This Thanksgiving break was one of my favorite holidays ever. After getting stuffed on turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pie on Thursday, I had a great weekend. With a Thanksgiving dinner, with 15 people it was hectic in the house, but everyone got to eat. It was a great meal, and we had a lot to look foreward to, shopping on Friday. This Thanksgiving was the first time that I have ever gone shopping on black Friday. I didn't get up at 2:30 in the morning like some people, but I did get up at 4:00. We went to Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, and Shopko. There were some really great sales, and really long lines. Not just to get in the stores, but to check out too. At Shopko, we stood in line for 45 minutes just to check out. The line went all the way around the store! I don't think that I will be shopping on the day after Thanksgiving again.

On Saturday my family and I were going to see Wicked, the musical. We spent half the day walking around The Mall of America, looking at all the cool stores. The we took the light train to the theatre. That was a really cool experience, because I have never been on a light train before. The play itself was really good, just as good as when I saw it in New York. I found myself singing along with all of the songs. In New York, we went to a workshop and learned the moves to one of the dances. As I watched the play, I thought, " That dance is way more difficult, than they make it look." I know that they're professionals, but those dances are still difficult. I can't wait to go and see it again one day. I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving

This week we are celabrating a holiday dedicated to giving thanks. Many people will be traveling to share this time with family, and some will be at home hosting dinner. One thing we all have in common, is whether we acknowledge it or not, we all have something to be thankful for. Some people are bursting with thankfulness, and some are not. Yet, most everyone celebrates this day for giving thanks.
This Thanksgiving I am going to my Aunt and Uncle's house for dinner. It is going to be a lot of fun. We're going to have Wii bowling tournaments, and a lot of different games. But, at the end of the day, we're still going to be thankful, thankful for the time that we got to spend together.
Then on Friday we are going shopping, on Black Friday. What are we thinkging? The after Thanksgiving sales are crazy, and this will be my first time shopping them. I used to think that it would be a lot of fun, but the past few years a lot of people have gotten hurt, so now I'm not so sure. It will be very interesting. On Saturday I am going to the Off Broadway musical, Wicked. This will be the second time that I have seen this musical. I'm excited to compare the Off Broadway, and Broadway musicals. I'm sure they're not too different, but I'm still really excited, and my mom and sister have a chance to see it too. I think I'm more excited for them than I am for me.
This Thanksgiving I have a lot to be thankful for. Like the fact that I am able to go to college, in order to get a better education. And that I have a roof over my head and food in my belly, and a family who cares about me. It is at this time of year that all the food drives are starting up. So that people less fortunate than me can have a good Thanksgiving meal. I am thankful for the opportunity to help them, because someday I might be one of those people. You can never tell what will happen in the future, but it wouldn't hurt to start planning today. I hope that everybody has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving Day!

New York

This past March I was able to go to New York with my high school band and choir. We fund raised for three years and were finally able to go on this trip. We left on a Monday after school, then the next day after 18 hours on a cramped bus, we were finally there. We were able to visit the Rockerfeller center, Madison Square Gardens, Ground Zero, Midevel Times, Wicked, The Blue Man Group, and the Statue of Libery and Ellis Island.

The Rockerfeller Center was really cool. We got the grand tour, and even learned how the stages worked. We got to see what it was like to have enough money for a balcony seat, equipped with a kitchenette. ANd while we were there Aretha Franklin was supposed to be there practicing! How cool! When we got to the bathrooms, most of us were taking pictures instead. The bathroom there is huge. It had a sitting room, a make-up room, a bathroom, and a washroom. My whole house could have fit inside this bathroom. It was also very intricat, with painting on the walls of women throughout the ages. We even got to interview and take pictures with a Rockette!

When we went to Ground Zero, it was a very special experience. There is an area where you can see into Ground Zero, but you don't really see much. My friends and I went into the World Financial Building across the street. We were able to go up to the second floor and see into Ground Zero. Even though I didn't know anyone personally who was lost on 9/11 it was still very emotional. We were all crying by the time we left 20 minutes later.

We went to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island by boat, I suppose the only way you can get there. Seeing the Statue of Liberty in person was so cool. In the movies the Statue always looks a lot smaller than it actually is. Then we went to Ellis Island. There are so many artifacts from when it was still open. It is fascinating to learn what happened to all of those people, it is sad too when you think about it. All of the tests these people were put through when they got to America, how horrible it must have been to arrive here and then have to hop on another ship and go back. But, the people who passed inspection had to go through a lot in order to stay. There were so many rooms, filled with facts, and beds, wheelchairs, eating utensils, and other things that these people used so many years ago.

Midevel Times was a lot of fun. Even though it smelled really bad

because of all of the horses, it was still a lot of fun. We got to watch a really funny and somewhat serious show. We had to cheer for "our" knight. And we had to eat with our hands. We got soup, half a chicken, and a dessert. By the end of dinner, I was very glad that I didn't have to eat with my hands all the time. Here is the Prince and Princess, along with the fanfare trumpeters. Those guys were awsome, I can't play like that when I play my trumpet.

The part of the trip that I liked the most was going to Wicked, we even got to go to a special workshop and learn some of the dances that they do in the musical. I'd heard a lot of people talking about Wicked, but never really looked into it. I found it very enjoyable. It was a lot of fun and, a great experience. I could watch Wicked over and over and still enjoy it. My whole trip was a lot of fun and I would go back anytime. But, I would never live there, way too much traffic and noise for me. But I had a good time.

Snow

Snow is angelic, snow is a delight.

Especially when falling all day and all night.

It fills the ground, it fills the sky.

Children love it, but why?

Children play, and children show,

all the delight they find in snow.

Today the snow started falling at about 10:30. I really love to watch the snow fall, because it is so peaceful. A lot of adults that I know don't like snow that much. Mostly because of the driving conditions when it's around. Even though I have never driven in the winter, and I don't think that it will be fun, I am still happy that the snow is starting to arrive. Soon, all over the area we will begin to see children bundled up, with only their eyes showing, to go out and play in the snow. A child sees many delightful ways the snow can entertain.


Snowmen and women will be constructed in many front and back yards. As you go past school playgrounds, you will see large snowballs, lined up to make the biggest fort. You'll see snow angels dotting the ground. All of these show how much children love snow, even though they'll come in with runny noses, and cold hands. Only to expect a cup of hot cocoa or hot apple cider. That is what I look forward to most as a kid, the hot chocolate!
I hope that everyone has fun in the snow, but is also safe and mostly warm.

Winter

The leaves have fallen off the trees, and are laying on the sidewalks and roads. This seems almost impossible knowing that just a week or two ago they were just starting to fall. The weather is starting to grow colder and colder, and soon we will be hobbling around bundled up against the snow and the cold. I love winter, but sometimes it can be a big downer.
The reason I love winter is because you can go out into the snow, and almost forget the business of the world around you. When I go outside to play with my sister, I end up making snow angels. After a few minutes, I am just laying there. Listening to everything around me. It sounds so peaceful, I almost wish I could just stay there forever. Too bad I can't, otherwise I'll freeze.
There are some unpleasant things about winter too. The most unpleasant is the shoveling. All that back-breaking work. When you don't have a snow-blower you have to rely on your shovel, and that can take forever. Another unpleasant aspect is the driving in it. I have only had my driver's license since August, so this will be my first winter driving with the snow. I am a little nervous about all the way to LaCrosse from Sparta, but I will learn to live with it and learn to drive more carefully. Even though these are unpleasant, I still really like winter, and am excited to see it come.

Halloween

Tomorrow is Halloween. One of the most fun days of the year, where you get to dress up, act like a little kid again, and just have fun. I have been trick-or-treating ever since I was a little kid. Even though I am 18 years old, I still have fun going out on Halloween and getting candy. My best excuse for being able to do this is my 9 year old sister. If I didn't have her, I probably wouldn't be going out tomorrow night.
Every year since my sister was born I have been trick-or-treating with her. I have had some very interesting costumes. I have been a gypsy, a spider witch, a pink leopard witch, a hobo, a little old lady, and clown. The most fun costume is either the hobo or the little old lady. When I dressed as a hobo, I got to have coffee grounds on my face, and I rubbed dirt all over my clothes-to make it look realistic. Last year I went as a little old lady, and I looked like an old lady. I saw one of my friends, so I took my sister's hand and ran up to her. She thought I was a little old lady, and running was something she did not expect me to do. It was really funny to fool her.
This year I am dressing up 80's style, and my sister is going as a scarecrow. I think that it will be very fun. I always love going trick-or-treating, so I will make it be a good time. And, I will get a lot of candy-except most of it will probably get thrown out due to sitting around after I've had my fill. I can't wait, and hope you're all safe this Halloween.

Changes

As I drove home from school today, I noticed many different things. One of the first things I noticed, was that it looked cold outside. Not to mention that it really was cold outside. Even though it feels like autumn just arrived, it feels like it's leaving just as quickly. It seems like we will be hearing more and more of that dreaded s word, yes, snow.

Another thing I noticed was that most of the crops are being harvested, but some are not. As I drove, I saw that one farmer picked his corn, but the next did not. In my head I was wondering why aren't all the fields being cultivated? There must be a reason, but I don't know what it is. My parents say that the corn has to be dry before being picked. But why aren't all the fields in one area cultivated. This was just a thought that came across my mind.

The third thing I noticed on my way home, was that it is no fun driving to and from anyplace alone. Since the first day of school I have been driving to TC from Sparta everyday. At first it was kind of fun because I've never driven anywhere that far away, by myself. Now it just gets really boring. Most days I don't recall very many facts about my way to or from school. There was an exception this morning though. Not even half a mile down the road this morning I thought I saw a cat crossing the road. As I stopped and waited for it to cross the road I saw that it was not in fact a cat, but it was an opossum. I have only seen an opossom one other time, so it was really cool. As I waited, this little creature meandered across the road not even seeming to notice me. It really made my day, and maybe I'll start looking for things like this on my daily drive to TC.