie
Friday, May 17, 2013
C'est La Vie
{First of all, I would like to brag on the fact that I spelled that French phrase without Googling it. That's probably the first time ever that I've spelled anything French without butchering it almost beyond recognition.}
"I regret little, I would change still less." ~ Browning
I dreamed the other night that Sam posted a comment on Peripeteia saying, "So what DO you regret?"
I woke up pensive in the best way. What DO I regret? I realized that of the things I consider regretting, I would, as Browning put it, "change still less."
The things I've done make me who I am, and prepare me for who I'll need to be. I've been very lucky; God has allowed me to see the payoff of many of my unfortunate experiences and choices.
If I hadn't fallen into erotica, I wouldn't be able to understand and support one of the most important people in my life.
If I hadn't dealt with a violation of trust myself, my roommate would not have taken my advice to her as seriously as she did.
If God had given me the older brother I'd always wanted, I wouldn't have become so close to Aaron, Jordan, Daniel, and David. {I wouldn't trade those relationships for a "real" older brother, and I'm just started to realize that.}
If I had applied to Wake Forest in time, I wouldn't be at Campbell, which has been good for me in more ways than I could have imagined.
Do I wish regret any of those things? In a way, I suppose I do. But would I change them?
No.
Actually, all the things that I regret and WOULD change are things I DIDN'T do--and wish I had. I think I'm going to live more dangerously, take more risks. I'm going to ask more questions, speak more freely, be generally less afraid, and--above all else--listen to God sooner.
As twisted as it might sound, most of the bad things in my life have set the stage for a lot of good things. It's not that I think making bad choices is excusable just because God can work them out, but...I don't know.
Everyone has some regrets. Everyone has a few things he'd change about his life. And guess what? Such IS life. Life consists almost entirely of making mistakes, learning from them, and living your life to the best of your ever-evolving current ability.
I think a healthy life is one about which you can say, "I regret little, I would change still less." If you can't say that, maybe it's time to change your life strategy.
~Stephanie
"I regret little, I would change still less." ~ Browning
I dreamed the other night that Sam posted a comment on Peripeteia saying, "So what DO you regret?"
I woke up pensive in the best way. What DO I regret? I realized that of the things I consider regretting, I would, as Browning put it, "change still less."
The things I've done make me who I am, and prepare me for who I'll need to be. I've been very lucky; God has allowed me to see the payoff of many of my unfortunate experiences and choices.
If I hadn't fallen into erotica, I wouldn't be able to understand and support one of the most important people in my life.
If I hadn't dealt with a violation of trust myself, my roommate would not have taken my advice to her as seriously as she did.
If God had given me the older brother I'd always wanted, I wouldn't have become so close to Aaron, Jordan, Daniel, and David. {I wouldn't trade those relationships for a "real" older brother, and I'm just started to realize that.}
If I had applied to Wake Forest in time, I wouldn't be at Campbell, which has been good for me in more ways than I could have imagined.
Do I wish regret any of those things? In a way, I suppose I do. But would I change them?
No.
Actually, all the things that I regret and WOULD change are things I DIDN'T do--and wish I had. I think I'm going to live more dangerously, take more risks. I'm going to ask more questions, speak more freely, be generally less afraid, and--above all else--listen to God sooner.
As twisted as it might sound, most of the bad things in my life have set the stage for a lot of good things. It's not that I think making bad choices is excusable just because God can work them out, but...I don't know.
Everyone has some regrets. Everyone has a few things he'd change about his life. And guess what? Such IS life. Life consists almost entirely of making mistakes, learning from them, and living your life to the best of your ever-evolving current ability.
I think a healthy life is one about which you can say, "I regret little, I would change still less." If you can't say that, maybe it's time to change your life strategy.
~Stephanie
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
I Wrote This For Mother's Day
Stubborn, smart, and witty, with a tendency to
correct.
Good with words, and lists, and kids, full of
confidence to project.
An anathema to idiots runs strong within your
veins
And instead of being pampered, you’d rather
hold the reigns.
People like to listen because you truly love
to say
Exactly what you mean and in just the perfect
way.
I know all this about you for more reasons
than just one.
Yes, I have observed you, but that’s not
nearly half the fun.
(I use the term “fun” loosely, and for why you
will soon see.)
The fact of the matter is, the You we love is,
too, in Me.
You say people always told you that you’d have
a child like you.
And I’m not sure who the joke is on that the
statement has proved true.
God knows we’ve had our differences, but it’s
really because we’re the same;
And I can’t quite tell if it’s nature or it’s
nurture that’s to blame.
You see, the more I get to know myself, I get
to know you too.
You start to make a lot of sense as I do the
things you do.
I can only hope and pray to God that when the
time is right
I’ll be able to raise my own little Joke with
a bit of your insight.
I want to thank you very much for putting up
with me.
I’m only beginning to understand how right you
really can be.
It would not have been much use to tell me as girl
these things,
But you’re such a part of the reason I’m
beginning to grow my wings.
I love, appreciate, and respect you more than
ever before
And I know as we both grow older I will do
those even more.
~Stephanie
Monday, May 13, 2013
Irony
There are people who mourn the closed-mindedness of others,
and are angered at their "wrong" and "judgmental" beliefs. These people
declare that everyone has the right to his own opinion, and no one
should be hated for his beliefs.
But then those same people turn around and campaign against those who believe differently than they do. It's okay for them to be angry and want to change your belief that homosexuality is wrong. However, it is not okay for you to calmly tell them that that is what you believe, and you're sticking to it.
Having different views is a beautiful and acceptable thing--unless you disagree with those who believe that XD This philosophy always breaks down somewhere...
Anyone else find this laughably ironic?
~Stephanie
But then those same people turn around and campaign against those who believe differently than they do. It's okay for them to be angry and want to change your belief that homosexuality is wrong. However, it is not okay for you to calmly tell them that that is what you believe, and you're sticking to it.
Having different views is a beautiful and acceptable thing--unless you disagree with those who believe that XD This philosophy always breaks down somewhere...
Anyone else find this laughably ironic?
~Stephanie
Saturday, May 11, 2013
BritLit Lines
Please humor me. These lines/quotes caused me to stop in the middle of my BritLit reading and gape. Please read them. I can't be the only one who feels the impact of such beautiful phrases.
{I mean, maybe XD}
"A man's reach must exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" ~ R. Browning, Andrea del Sarto
"I regret little, I would change still less." ~ R. Browning, Andrea del Sarto
"I would trust you before any man alive, ay, before myself." ~ Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
"A thing unknown without a name
Born of the air and doomed to flame."
~ Barbauld, An Inventory of the Furniture in Dr. Priestley's Study
"There was no man from whom he kept fewer secrets than Mr. Guest; and he was not always sure that he kept as meany as he meant." ~ Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
"But I had voluntarily stripped myself of all those balancing instincts by which even the worst of us continues to walk with some degree of steadiness among temptations." ~ Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
"The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If I ever get married, I'll certainly try hard to forget the fact." ~ Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
"The truth is very rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!" ~ Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
"...that which we are, we are--
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
~ Tennyson, Ulysses
"Thou hast not lived, why should'st thou perish, so?"
~ Arnold, The Scholar Gypsy
"Who hesitate and falter life away,
And lose tomorrow the ground won today--"
~ Arnold, The Scholar Gypsy
"But in between these two classes there is a huge dump of worn-out metaphors which have lost all evocative power and are merely used because they save people the trouble of inventing phrases for themselves." Orwell, Politics and the English Language
"O let not Time deceive you,
You cannot conquer Time."
~ Auden, As I Walked Out One Evening
"Time held me green and dying
Though I sang in my chains like the sea."
~ Thomas, Fern Hill
"But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often through the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes of lights
__________And music, went to Camelot;
Or when the moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed:
"I am half sick of shadows," said
__________The Lady of Shalott."
~ Tennyson, The Lady of Shalott
{Make time to read all of "The Lady of Shalott" sometime. It's one of the most perfect things I've ever read. I get chills and fall inside myself at the ending every time.}
~Stephanie
{I mean, maybe XD}
"A man's reach must exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" ~ R. Browning, Andrea del Sarto
"I regret little, I would change still less." ~ R. Browning, Andrea del Sarto
"I would trust you before any man alive, ay, before myself." ~ Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
"A thing unknown without a name
Born of the air and doomed to flame."
~ Barbauld, An Inventory of the Furniture in Dr. Priestley's Study
"There was no man from whom he kept fewer secrets than Mr. Guest; and he was not always sure that he kept as meany as he meant." ~ Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
"But I had voluntarily stripped myself of all those balancing instincts by which even the worst of us continues to walk with some degree of steadiness among temptations." ~ Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
"The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If I ever get married, I'll certainly try hard to forget the fact." ~ Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
"The truth is very rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!" ~ Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
"...that which we are, we are--
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
~ Tennyson, Ulysses
"Thou hast not lived, why should'st thou perish, so?"
~ Arnold, The Scholar Gypsy
"Who hesitate and falter life away,
And lose tomorrow the ground won today--"
~ Arnold, The Scholar Gypsy
"But in between these two classes there is a huge dump of worn-out metaphors which have lost all evocative power and are merely used because they save people the trouble of inventing phrases for themselves." Orwell, Politics and the English Language
"O let not Time deceive you,
You cannot conquer Time."
~ Auden, As I Walked Out One Evening
"Time held me green and dying
Though I sang in my chains like the sea."
~ Thomas, Fern Hill
"But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often through the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes of lights
__________And music, went to Camelot;
Or when the moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed:
"I am half sick of shadows," said
__________The Lady of Shalott."
~ Tennyson, The Lady of Shalott
{Make time to read all of "The Lady of Shalott" sometime. It's one of the most perfect things I've ever read. I get chills and fall inside myself at the ending every time.}
~Stephanie
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Pandora No More
In honor of this blog's 500th post, I've decided to change the name.
I've been casually considering changing the name for a while, and in the last couple of weeks, the desire became almost like a conviction.
"Pandora" isn't the right name anymore.
{Click HERE to see the reason behind why I originally chose it.}
For one thing, the name doesn't actually make sense. Pandora is the name of the girl who opened the box of evil and hope. This blog would be the box, not the girl, and the box {to my knowledge} has no name.
It's a little cliche. I like it, but it's...not really fun.
It also gets confused with the music Pandora.
It's time for a change.
The past couple of months have held more change for me than perhaps all the nineteen years leading up to it. Sam and I broke up; I decided that I love college; I made real friends; I fell in love with God with a phenomenal, electric enthusiasm; I found an additional person that I can trust; I got a somewhat full-time, real job; I became a college sophomore; I moved home for the summer.
When I mentioned changing blog names, Natalie commented with a great list of Greek words. I scanned the list and jotted down the ones that caught my interest.
Then everything sort of fell into place on Sunday.
Life has turned out to be nothing like I expected. In some ways it's easier; in some ways it's harder. Nothing is clear. I'm starting to get the idea that it's just a wildly exciting, unscripted adventure.
In the sermon, the guest pastor stressed that striving to imitate Jesus every day is a serious adventure.
PC recently joined the church band, and he's trying to get them to play an Angels & Airwaves song. The name of it? "The Adventure."
Sunday, driving home with Sarah, Cass, and PC, I said, "So, you know how I've been thinking about changing Pandora's name?" They did. I told them the reasons I've just shared with you, and said, "I was thinking maybe the Greek word for 'adventure.'"
"What is it?" they asked.
"Peripeteia." {pair-ih-peh-TAY-uh}
"Yes," they said together.
I think it's perfect. As a story-writing, language-loving, Christ-following college sophomore, my life can only be one thing:
A peripeteia.
~Stephanie
P.S. And I'll put it with an upside down A just for you, Jay.
I've been casually considering changing the name for a while, and in the last couple of weeks, the desire became almost like a conviction.
"Pandora" isn't the right name anymore.
{Click HERE to see the reason behind why I originally chose it.}
For one thing, the name doesn't actually make sense. Pandora is the name of the girl who opened the box of evil and hope. This blog would be the box, not the girl, and the box {to my knowledge} has no name.
It's a little cliche. I like it, but it's...not really fun.
It also gets confused with the music Pandora.
It's time for a change.
The past couple of months have held more change for me than perhaps all the nineteen years leading up to it. Sam and I broke up; I decided that I love college; I made real friends; I fell in love with God with a phenomenal, electric enthusiasm; I found an additional person that I can trust; I got a somewhat full-time, real job; I became a college sophomore; I moved home for the summer.
When I mentioned changing blog names, Natalie commented with a great list of Greek words. I scanned the list and jotted down the ones that caught my interest.
Then everything sort of fell into place on Sunday.
Life has turned out to be nothing like I expected. In some ways it's easier; in some ways it's harder. Nothing is clear. I'm starting to get the idea that it's just a wildly exciting, unscripted adventure.
In the sermon, the guest pastor stressed that striving to imitate Jesus every day is a serious adventure.
PC recently joined the church band, and he's trying to get them to play an Angels & Airwaves song. The name of it? "The Adventure."
Sunday, driving home with Sarah, Cass, and PC, I said, "So, you know how I've been thinking about changing Pandora's name?" They did. I told them the reasons I've just shared with you, and said, "I was thinking maybe the Greek word for 'adventure.'"
"What is it?" they asked.
"Peripeteia." {pair-ih-peh-TAY-uh}
"Yes," they said together.
I think it's perfect. As a story-writing, language-loving, Christ-following college sophomore, my life can only be one thing:
A peripeteia.
~Stephanie
P.S. And I'll put it with an upside down A just for you, Jay.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
This Post is About the Moment When...
your stomach burns and you can't tell if it's hunger or adrenaline.
the invisible words tickle your mind and watch you go crazy trying to find them.
your inner voice disowns the rest of you.
you realize you've changed your mind.
your body falls asleep and your waking mind is trapped inside.
you can't tell if it's genuine or nostalgic.
you cry because you can't sleep, then realize it was a dream.
you can't get warm in the shower.
you flip a coin for yourself and realize you don't want to call it.
wasting time becomes like an addiction.
you try to write a blog post and it comes out retarded{ly}.
~Stephanie
P.S. No one has voted on the poll to the left XD How is that even possible? Vote. Although to be honest, I already know what I'm going to do at this point.
the invisible words tickle your mind and watch you go crazy trying to find them.
your inner voice disowns the rest of you.
you realize you've changed your mind.
your body falls asleep and your waking mind is trapped inside.
you can't tell if it's genuine or nostalgic.
you cry because you can't sleep, then realize it was a dream.
you can't get warm in the shower.
you flip a coin for yourself and realize you don't want to call it.
wasting time becomes like an addiction.
you try to write a blog post and it comes out retarded{ly}.
~Stephanie
P.S. No one has voted on the poll to the left XD How is that even possible? Vote. Although to be honest, I already know what I'm going to do at this point.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Turn-Offs
I was in Barnes & Noble last week. I had just discovered two unused gift cards in my wallet, and was so happy and excited that I almost couldn't breathe.
I read the backs of probably twenty-five books and studied the covers of twice that many. As I did so, I also discovered that I have quite a few "book turn-offs." I immediately put down any book that...
- contained the phrases "with the help of an unlikely friend" or "when the unthinkable happens."
- featured a girl holding a weapon on the cover.
- began it's coverslip with "(insert number)-year-old (insert catchy, obscure name)..."
- referenced text messages or social media sites.
- described a male protagonist using the words "sexy," "dangerous," or "mysterious."
- tried too hard with the characters' names.
I skipped the "Teen Paranormal Romance" section altogether.
What are some of your book turn-offs?
~Stephanie
I read the backs of probably twenty-five books and studied the covers of twice that many. As I did so, I also discovered that I have quite a few "book turn-offs." I immediately put down any book that...
- contained the phrases "with the help of an unlikely friend" or "when the unthinkable happens."
- featured a girl holding a weapon on the cover.
- began it's coverslip with "(insert number)-year-old (insert catchy, obscure name)..."
- referenced text messages or social media sites.
- described a male protagonist using the words "sexy," "dangerous," or "mysterious."
- tried too hard with the characters' names.
I skipped the "Teen Paranormal Romance" section altogether.
What are some of your book turn-offs?
~Stephanie
Friday, May 3, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
30 Hours In
I thought to myself today "You're doing a really good job getting along with your family."
Then I realized it's only been about 30 hours since I moved back.
I feel different, and I'm trying to act differently. Maybe I'm kidding myself, but I think I'm succeeding--so far.
My sister has become intensely sarcastic and short-tempered in my absence {no doubt filling in for me}; my dad has become even more clueless; and my mom just wants to be with me all the time.
I'm kind of afraid that it's only a matter of time before I flip out on them. I can already feel my patience wearing, their presence making me tense. I really don't want to argue with them. I really want to be helpful and mature and fun and make life nice for all of us.
Hopefully, with a lot of prayer and a healthy amount of friends and alone time, I can navigate this new summer lifestyle without serious emotional damage to myself or those around me XD
In other news, I'm thinking of changing Pandora's name. I definitely want to keep it Greek and meaningful, but I don't have any concrete ideas yet. Thoughts?
~Stephanie
Then I realized it's only been about 30 hours since I moved back.
I feel different, and I'm trying to act differently. Maybe I'm kidding myself, but I think I'm succeeding--so far.
My sister has become intensely sarcastic and short-tempered in my absence {no doubt filling in for me}; my dad has become even more clueless; and my mom just wants to be with me all the time.
I'm kind of afraid that it's only a matter of time before I flip out on them. I can already feel my patience wearing, their presence making me tense. I really don't want to argue with them. I really want to be helpful and mature and fun and make life nice for all of us.
Hopefully, with a lot of prayer and a healthy amount of friends and alone time, I can navigate this new summer lifestyle without serious emotional damage to myself or those around me XD
In other news, I'm thinking of changing Pandora's name. I definitely want to keep it Greek and meaningful, but I don't have any concrete ideas yet. Thoughts?
~Stephanie
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
{2013 Summer}
~ work at dance
~ go to the beach
~ fall deeper in love with God
~ read "Paradise Lost"
~ learn more German
~ get my eyebrows done for once
~ travel with Cassidy
~ see "The Great Gatsby" at midnight
~ get my body back to where I don't hate it
~ catch lightning bugs with PC
~ eat stuffed crust pizza for the first time I can remember
~ read "Nineteen Eighty-Four"
~ write something
~Stephanie
~ go to the beach
~ fall deeper in love with God
~ read "Paradise Lost"
~ learn more German
~ get my eyebrows done for once
~ travel with Cassidy
~ see "The Great Gatsby" at midnight
~ get my body back to where I don't hate it
~ catch lightning bugs with PC
~ eat stuffed crust pizza for the first time I can remember
~ read "Nineteen Eighty-Four"
~ write something
~Stephanie
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