Defiance Party!!!!!!

Hi everybody, just making sure everybody is remembering the Defiance Party next week. We should have plenty of extra seats to take girls home in after the New Years dance. Your all invited to come home with us and stay through Sunday when we can bring you back to Church. If you can't make it that way, will be happy to have you any time we can! :-)

Please reply and let me know that your remembering and can make it!

Thanks!
Lv,
Miss Pickwickian

Vivo Per Lei (I Live For Music)

Andrea Bocelli and Hayley Westenra

I saw this and cried.
Never have I seen anything so beautiful.

A Friend's Poetry...

So this is a poem a friend of mine wrote. He's a guy, so I didn't think it would be totally right for him to join our "ladies" society, but his work should be published, otherwise no one will see it.
It doesn't have a title, but it's really good!
Enjoy!
Feedback would be awesome!

When Mountains be high and seas be rough,
And oft we say, "it's just to tough!"

But, then we look, and then we see,
How much closer it seems to be.

The seas have calmed their billowing roar,
And we see the bright and beautiful shore.

With renewed energy we blunder,
Right into more lightning and thunder.

But once more we look up to the Son,
To see our labor is almost done.

Stepping through the gates we behold,
A million more travelers from days of old.

And before passing into that place,
We leave our mark on a younger race.

Next bit of No-name-story

Here's the next bit. Valete.

All I could do in my shock was huddle, staring in horror at the beast staring back at me, waiting for death. But after several horrible moments passed, the dragon hadn’t moved and I wasn’t dead. Then I sat up shakily, laughing at myself – for I now noticed that the Dragon’s back was covered with dead leaves, and his serpentine body was grey and stony. The dragon was a statue; horribly life-like and life-size, but only a stone statue!
I had fallen through the wall into a grassy courtyard, surrounded by high stone walls; and my dragon was not the only inhabitant. After brushing myself off I peered cautiously around my dragon. My eyes beheld more statues – the courtyard was filled with them! I stepped out from behind the dragon and walked by their silent figures. Most were animals, such as a leaping dog, a crouching wolf, and a magnificent horse armed for battle. There were also some strange figures my eyes could not remember ever seeing before. The only human figures were two knights, and a maiden. They looked both young and sad. I marveled; what a strange place for all these stone figures to be, and how strange to have this stone garden adjoining the graveyard and obviously secluded from intruders! No one else must have known about it, for the statues were so beautiful and life-like that someone was sure by now to have taken them away to a museum or turned the place into a tourist attraction. There was no entrance into the garden, either; it was completely surrounded by high walls (except for the new gap which I had made). I was exceedingly puzzled.
That night I lay long awake, thinking about my discoveries; and when I finally slept, the stone dragon entered my dreams.
Over the next few days I visited the graveyard and the stone garden regularly. It became my secret hide-out. I would spend all day reading, stretched out along the dragon’s back, frightened no longer of his roaring mouth. Of all the statues he was my favorite. I would make up stories about him, pretending he was mine, and how he flew me all over the hills. The other statues became my friends as well; the War Horse was the noblest of all, and the leaping dog was his trusty companion. I grew very fond of them.
But I started having very uncomfortable dreams; my dragon would actually come to life; but he was not the friend I had imagined. He would chase me till I nearly died of fright, or he would eat my other friend the War Horse. On one particular night my dream became so frantically, horribly real that it jerked me awake, and I sat up in bed, panting. It was still dark, about two in the morning.
I got up, and looked out the window. Now that I was awake, I felt restless, as though I was waiting for something I-didn’t-know-what to happen. I paced the room a little, trying to get tired enough to go back to bed. I sat down on my bed, yawning.
And as I sat down, a scream tore through the air, splitting my head with its shrillness. I leaped up in fear and covered my ears as it rose, a piercing cry of pain or despair; and I had a horrible feeling that it came from the direction of the graveyard. I rushed to the window, but I could see no one. The Scream ended with a moaning wail, and then I heard hoofbeats, galloping heavily. I cowered as they came near, but peered out trying to catch a glimpse of whatever it was – but it was too dark to see anything, even a vague form, and the hoofbeats passed away. With head nearly as bewuthered as it was filled with fear and pain from the Scream, I pounded down the stairs and out the door. But the night outside was once again as quiet and still as it had been when I had first awakened. I shivered, then went back into the house. It passed briefly through my mind that it was strange Uncle Remus hadn’t been wakened by the Scream.
I went back to bed, but my nightmare returned and this time, the Scream rose and fell throughout it.
When morning came I took my book and headed up to the graveyard as usual, but my nightmare and the strange doings of the night before had not left my mind, and I was filled with a fear and sense of foreboding as I neared the old stone wall. As I went passed the archway and glanced up at the gargoyle, it seemed to me that his expression had changed from his usual sneering grimace to a look of mourning and despair. The change disconcerted me, but I went on resolutely toward stone garden. I didn’t strike me till then that a graveyard can be a creepy place.
I ducked through the gap in the wall, and patted my dragon on the nose – and as I did so noticed that a tooth of his was missing. I stared for a moment, then assumed I must have carelessly knocked it off without noticing. But as I walked passed him into the courtyard, what I saw when I entered startled me- or rather it was what I didn’t see. The War Horse was gone. There was nothing but a light patch showing where he used to stand, and the dog that had been leaping near his side lay crumbled upon the ground.
Unknown terror filled me. Why had he gone? Who had taken him? What was wrong with this place? It suddenly seemed to be haunted with evil. The other statues stared mournfully at me, and the dragon leered in a menacing way that he had never done before. I was filled with a desire to escape, to leap through the gap in the wall that in my terror seemed to be closing in, trapping me in the dreadful courtyard of stones. I raced down the hill with fears of who-knows-what chasing me, and didn’t stop or look behind till I had rushed into the house and locked myself in my room. I looked out the window, but nothing of the graveyard could be seen from where the house was. I slid down to the floor, shuddering.
That was yesterday, and I have not gone back to the graveyard since. The memory of the Scream haunts me still; but though I am fearful, there are still many things I would know. What has become of the Horse that is no longer there, and why, and how he was taken? I wonder too about the dragon – what part did he, and will he, play in these strange happenings? It is still two months till my parents get back. Filled with fear as I am, I have a feeling that this story has only begun, and that the Statues in the graveyard have not finished with me.

Story-with-no-name-as-yet

What ho, comrades all! So, I'm writing a little story for a little writing contest, and I wanted your opinions and constructive criticism. It's actually a dream I had a while ago; I just tweaked it a little. Also, do you have any ideas for titles? I can't think of one.
Tinkerty tonk!
P.S. Oh and I forgot to mention- this is just the first part. I decided to post the story in two parts, as the whole thing might be kinda long for one post. I'll post the second part tomorrow or the next day.

Short-Story-For-Which-I-Have-No-Name-Yet
I love castles. And graveyards. They both represent the same things to me; both remnants of a by-gone age, monuments of once-living people. They both have an air of mourning, of grand quietness, of remembrance.
Initially, when I was informed that I would be staying with Uncle Remus instead of Uncle Peregrin and his children, I was disappointed. Uncle Peregrin owned a castle. But I couldn’t stay with him while my parents were away because he was on vacation in Greece. Uncle Remus was willing to let me stay with him, and since he was my only option, I had to reconcile myself to staying only in his old country house and not in a castle. However, I was told that there was an old military graveyard near his house. I agreed to let that be the compensation.
But for the first few days of my stay I had no time for exploring. My uncle was a bachelor; consequently his house was a disaster. You wouldn’t have thought he had planned on my visit, and from the way he ignored me and spent his time away from the house, I couldn’t figure out why he had agreed to let me stay with him. But his absences turned out for the best, since I spent the first four days pulling the house apart in an attempt to make it habitable. He may have been able to live in a nearly destroyed house, but I couldn’t.
The fifth morning of my stay dawned bright and sunny. Up till now it had been dull and cloudy, and I felt that I couldn’t waste a day like this cleaning. I was disappointed and fed up with the creaky old house and the creaky old uncle who was never there. I packed myself a lunch and a book, and felt ready to finally do some real exploring.
It was November, and the hills and trees about the house had looked desolate and lonely, but the sun had dried up the puddles and changed the land from winter back to autumn. The land was frosty and the trees looked mysterious without their leaves. It was the perfect atmosphere in which to find a graveyard.
I didn’t know where the graveyard was; when I had asked him, Uncle had told me vaguely that it was ‘north’. But I must have only gone a mile from the house when I saw an old moss covered stone wall peeking through the bare trees. As I drew closer the trees revealed a high arched gate, and peering through this I could see the familiar solemn gravestones. The archway was hideously ugly, with a gargoyle of death perched atop the archway, leering mischievously at me. I didn’t want to pass under the arch to get to the graveyard; I had an uncomfortable feeling that the gargoyle would know I was there if I did. I jumped over the wall.
Inside the graveyard was deadly quiet. I always say, if you want somewhere to read or study in undisturbed silence, a graveyard was the place to go; and this one was no exception. As I walked about, studying the gravestones, I felt almost as though I was wrongly disturbing the eternal quiet and the bodies resting beneath still ground. The graveyard must have been either very old, or not well-tended, for the stones were crumbling and the inscriptions were for the most part worn away. A few of the more readable ones merely stated the name and age of the body beneath it. The names were very odd, I thought. Shalamanzar, Abimalek, and Hepsiba, were some of the more legible ones; even though the gravestone said their bodies weren’t at the actual graves because they couldn’t be found. Every so often a little carving of a knight or crossed swords was engraved on a stone; but this was the only sign that the burial ground was a military one.
It wasn’t a very large graveyard, and eventually it dead-ended in a high ivy-covered wall. Now, I have a natural suspicion of ivy-covered walls; in all the books they always seem to be hiding something behind them. I pulled back the ivy - but there was no hidden door. Nothing daunted, I kicked the wall and punched it, trying to loosen the stones to see what lay behind the wall. I finally threw my whole body against the crumbling stones. I felt the wall suddenly give way, and with a rush and a crash it fell apart, carrying me with its avalanche to the other side. As the dust settled, I sat up groaning – then yelped and jumped a foot in the air. I was staring straight into the open mouth of a dragon.

High On A Mountain- Cathie Ryan

High On A Mountain
By Cathie Ryan

You can listen here.

"As I look at the valley down below
It is green just as far as I can see
As my memory returns, how my heart does yearn
For you and the days that used to be

High on a mountain living free
Thinking about the days that used to be
High on a mountain standing alone
Wondering where the years of my life have gone

I wonder if you ever think of me
Or if time's blotted out your memory
As I listen to the breeze blow gently through the trees
I'll always cherish what you meant to me

High on a mountain living free
Thinking about the days that used to be
High on a mountain standing alone
Wondering where the years of my life have gone
(2x)"

I like alot of here lyrics. I know this isn't a lot of your guy's style, but she sings with John Doyle and Tim O'Brian. I like her voice and the songs she picks....for the most part...except when their in Celtic gibberish.

Lv,
Miss Pickwickian

Some Quotes

Authors who never give you something to disagree with never give you anything to think about.
Michael LaRocca

Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.
George Bernard Shaw

The brain that doesn't feed itself, eats itself.
Gore Vidal

One of the things that draws writers to writing is that they can get things right that they got wrong in real life by writing about them.
Tobias Wolff

The difference between fiction and reality is that fiction has to make sense.
Tom Clancy

Fiction is a lie, and good fiction is the truth inside the lie.
Stephen King

A good novel tells us the truth about its hero, but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.
G. K. Chesterton

Writing fiction is a solitary occupation but not really a lonely one. The writer's head is mobbed with characters, images and language.
Hilma Wolitzer

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
Bill Cosby

Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value.
Albert Einstein

Success comes to a writer, as a rule, so gradually that it is always something of a shock to him to look back and realize the heights to which he has climbed.
P. G. Wodehouse

Lv,
Miss Pickwickian

Great Men of UK Period Drama

:)

Across the Green Mountain

You can listen to the recording of this song that was originally put in Gods and Generals here. However, if his spooky appearance is going to have negative effects on how you judge this cool song. Please listen to it here. Listen all the way to the end. Sorry its long!

Scary version.

Harmless version.

Lyrics-

I cross the Green Mountain
I sit by the stream
Heaven blazing in my head I
I dreamt a monsterous dream
Something came up
Out of the sea
Swept through the land of
The rich and the free

I look into the eyes
of my merciful friend
And then I ask myself
Is this the end?
Memories linger
Sad yet sweet
And I think of the souls in heaven who will be

Alters are burning
The flames far and wide
the fool has crossed over
from the other side
They tip their caps
from the top of the hill
You can feel them come
All brave blood do spill

Along the dim
Atlantic line
The rapper's land
lasts for miles behind
the lights coming foreward
and the streets are broad
all must yield
To the avenging God

The world is old
The world is great
Lessons of life
Can't be learned in a day
I watch and I wait
And I listen while I stand
To the music that comes
from a far better land

Close the eyes
of our Captain
Peace may he know
His long night is done
The great leader is laid low
He was ready to fall
He was quick to defend
Killed outright he was
by his own men

It's the last day's last hour
of the last happy year
I feel that the unknown
The world is so dear
Pride will vanish
And glory will rot
But virtue lives
and cannot be forgot

The bells
of evening have rung
there's blasphemy
on the end of the tongue
Let them say that I walked
in fair nature's light
And that I was loyal
to truth and to right

Serve God and be cheerful
Look upward beyond
Beyond the darkness that masks
the surprises of dawn
In the deep green grasses
and the blood stained woods
They never dreamed of surrendering
They fell where they stood

Stars fell over Alabama
And I saw each star
You're walking in dreams
Whoever you are
Chilled as the skies
Keen as the frost
And the ground's froze hard
And the morning is lost

A letter to mother
came today
Gunshot wound to the breast
is what it did say
But he'll be better soon
He's in a hospital bed
But he'll never be better
He's already dead

I'm ten miles outside the city
And I'm lifted away
In an ancient light
That is not of day
They were calm they were gloomed
We knew them all too well
We loved eachother more than
we ever dared to tell

Bob Dylan

I've never been a big fan of Bob Dylan's voice, but I love some of the lyrics to his songs. (Tim Obrian's CD "Red on Blond" is all Bob Dylan songs!) I Across the Green Mountain! Bob Dylan wrote it for Gods and Generals and he incorporated a lot of that story (especially Jackson) as well as some cool symbolism.

Anyways, just thought I'd share. I especially like the lines:

"Let them say that I walked
in fair nature's light
And that I was loyal
to truth and to right"

I believe most people would want this to be said of them.
I also like these lines...

"You can feel them come
All brave blood do spill"

And the very end...

"We knew them all too well

We loved eachother more than
we ever dared to tell"

Anyways....
Lv,
Miss Pickwickian

Peter!

I forgot! I was going to do a post about Peter!

Peter Petrelli is from the TV show "Heroes". He is one of the main characters, and is definitely the one who is always trying to help people and do the right thing. One of my favorite things about him is that even though several people treat him like dirt occasionally (namely, his jerk brother Nathan), he forgives them and doesn't hold grudges.

One of the coolest things that Peter does is that he is really nice to this one gal and saves her and stuff, and she turns out to be his niece. (Daughter of aforesaid jerk brother). I think it is really cool how he sacrifices himself to protect her, when they are obviously not romantically connected. It is cool when guys are just gentleman and are nice to girls even when they aren't in love with them...

Anyhow. Forgive all the pictures. But I really like him. He has really great brown eyes.

Sweet Words.

A friend of mine was gone, and on one morning I got an email from this friend, which said: "it's strange, even though i'm in my favorite place with friends all around me, i still manage to miss you."
You may imagine how happy that made me. Anyways, that's just a background for the reason I wrote this:

Sweet Words
by Aisha

It's like a hug in the lonely darkness,
A whisper in the silence of Sorrow.
It's like seeing the full moon through a rift in the clouds.
“I miss you” means a sweeter tomorrow.

Heroes :)

So, it's taken me a long time I know... :P But I have waaay too many heroes...

These are a few of them. :)

Peter Petrelli from Heroes. What I like about him is that he is one of the few people in this show who is ALWAYS trying to do what's best for everyone. He's caring and compassionate.

Guilford Dudley from Lady Jane... Nuff said.

My favorite hero at the moment is Anthony "Tony" Dinozzo from NCIS. At first I didn't like him, because he's a huge flirt and says things that shouldn't be said all the time. He is always goofing off at work and doesn't seem to take anything seriously. But, then you get to know him better... Underneath, he is the best agent on the team. He loves his team mates and always has their backs. He constantly puts himself in danger to save their lives and he's always the most level headed when it matters the most. When he falls in love he does absolutely everything in his power to keep her safe, but at the same time he doesn't let his feelings for her get in the way of protecting his team.

So yeah :) He's cool.

And of course there's Westley... The greatest fictional hero ever!

<3

Shay

So.......I was using an acrylic sealer on the item I made for Hadley(I would say what it is but she isn't opening it until the day of) for her birthday........and I guess the fumes got to me. :P

So once she has opened her gift, I will post a couple pics and ask for suggestions for the next time I make one.

HA! Now I have posted something Bethany! Even if it has nothing to do with literature, I would say that what I made has some art quality to it.

Toodle-oo!

You're Going to Miss This

View the video here.

This is a good reminder, especially to girls our age, I think. :-)
Lv,
Miss Pickwickian.

Happy Birthday Aisha!

Happy Birthday Aisha!

Here is our silent Happy Birthday song to you!
(You'll have to imagine our melodious voices along with it. :-)

Hope you had a great day!

We all miss you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love from all of us!

Miss Pickwickian

Here is a link to a less encouraging Happy Birthday song. ;-)

Leverage Slideshow

George Washington

Recently I've been going over the War for American Independence (Revolutionary War :-) and the Constitution and such in some history lectures.

Since we were talking about heroes I thought I'd just post some quotes up by George Washington who was an amazing hero! :-)

I wish I could have found some more descriptions from contemporary men because some of them are pretty amazing, but as it was, I only could find one by Thomas Jefferson and an Englishman. Both not completely unbiased. :-) Thomas Jefferson, being a much more liberal non-Christian type, disagreed and argued with Washington a lot, but obviously still respected him. So, I guess its sort of interesting to have some descriptions from his "enemies".

George Washington receives a lot of flack today, but if you go to his original writings and quotes, it is completely unfounded. I hate it when people try to ruin a perfectly wonderful hero! Grrr....


I found the following on a George Washington Website....

The following description of Washington was written after his death by another founding father, Thomas Jefferson.

"His mind was great and powerful ... as far as he saw, no judgment was ever sounder. It was slow in operation, being little aided by invention or imagination, but sure in conclusion ...

"Perhaps the strongest feature in his character was prudence, never acting until every circumstance, every consideration, was maturely weighed; refraining if he saw doubt, but, when once decided, going through his purpose, whatever obstacles opposed.

"His integrity was the most pure, his justice the most inflexible I have ever known ...

"He was, indeed, in every sense of the words, a wise, a good and a great man ... On the whole, his character was, in its mass, perfect ... it may truly be said, that never did nature and fortune combine more perfectly to make a man great ..."

And you can see a description of George Washington by a Englishman here. Its pretty interesting...

Here are just a few quotes I wanted to post. :-)

"I die hard but am not afraid to go."

"Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth."

"The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good."

"Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected."

"The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it."

"Nothing can be more hurtful to the service, than the neglect of discipline; for that discipline more than numbers, gives one army the superiority over the another."

"Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience."

"I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man."

"I have no other view than to promote the public good, and am unambitious of honors not founded in the approbation of my Country."

"It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without the God of the Bible."

One of his officers, Henry Lee (father of Robert E Lee), summed up contemporary public opinion of Washington: "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

Thanks for reading,
Lv,
Miss Pickwickian

Collision Movie

So, I just watched the movie Collision. It is a documentary of the totally EPIC debate between the renowned Douglas Wilson and famed anti-theist Christopher Hitchins basically over Christianity: is it valid, is it true, is it good for the world, etc. Wilson and Hitchens had previously collaborated on the book IS Christianity Good for the World? , and this time they went on a debate tour together. The movie, directed by Darren Doanes, documents this debate tour. Part of what makes it so epic is the incredible importance of the topics: They are essentially debating whether God exists and whether Christianity is true or not. The other reason why it is such an incredible movie is the effectiveness and impact with which they both defend their positions.
With my completely unbiased opinion (hee hee), who did I think did the better job of defending their arguments? I would have to say Doug Wilson did a better job, for this reason: He gave answers to all of Chris Hitchens questions that were satisfactory and that made perfect sense. Hitchens gave him difficult and challenging questions, But Doug Wilson’s arguments answered them completely. Hitchen’s arguments, on the other hand, often had wholes or unfilled gaps that did not fully satisfy.
I felt that Hitchens was severely hindered by his lack of scriptural knowledge. Half the time he based his arguments on something that the scriptures said, only to have Doug Wilson correct him by saying, No, when the scriptures say this, they actually mean this, thus your premise for this argument just fell through the roof. For example, Hitchens made the argument that since Jesus predicted to end of the world to come within his generation, and it obviously didn’t occur, Jesus and his doctrine must be invalid. Doug Wilson corrects him, stating that when Jesus predicts the darkening of the sun and the moon turning to blood, he is actually predicting the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D., which did indeed occur. Thus, Hithcens’ argument right there was shot down due to his incorrect interpretation of scripture.
I also felt that Chris Hitchens is not used to the Reformed Christian’s interpretation of the Bible. He used arguments that normally would have the average Evangelical stumped; but presented to Doug Wilson, he always got satisfactory answers. Many times Wilson would say, Yes, that is how they think; but no, that is not how I think, thus you can’t use that argument against me.
Near the end of the movie, Wilson and Hitchens debate in a pub, with the customers for an audience. They both had to face hostile questions from the audience, but it was apparent that especially Wilson was in hostile territory. I was impressed with how Doug Wilson kept his calm while under fire, and how he was still able to think clearly and effectively defend Christianity during heated debate. It struck me then that had I myself been in that situation, I would have collapsed. I think what this movie showed me was that there are people in the world who hate God, believe he does not exist, offer intelligent arguments against Him, are prepared to insult both Him and you; and most Christians are not used to it. The average Christian is not used to that kind of combat. I thought Wilson did an incredible job under these types of hostile circumstances, and it motivated me to become better equipped for defending Christianity effectively. It is an incredible movie that every Christian should watch.
P.S. I also love the part where they find out that they both love P.G. Wodehouse and are quoting him to each other, laughing hysterically. J

More Heroes

Ok, so here are some more heroes. :-)

Prince Charmont (Char)

from "Ella Enchanted"

acted by Hugh Dancy

I absolutely adore "Ella Enchanted", the book. However, the movie is kinda... bleh. If they had just stayed with the book it would have been great, but they changed it completely and it was pretty much stupid. If any of you haven't read the book, YOU MUST!!!

Prince Char looks perfect in the movie, however, he kinda acts stupid. : ( But anyway, in the book, he is a very sturdy, realistic, brave type guy. He has brown curly hair and brown eyes and freckles. :-) He slides down banisters with Ella and kills ogres and is just really awesome.

Even though this is sort of a kids' book, it is definitely on my top five (possibly top three) favorite books. It's just really great. At least I think so.

Everyone read it if you haven't! I have two copies if anyone wants to borrow it.

Prince Char proposing to Ella

Mr. Tilney

from "Northanger Abbey"

acted by JJ Field

Mr. Tilney is my favorite Jane Austen hero. His wit and understanding of muslins is far more endearing to me than all of Mr. Darcy's stoic good looks and coolness. I love him both in the book, and the movie, although the movie wasn't long enough to get in all of his awesome lines. :-) I liked how in the movie, they portrayed him as totally falling for Catherine, because in the book, it says he fell in love with her out of gratitude for her loving him or something stupid.

He doesn't do anything too sacrificial... but he is a clergyman, which takes sacrifice. I love/hate the scene pictured above, when he rebukes Catherine after her imagination has run wild and has caused her to at least mentally accuse decent people of horrible crimes. I love when heroes have the courage to do this, even at the risk of offending/hurting/making a girl hate them. (Mr. Knightley is really cool that way, too). I feel so bad for Catherine in this scene, though! She already as completely fallen for him, and if I was her I would just die!

Mr. Tilney is really humorous, which usually is on my qualifications for a good hero. It cracks me up how he is always confusing Catherine.

Well, I've got to go to bed now... so that is all for now. An extensive post all about my current favorite hero....

**drumroll**

Eliot Spencer

will be forthcoming.

Couple Heroes

Thank you to those who have done hero posts! Great job. :-)

So, I have loads of heroes...just like most of you, but I'm going to just randomly pick a couple. First, I have to agree with Polka Dot! Both of those guys are awesome and true heroes! And with Miss Rose, at least on the Mr Knightly and Tuvia Bielski. (I haven't seen "Wolverine" and I'm not planning too. :-) And with Esmeralda on Sir Gawain (not into "Spider Man" and have never seen any Star Wars).

Thanks for your guys post! Now the rest of you post too!

A lot of my heroes are historical and book heroes. Currently, Samuel Keaton is on the top five list. :-) But I don't think very many of you have read those books, so I'll try to do some heroes that are more generally known. ;-) Also Quinn! And a million Dickens characters!

So, to begin with....

Mr. Thorton is an amazing hero! He is a real, hard working middle class man. I really, really like the way they portray him as working man with lots of problems he has to juggle. He really thinks and he really has compassion for people.

He changes over the movie and risks a lot to help people.

He is also a dutiful and loving son and good brother, even to difficult ladies...

He sacrifices for and is kind to Margret even when it would be very easy to be mean and bitter. Even when he has no hope, he does the right thing and the things she would have wanted.
He is cool.

Tuvia Bielski (Defiance) is also a extremely neat hero. Mostly I enjoy this character because you see the way he changes and improves. You see his high and low points and he seems real and never tries to cover up his mistakes or puff up his accomplishments.
He is a great leader and a loyal brother.

Really like this hero.

Doug Carlin (Deja Vu) is very self-sacrificing even to people he doesn't know. He risks his life for others. He is a good leader and honest, strait forward person. He is compassionate and gentle.

Along with my other hero associations with Denzel Washington (Don Pedro and Coach Boone) I think Carlin is on the top right now. :-)

Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg is also a true hero! He risks everything to do what he believes is right for his country and future generations. He knows this will probably end up in death, but he does the right thing. And he carries himself nobly through it all.

(Probably as much as Stauffenberg, I love his assistant! He is SO amazing!)

S0...what I see is that I tend to like heroes that work hard, are loyal, compassionate, get their hands dirty, and make mistakes.

Mr. Thorton misjudges people and can be rude and bitter...but he's trying to improve and do what is good. He is capable of great compassion, but it takes hard work.

Tuvia Bielski has a bad relationship with his wife (even though he obviously still cares) and doesn't always get along with his brothers (big fistfights, etc...) and he isn't always able to lead as he should. He struggles with a lot of issues, but he eventually is trying to do what is right...And he his helping a lot of ungrateful people.

Doug Carlin has no family at all and has a bad argument with his partner, and what looks like his only acquaintance, right before his partner dies...which is pretty much Carlin's fault. He is often a little to blunt with people, but he sincerely wants to help them. He ends up risking his life to be able to go back in time, and then risk his life again single handedly trying to save the girl and a

ferry full of people.

Stauffenberg has to make some horrible decisions, especially with a wife and kids to leave behind if they fail. He obviously hasn't made all the right choices up to this point, but he's trying to be truly loyal to Germany and to his family. (Who would want their boys growing up in Hitler's Germany?) Stauffenberg and Tuvia are especially cool because he really existed.

Some more people that shouldn't go unmentioned are...Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Hans von Dohnayi, Julius, Elliot Spencer, Deacon, Guido, Sir Percy, Horatio Hornblower, William Bush, and on and on... (Side note...normally if they die, they are on my heroes list. :-)
Who has read Tale of Two Cities and loved Lucie or Darney more then Sydney or Miss Pross? It is the people who might not be perfect, but make that hard, life altering decision that they knew is right even though they have know idea where it might lead.

So relating, I believe is important. Inner struggle is always very endearing. Humility and self-sacrifice, compassion and suffering, etc... I think another very key factor is if the character is loyal friend. I noticed this the other day when we were watching "Rudy". Rudy's friend, Pete, isn't a major character in the movie but he fits all my hero requirments. And the key reason he is so lovable is that he is a very loyal friend! (This is the same with Lightwood in "Our Mutual Friend", Sam in "LOTR", Geery and Julius in "Remember the Titans", Bush and Kennedy in "Horatio Hornblower" etc...)

Another thing I find particularly necessary is determination. Never quiting. Even when it gets hard. All heroes really have to do this at some point...and the more extreme, the more endearing.

So when creating characters, what are all the factors that can make them truly heroic? I like to think about the qualities when I want to make a guy for a story. What can he do to make him real, but still be amazing?

Thanks for reading!
Lv,
Miss Pickwickian

After Polka dots and Esmerelda’s incredibly awesome posts this may look puny and insignificant, but I’m sick and not in a very deep and contemplative frame of mind

I’m also really sorry, I know I haven’t been writing on our blog for a long time… it just so happens there are a few extenuating circumstances….first of all, I spent all of last week working on two dresses, secondly I then went to Reformation night, after which I spent the night at Shay’s. When I finally arrived home from church the next day, I had a VERY bad illness of some kind (headaches, congestion, sore throat, etc.) and btw I’m still REALLY sick, so this might be slightly boring… I always write boring stuff when I’m sick. :P

Anyhow…Ok, so I happen to have over 3 million heroes, and I couldn’t possibly pick one, so instead I randomly chose 3 that I like the most at this particular moment….of course that could change within the next 15 minutes…so here ya go!



Hero: Mr. Knightly

Why do you like this hero? Because he is a true gentleman, and I am starting to notice and appreciate that quality A LOT in men

How can you relate? Um… I have no idea really… I’m not the gentlemanly type, and I happen to have a nice nose…

Does he seem realistic? Does this make him more lovable? He doesn’t seem realistic to me in the slightest, but then I’ve given up on ever meeting a guy that perfect, most of them are practically just at different levels on the loser scale.

Hero: Wolverine

Why do I like this hero? Well apart from the obvious… HE’S HUGH JACKMAN!!!!! I like him because he goes berserk when he someone he loves dies(like Sayid! J), which is really awesome… and I can’t really think of anything else at the moment, though I do know he has a lot of really cool qualities and abilities.

How can I relate? Uhh… when I angry I tend to tear people apart with these clawlike things that shoot out of my knuckles… really.

Does he seem realistic? Does this make him more lovable? No, he is totally unrealistic, as I said, guys don’t come that cool.

Ok, now best for last! :)

Hero: Sayid Jarrah

Why do I like this hero? Woah… lots of reasons… He is really loyal, he always knows what to do in a difficult or dangerous situation, he is really incredibly cool headed and brave, although he has a dark past, he is able to put it behind him and behave with true integrity, and um… I REALLY LOVE HIS BROWN EYES!!!!

How can I relate? Yes, I used to be an Iraquian torturer.

Does he seem realistic? Does this make him more lovable? No, he is not realistic, guys don’t come that cool.

What do I think is necessary in a true hero? To start with, everything Esmerelda said! :)I really appreciate loyalty to friends right now.

What makes or break a guy or gal from reaching the hero status? For me…random chance…it also depends on whether or not I am in a good mood when I am first introduced to this character.

I just realized that my alltime hero is actually Tuvia Bielski, but right now I have to go, so if you want to know more about him, read my post of Defiance, it's the best movie ever!!!!

A couple movie heroes

Well, I'm sick at home and thought I might give this hero thing a shot. I have an extremely extensive list... but I don't have that on hand right now, so I will just do whoever pops into my head.

Dr. Robert Neville

from "I Am Legend"

acted by Will Smith

This is a rather strange movie, because there is very little interaction with people until the very end. Robert Neville mainly hangs out with the zombies (they aren't actually zombies, they are humans infected with a mutated virus thing), and his German Shepherd. I am assuming all of you have either already seen this, or have decided not to see it, so I hope spoilers are all cool with you.

Robert Neville is a hero definitely in the self-sacrificial sense. When he blows himself and the zombies up at the end, he is making it possible for Anna and her young son (people

who found him and told him about the small community of un-infected people in another state) to take the cure and save the world by giving this antidote to these infected humans.

He discovers the antidote after much trial and error (which involves catching creepy super-human strength zombies, locking them in his basement, and having cages of aggressive, hairless, red-eyed rats). He saves the world in a way that is a picture of when Jesus Christ died to save the entire world.

Plus, he is Will Smith, has big cool guns, and a German Shepherd.

John McClane

from "Live Free or Die Hard"

acted by Bruce Willis

Heh heh.

We just watched this on Friday night for Benjamin's birthday. I LOVED IT! We had ClearPlay on, of course, which was helpful because muted out stuff constantly. So, it is probably a pretty bad movie without editing, but it was AMAZING with the bad stuff taken out!

Anyway. So, the hero.

I love how he isn't a genius... more like a supremely awesome brute. :-) (I tend to like those types).

He is a police detective, and is directed to go collect this geeky hacker guy for questioning. While he is at the guy's house, all these bad people start shooting them like crazy, and eventually blow up his entire apartment. Fortunately, John and Matthew (the geek) are far enough away that they don't get hurt.

The main reasons I really like this guy are: he is trying to save the world from being taken over by creepers. He never hurts innocent people while doing all these crazy things to get the bad guys. He has a daughter, who, although they have both made mistakes in the past in their relationship, are reunited at the end after the bad guys kidnap her and hold her hostage.

McClane and Matt start heading toward where they found out the evil dude is keeping her.

Matt Farrell: Do we have anything, like, resembling a plan, or anything?

John McClane: Find Lucy, kill everybody else.

Matt Farrell: I mean, more like a plan, like, a way to do that.

>Awesome<

He also has some really good lines about treating people like human beings instead of like objects.

So he is a big strong beater-upper with surprising compassion and humor. (And you guys can't accuse me of being trivial and liking this guy because of his looks... because... he doesn't have much for those. Notice: baldness).

Heroes

What ho everyone! Here is my hero thingy.

First, apologies to Miss Pickwickian for not being as active on the blog as I could have been.
Second, the slide shows are totally awesome!

Now to business.
I have a ton of heroes. Every time I meet a new one, I add them to my Hero List, which is quite large and ever-growing. What does it take for someone to qualify as a hero for me? I think a hero is firstly, someone who does something either brave or self sacrificing (or both!) to benefit or save others. Bravery is essential - who ever heard of a cowardly hero? But a hero is not someone who simply does brave things for no reason. A hero must do brave things to save and help people. People who do dangerous things are either brave or foolish. I think that if someone does a dangerous thing for no reason, he qualifies as a fool. If a person does dangerous things in order to help others, the he qualifies as a hero. But a hero is not just someone who does scary dangerous things all the time; there must be the element of self-sacrifice (which is connected to being brave for others). I believe all heroes are types of the Ultimate Hero, the Lord Christ Jesus. Christ’s heroic act (the death on the cross) was the Supreme Act of Self Sacrifice. If the people we call heroes are not putting others before themselves, are not risking themselves for others or giving something up, I think they miss the point of being a hero.
Second, a hero must be someone that we can look up to, or strive to be more like. A hero doesn’t have to be perfect; in fact, usually a hero with some conflict in his personal life makes a more interesting story; but if a person does brave things, yet is totally corrupt in every other aspect of his life, then he does not qualify as a hero. Heroes are not ONLY people who do brave things for others; they are people we can look up to and respect.

Now that you have my definition of a hero, I will run through some of my favorites, and explain why I think they qualify as heroes.

My favorite knight form the story of King Arthur is Sir Gawain. Gawain, like most of the prominent knights, is skilled in battle and is of course a very valient warrior. But what maks him a hero for me is his amazing courage in areas other than fighting and his selflessness. In the adventure of the Green knight, one of the knights must travel to the Green knight’s house and get his head cut off. Gawain immediately promises the Green knight he will come. He did this not out of a desire for glory- after all, onc ehe gets to the Green knight's house, he'll be dead! He did it because he was brave and selfless, unwilling to let other knights risk their lives. Again, in another adventure, the King must answer a riddle or else be killed by an enemy knight. They find an ugly old woman who can tell them the answer-but her price is that Gawain must marry her! Gawain does not hesitate to marry her and saves King Arthur’s life. In every adventure, Gawain is always ready to sacrifice himself for others. Gawain is also staunchly loyal to King Arthur and is with him to the end. In the words of Lady Ragnel (Gawain’s wife): “There was never a knight as noble and unselfish as you!”

One of my all time favorites is Luke Skywalker. I am a huge Star wars fan, and he is my mostest favroitist hero of all Star wars. That’s saying a lot, because there are hundreds of heroes in those movies. Why is he my favorite? He’s a very typical human being. He struggles with his shortcomings, with his desire to be a Jedi, with the people in his life. He’s not perfect. He’s someone I can relate to more than I can to, say, Gawain. And yet, Luke not only overcomes his mistakes and short comings, but he perseveres to become the greatest Jedi there ever was, to save the Galaxy from evil, and even save Darth Vader. He transorms from the impatient, irritable kid who only wants adventure, to the skilled Jedi who saves the world; the very picture of bravery and selflessness.

Okay, one more. My favorite super hero is Spiderman. It’s not just because his ability to spin webs is cool (it is cool, though). What I appreciate about Peter Parker is his humility. He always has a humble attitude about his abilities and is never in it for his own glory. I also think it is incredibly selfless of him to forgo the normal life he could have had in order to save people. Peter has his struggles and temptations, but he always does what’s right in the end. I know that sounds so cliché, but it’s true. Out of all the super heroes I’ve seen, Spiderman seems to me to be the bravest and noblest of the all. (Note: I am going by what I saw in the movies. I've never read the comics, hypocrite that I am.)

I could go on and on about my other favorite heroes. Maybe some other time. Tinkerty Tonk for now!