Sprig's Journey: The Tale of Noses by Hogan Stevens

The title of this article just so happens to also be the title of a (quite strange) story my best friend and I wrote some time ago. It's one of the weirdest, most stupid stories ever.

You see, whenever she and I have sleepovers we tend to...get rather, uh, crazy. Which is strange, since we are both normally very introverted and quiet. But it seems that as soon as night falls we become the exact opposite of our usual selves, staying up till the wee hours of morning making up stories and giggling like mad.

The story I have mentioned took nearly an hour to come up with, and it was insanely fun to make up. We both took turns narrating the story aloud, starting off where the other would stop, and eventually we finished with a six page tale that involved dragons, monsters, a man named Sprigs, and noses. Lots of noses. I think we may have been slightly under the influence of sugar by then, because at the time we were having a blast thinking of new circumstances to put our hero in...but now that I reread the story, I have to admit that it is sort of embarrassing.

"Once upon a time, there was a prince who lived in a castle. He was a lonely prince, though, because his princess had been stolen away from him by a dragon because he--the dragon, that is--thought that she had the most beautiful nose in the world. The dragon kept the princess because he wanted to use her nose as a model for his nose-shaped castle."

Ah, yes. As I said, my friend Chandler and I can get very creative. And most of the things we come up with after midnight are just plain silly. But that's what sleepovers are supposed to be, right? Silly! You're supposed to be able to enjoy yourselves without worrying about being thought of as weird or having to think about what's going on at school or in your life. At a slumber party, it is just you and your friends having fun and being silly.

Have you ever made up stories like Chandler and me? Trust me, if you have not, you really should try it sometime. It definitely is fun. Just think of an opening line (i.e. "There was once a girl named Lisa who lived by the sea") and then take off from there. With Chandler and me, we always try to make it as silly and unbelievable as possible.

In Sprig's Tale, the story ends up focusing on the princess's lost son, Sprigs, who was so named because of the sprigs of shininess he had in his long, luxorious hair. He goes on an adventure, aided by a kindly Snot Monster, to save his mother from the dragon.

You may just end up with some strange story much like this one, and you will definitely have a lot of fun creating it. Don't worry, though; you don't necessarily have to share the story with anyone besides your friends. I know I'm terribly embarrassed now that I've got the Snot Monster creation out in the open. ;)

Did you know that Hogan loves to sketch and draw?!

The Creepy Spider: A True Story by Hogan Stevens

If you know me very well, you know that I am terrified of spiders.

Terrified.

When I was little, we lived in a big house out in the country that was frequently invaded by the most dreaded spider of all. I'm talking about the Grandaddy Long-Legs, that terror inspiring creature with the long, spindly legs that surely make it the most horrific spider known to man. At least, it was the most scariest spider the six-year-old me knew.

I remember how I would make sure to have one of my parents or my sister check the bathroom for spiders every time before I even thought about going in, because I had had far too many incidents where a spider presented itself to me after I shut the door. It wasn't unusual for a shrill scream to break the peace of our household on account of me encountering one of those eight-legged devils.

Well, unfortunately for me (and my family), this fear has stayed with me over the years. I am not sure what it is exactly, but something about the way spiders look and move just creeps me out something terrible. And yes, I hate to admit it, but I still shriek when I see one and I have to yell for the nearest person to come kill whatever monster I encounter. Usually, they're hardly the size of the eraser on a pencil, but even the smallest of spiders cannot escape my notice.

Thankfully, where we live now is nearly devoid of any arachnid life. We've been here about four years now, and I have only had a handful of terrifying experiences regarding spiders (snakes, on the other hand...that's another story).

But then there was the day my mother was out of town, my father was at work, and I was alone in the house.

The day started like any other. It was in the summer, so I had been spending my liesure time either reading or writing, and when it came around noontime I figured I had best get something to eat. I sidled into the kitchen, idly wondering if we had any good soup left, when I saw IT.

A spider, black and furry, was on the blinds of the window above the kitchen sink. I froze in midstep, my eyes widening as I watched it scuttle about, seemingly unaware of my silent horror. After a moment, I managed to shake myself from my shock and I hurried over to the cabinet, where I quickly procured the first weapons I could find: A plastic cup and a paper towel.

I then proceeded to stand in the middle of the kitchen and watch in terror as the spider crawled from the window onto the countertop.

This went on for a good five minutes; I stood stock still, holding my flimsy weapons with a death grip, and the spider, unfazed, continued to navigate its way around the kitchen countertop.

Finally, I could stand it no longer. I called my dad.

"Hello?"

"Dad! There's a spider in the kitchen and I have no idea what to do!"

He must be used to these sort of things by now. Calmly, he instructed me to find either a newspaper of some sort or a broom--whatever I could get my hands on--and smack the living daylights out of it. Sound advice.

I quickly spotted a magazine on top of a nearby table, so I snatched it up and rolled it into a tube. After assuring my dad I would win this battle or die trying, I hung up the phone and once again focused on the furry offender, which was still in sight.

I steadied myself. I can do this, I thought. It's just a spider, Hogan. It's probably more scared of you than you are of it.

As I took a deep breath and clutched the magazine tighter, I highly doubted it.

Gathering my courage, I went into Fearless Magazine Wielder Mode. The spider seemed to finally take notice of my existence as I started running after it and screeching unintellibly when I got too close to it. And like all crafty, creepy spiders it was good at hiding from my magazine of doom. It was quite adept at scurrying beneath things just as I would sweep my weapon over the counter. In my quest to kill the beast, I ended up accidentally upending the toothpick holder (sending toothpicks flying everywhere), knocking over the soap dispenser at the sink, and whacking a bag of noodles off the counter.

Swiftly running out of places to hide, the black creature ended up scooting underneath my mother's knife block. Having gained some courage during my little smacking frenzy, I pushed the block to the side---and was a little surprised to see my opponent curled into a fetal position. Obviously, it had come to realize that its end was near.

Holding the now hopelessly crumpled magazine in my left hand, I deftly smacked the spider, retrieved the trash can, and triumphantly swept it off the counter. I had done it. I, a girl that has been scared of spiders all her life, managed to get rid of one all by myself.

Needless to say, the magazine also had to be tossed. It was too scarred from the battle to survive another. And I think I would still rather not have to face any more creepy spiders by myself. One is enough.

Did you know that Hogan is very accident prone?!
Did you know that Lauren loves making cards?!

Photograph property of Lilies Among Thorns Magazine. Photograph taken by Lauren Jaji.

Games, Coloring and More: Ideas for Your Next Group Gathering~ Rachel Melillo

It's winter! And while winter can be fun for a while, I certainly realize that frigid temperatures, mushy snow, and gray clouds can get old pretty fast. My friends and I have had a lot of free time this January and since going outside isn't really a fun option—when it's not snowing, it's raining or the wind is so bitterly cold! Here are some ideas for you and your friends to have a good time—without the risk of hypothermia or frostbite.

First of all, games! Seriously, my three best friends and I have made some awesome memories playing cards. Our favorite game is Egyptian Ratscrew (also known as Faces to some). Google some good card games and teach you and your friends. It may take a couple tries to get the hang of it, but press on, cards are easily transported and there are plenty of games that vary in length. Of course, too much of one thing is always a possibility, but there's always other games like Apples to Apples, Scrabble Slam (only about five dollars at Walmart!), Operation, Pictionary, Imaginiff, and so many others! If board games isn't the thing for you and your friends, perhaps one of you has a pool table or a ping-pong table. These can be great time takers. Have tournaments and experiment with fun ways to play these games!

Coloring is always a good standby. Perhaps some people think that coloring is for little kids, but not my friends and I! We love our coloring books filled with Disney princesses, Harry Potter images, animals, and Mickey Mouse. It doesn't take talent to color in a coloring book; no contests necessary to have a fun time. Afterwards, do something with the pictures! What good are colorful pictures if they're kept inside a book? Put some on a fridge, stick them in your locker, hang them on your wall—always a reminder of the fun times you've had with your friends!

Maybe the simple stuff isn't what you're in the mood for? Well, we're all girls here...pull out those manicure and pedicure sets and let your nails have a treat! Who cares if it's winter and you're always wearing shoes. We all know that pretty nails and feet make us feel better about ourselves! Have your friends over for a night of pampering and girl talk. Burn a couple mix CDs filled with positive uplifting music that you can put on in the background while you have a great time with your friends.

Take these ideas, grab some buddies, and have a great time! If you've got any great memories, feel free to share them by commenting below!

Did you know that Rachel has only remember dreams about 20 times in her life?!

Fall Favorites~ Lea Sadler

What first comes to mind when you think about crunchy leaves, crisp air, fiery colors, and a feast of delicious food with your family? Fall! Personally, I love Fall; it's my favorite season. I asked around and got what everyone's favorite thing about Autumn is:

· The changing colors

· I love how all the trees turn red and orange. And after that, I love how all the leaves scatter on the ground and blow in the wind.

· Pumpkin pie

· I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but I know a lot of people do.

· Scarves

· Scarves are so cute, and fall is the perfect time to wear them to keep warm in the chilly air.

· Football

· Football season starts! Time to start following your favorite team and getting ready for the superbowl! Go Seahawks!!

· The switch from warm temperatures to cold

· The subtle temperature change is pleasant for anyone who appreciates a little cooler weather.

· The rain

· I love the fresh smell of the earth after the rain hits.

· The smell

· The person who submitted this fall favorite loves candles, and she loves lighting apple and cinnamon scented ones the most in this beautiful season.

· The foggy mornings

· Ever play hide and seek in the fog? 'nough said!

I guess there's always something to look forward to in each season, but for me, fall is the season that most makes me feel at home. So, what are you excited for this season?

Did you know that Lea still loves Disney movies, VeggieTales and Scooby-Doo?!

Let's Do Something Daring!~ Hogan Stevens

But not too daring, okay? Just a wee bit daring.

The title says it all.

If you're like me, you've grown a bit bored of the usual daily schedule: school, work, homework, sleep, repeat. Doesn't sound too fun when put that way, does it? Well, how about we change that boring schedule up a bit??

Do something classic...

like playing a board game with your friends! I don't know about you, but I never really played games when I was younger. I'm the youngest in my family, and none of my siblings ever really wanted to play Scrabble or cards, but now that I have some friends I'm learning to enjoy board games and card games.

One of my favorite card games is called Spoons. We play this a lot, and most of the time it gets pretty intense (in a good way). There's a reason the game isn't called Knives, by the way. Here's a link to instructions on how to play, since I'm not that great at explaining it: http://www.ehow.com/how_4608089_play-spoons-card-game.html

Apart from card games, we also like to occasionally try out some board games. Scrabble is pretty fun...especially if you're like us and try to make up words for more points. And just the other day, we played a board game version of Wheel of Fortune, which was pretty fun, too. If you play that, make sure you have one guy pretend to be Vanna White while you all guess the letters. Well, you don't have to have a Vanna, but it just makes it funny. No? Just me?

Do something new...

like take a walk downtown to explore the different shops and parks with some friends. Go window shopping! Go to a clothing store and dress up in the funniest outfits you can find! Make sure to bring your camera so you can get proof of how crazy--I mean, of how much fun you're having.

Yes, my friends and I also do this. Quite often, actually. There was this one time we picked out the most ridiculous outfits we could find for each other to try on, and then we spent nearly an hour posing and laughing for the camera and making faces in the mirrors of the dressing room.

Do something daring...

like going to a fair or amusement park. There are a lot of state fairs going on right about now, and they're usually a great way to spend you're weekend.

This year, I didn't get to go to the state fair, but I did go to an amusement park with 7 of my friends, and we had a blast. We rode all the scary rides (I screamed on all of them, everyone else laughed), took pictures with a huge tiger statue...and rode the Carosel like the mature near-adults we are. Okay, so maybe I should just confess that we're all crazy. There, I said it. But it makes it all that much more fun.

Whatever you choose to do, if you're hanging with your friends I'm sure you'll have a blast. Because that's what really makes it fun: The people you're closest to. So, get out there and have fun, girls! Just make sure not to get too daring, alright? Personally, I draw the line at riding three roller coasters in one day that go upside down.

Did you know that today is Hogan's birthday?!?! Wish her a happy birthday!!!!!

Silly Willie!~ A Fun Article by Emily Ciszewski

“Please, smile for the camera!” If someone suddenly surprised you with this little command would you smile immediately, or frown in a distrustful attitude?
I am here to encourage you - smile!
Often we Christians play serious, too often we’re party poopers - aren’t we? Okay - if the house is about to go up in flames do to a bag of marshmallows sitting on the stove while your pasta was cooking, your friend has just joined the army at age 15, or your mom is dying her hair purple - I would understand your serious or shall we say chaotic attitude! But since those things rarely happen I encourage a smile, a laugh, a tear or two at a lame joke.
I happen to be a very serious person.
Seriously.
It happens to be a very common trait in the oldest sibling of large families.
I’m not joking.
Anyways, my mom, who is the youngest in her family of five - is a very silly person.
I am so serious!
She is the mom who loves um…shall we say….fart machines….duck whistles….driving around a parking lot blasting Christian rap music while rocking to the beat…. (we don’t normally listen to rap ) ……waking me up with a spray of water…..all that normal mom stuff….yeah.

 

 

Mom is awesome.
Seriously.
But I am the opposite.
I don’t find farts, (eww!) dancing in front of the public, and making a nut out of myself.
Sorry.
Mom is usually the one to try and make me laugh.
Now, don’t take me wrong - I’m not your average Scrooge or anything, it just takes a little more than a practical joke to get me laughing…..okay! Maybe I am a Scrooge!

 

 

But I want to be a happy little camper, but….but…but….oh! Fine! I’m just too shy!
And yet, here I am encouraging you to smile and laugh at your cousins knock - knock joke! And do it seriously too!

There are a lot of things to laugh about these days! Take my mom, a silly aunt, the red zit on your forehead! I think we serious ones need a laugh! We need a challenge - and here it is - laugh 10 times a day! Here are some ideas to make you laugh;

1. Buy your dad a duck whistle,
2. Laugh at every single little kid knock-knock joke this new year,
3. Go to the dollar store with your girlfriends - or better yet - the mall in red clown wigs and green nail polish and poke around in the soap department,
4. Dance in the rain with your siblings,
5. Have a pie eating contest - no hands!
6. Write a limerick and share it with your best friend over Grape Crush and an ice-cream,
7. Hopscotch in the snow with one foot and your arms in your coat,
8. Go for a picnic with ice foods - popsicles, frozen grapes and anything else you think of in this winter with your friends in the school yard or at the park,
9. Ask random people at a home game if they know where your flea went
10. Start laughing during a quiet moment - other will join and it’s likely they won’t stop!

So, you have some ideas now - start laughing!

Now, on a serious note, be careful when you ask people about your pet flea - people might not be able to look at you straight! 
 

Sketching Faces~ A Fun Craft Article by Hogan Stevens

(Apologies for the blurriness of the picture. LAT has been having some technical difficulties)



When I was told to write a fun article for January, I seriously could think of nothing. Nothing. And that’s weird for me, because I can usually come up with something to write about after a day or so. So I kept asking myself, “What fun things do girls do that I can write about?” And I just could not figure it out. You see, I don’t think I am what is considered a “normal” teenage girl. I hate to shop, and my idea of a fun afternoon with my best friend is reading a book…or talking about books. So I instead asked myself, “How do I have fun? Maybe I can inspire one of our readers to try something new!”

  Here lately it seems I’ve caught the drawing bug. Of course, I’ve always loved to draw all sorts of things, even when I was really young, but lately I’ve grown to love sketching portraits. I really only discovered this talent a couple of months ago, I would like to share it with you. All it takes is a blank piece of paper, a sharp pencil and your imagination!

  I usually use an actual picture for reference when drawing a person. Just follow the details of the picture with your eyes as you draw, paying attention to the shape of the face, eyes, and mouth. Sketch lightly at first, that way you can erase any mistakes (I do lots of erasing the first few minutes).

  When filling in each area of the face, make sure you pay attention to each detail, like just where the eyebrows lay on the forehead or how high the lips are from the chin. These things really help bring out the characteristics of your subject.

  The hair and eyes are usually what I save for the last, since they are probably the most difficult to sketch. I also like to make them as lifelike as possible. With the hair, make quick, decisive strokes--all in the same direction--and be sure to make them all even looking. Don’t want spotted hair, now do we?

  I always pay special attention to the eyes, since they are what give the subject that small spark of life. Each person has a unique shape to their eye, and every eye has a different layer of coloring that is not all that hard to capture. Don’t forget to make the pupils the darkest part of the eye, and you can also add a small catch light right next to the pupil just to add that extra bit of sparkle to the eye. Take your time.

  Of course, you don’t have to be the best artist to do this! It takes loads of practice to get it all right, but I think you will really enjoy it. I know I sure do. I’ve spent hours just sketching out my friends and family, and it really is a joy to see their reactions when I show them a hand-drawn portrait of themselves. They really seem to appreciate it…even when I don’t get their nose just right or forget to add just enough freckles. I can hardly wait to give my parents and my best friend the pictures I’ve drawn of them for Christmas!

  And…if it turns out you just can’t seem to get down a good technique at making your drawings 100% lifelike, just put them off as caricature! No one will know the difference. Hopefully.

Voting. Wait, Huh???~ A Fun Article by Abby Massung

 

  This year will be my very first year as an eligible voter, and there are important issues to consider - just don’t ask me what, ok? I know I’m supposed to be helping pick a governor. I even know something about two of the candidates! One’s an ex-marine and the other is “One Tough Nerd.” Aren’t you proud of my awesome skills of observation and being aware of the things going on around me?

  Ok, so maybe I don’t really know much, but who cares, right? I mean, my one little vote doesn’t have any chance of being the final vote that decides whether or not it should be allowed to shoot those pesky Mourning Doves that we have millions of in our backyard pooping all over everything and being bird feeder thugs. Chances are it won’t matter who I vote for because they probably won’t win anyway. So why even bother going through all the trouble of trying to decide which candidate I want to support? Mickey Mouse really sounds like he’d make an amazing governor right about now…

  Of course, if everyone didn’t bother, then where’d we be? Chaos I tell you, utter and total chaos! Any Jane or Joe could make whatever laws or plans they wanted and we’d have no say in the matter! After all, we thought it was just a huge waste of time, why should what we think or want suddenly matter? Before we know it they’d start doing all sorts of crazy things like wearing crowns, carrying around a shiny walking stick thingy, and demanding we kneel before them!

 Ok, so that probably isn’t going to happen. Still, think for a sec why don’t you? What would happen if we all just voted for whoever or, worse yet, didn’t bother to vote at all? What if we didn’t pay any attention to what was going on in our own nation, much less the rest of the world? Our country is making plenty of changes all the time and it's important we try to keep up with those changes.

  Voting is one of the few areas in which we’re treated as equals to our parents and other adults their age. It doesn’t matter if the voter is eighteen or eighty-one, we get an equal voice through voting. Therefore, we ought to make that equality count for something, don‘t you think? We should make wise, informed choices when we vote, whether this year, or in the years to come.

  So, with that in mind, and without any further ado…who’s with me on voting Mickey Mouse for Michigan ’s governor?

 

...You know I’m kidding...right?

The Start of School... Oh How I Love It!~ A Fun Article by Rachel Melillo

Yes, I realize school started in September, and now that it’s October, it’s getting really old and you’re ready for Christmas break already.  I’m a senior in high school, and here are some of the most exciting things that happen to me in the first two months of almost every school year. 

The first thing that usually happens in our school is the fire alarms.  Aren’t they fun?  If it’s a fire drill, you get out of class for about fifteen minutes and by then your teacher might have forgotten that you were supposed to have a quiz that day.  However, if the fire alarm was pulled, then you get out of class for somewhere between twenty to thirty minutes. This year, our first fire alarm was a drill and we got out of class for about fifteen minutes, but it was enough so that my creative writing teacher forgot that I hadn’t shared a piece of writing, so I didn’t have to!  The second fire alarm wasn’t funny until I learned that it had been pulled by a child in the preschool department of our school.  Fantastic, the hoodlums of the high school are teaching four year olds to pull fire alarms….we have high hopes for the future generation.

The second thing is the bomb threats, although the more interesting and memorable ones don’t usually happen at the beginning of school.  Some of you may not realize how appealing the thought of a bomb threat really is under the right conditions.  If it’s real, yes it can be scary.  The first time, it can be a bit nerve racking, but once you realize it’s just a student pulling a prank, you begin to laugh them off and use the spare time to either catch up on homework you never finished, homework you want to finish so that you have less that evening, or talk to your friends.  Bomb threats are better for the innocent students than the fire drills because you get out for a longer amount of time. I have had some fantastic bomb threats and some awful ones.  For example, two years ago, spring of my sophomore year, we had a bomb threat on an absolutely gorgeous day.  It was seventy degrees at nine thirty in the morning and sunny with a couple of scattered clouds for convenient shade.  We sat out in the parking lot talking with friends and playing games while the police and fire department spent two hours scanning the entire school for a bomb.  However, one of the worst bomb threats was last year.  It was freezing cold, about ten degrees with a light snow.  I would have been more than happy to get out of honors pre-calculus any other day but that one, but that day we had a free day to do our homework.  In addition, we didn’t have time to get our coats from our lockers, so we’re freezing cold. 

Next, there are the fights.  This year, I was coming out of my second class and while I was rushing to the bathroom before third period started, these two girls are pulling each other around the hallway and end up on the floor slapping one another and seeing how much hair one person can manage to remove from the other girl’s head.  I’ve never understood what could possibly be so important that you had to get into a hair pulling fight over it… oh well.

Now, I am definitely not advising anyone to do anything like this.  These three things are the top three things on how to get yourself suspended, expelled, or even arrested.  So do not attempt these things under any circumstances.  However, if they happen to occur, enjoy a good bit of drama and laugh it off later with friends. 

Take the Time to Enjoy Fall~ A Fun Article by Hogan Stevens

Well, the fall season is quickly approaching. Soon the leaves will be changing color and the days will start getting cooler, marking the end of the fun summer. Gone are the days of swimming pools and ice cream, beaches and tanning…but wait, who said that summer is the only time to have fun? You can have just as much fun enjoying the fall weather as you did summer--maybe even more so.

Fall is my all-time favorite season. I love watching the trees as they slowly change from green to soft yellows, bright oranges, and fiery reds. I even love how the weather turns just cold enough for a light jacket! This year I am going to do everything I can to enjoy the last of the nice weather before winter rolls around. And I hope you’ll join me.

There are so many things to do during fall. You can get lost with your friends in a seemingly endless corn maze, ride your bike through a multicolored leaf-strewn street, go to a pumpkin patch…Have you noticed yet that all of the activities I’ve named require going outside? Well, how else could you enjoy the lovely weather? And I really don’t think glancing out of the window while you check your email counts.

Last year, my whole home school group had a cook out around this time of the year, and it was a blast. We played laser tag in the trees, roasted hotdogs on an open fire, and rode in horse-drawn carriages. The whole thing lasted a few hours, but it was fun to be doing something different for a change. Even when it grew dark and it got pretty cold, we all had a great time, coveralls and everything!

I’m not saying you have to spend hours outside having a cook out, or that you have to get together with a large group of people. Just do something to witness God’s magnificence in the nature.

You can go to a park to just take a seat and observe the beauty around you. I actually did this a few days ago with some of my home school buddies. We simply enjoyed being outside. Some people chose to find a seat somewhere and just talk, and others (namely, the boys) chose to play some games together. There’s something about fall that gives you a sense of peace and freedom, whatever you do.

Even if you cannot actually experience the fall weather where you live, you can still enjoy the season by heading to a pumpkin patch to grab a few pumpkins or by spending an afternoon at a fall festival. Festivals are a great place to gather with some friends while enjoying fun games and yummy foods. Treat yourself!

Of course, there are lots of fun things to do inside, too. Grab a friend or two and make some delicious food that reminds you of fall: cinnamon rolls, apple cider, pumpkin bread…Baking is a great way to bond with mom and friends and to fill your house with the unmistakably warm smell of fall. Maybe try something new by finding some recipes that you’ve never tried before. You might just discover a new favorite food!

I would love to be able to take a hike or walk down a path surrounded by trees, but where I come from, mountains and lots of trees are hard to come by. Even so, I make the best of what I have by simply enjoying the time I spend with my friends and family, whether it be going outside or baking goodies.

Hopefully, I’ve inspired you to take the time to appreciate the coming fall weather. If I have and you are planning on enjoying a day of outside fun, remember one thing: Watch out for those annoying mosquitoes! Every single time I go outside, the little monsters eat me up. I suspect they’ve formed a secret pact against me. So, if you’re like me, you may need to have some bug spray handy (and sunscreen, too). You want to have a fun time that leaves you with good memories, not itchy legs and burnt arms! And if you think you would have fun trying new foods at a festival or by baking them yourself, then go ahead, and don’t worry about it. Take the time to enjoy fall and, more precisely, to enjoy yourself!