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� Cordelia, unless otherwise noted. Do not reproduce in any form! Thanks.
Friday, March 8, 2002
Well, I was right yesterday. I am sick. However, I simply can't afford the time to be sick, so I'm chugging water and sitting at my computer wrapped up in an afghan, typing for all I'm worth.
I have to finish my revisions of my Extended Essay tonight, so that my advisor will be able to read them before he goes out of town. Right now, I have three people's opinions to try to incorporate into my revisions, with a fourth one pending, and all I can say is that I can't remember how I feel about a single one of these issues any more.
However, I had one of the nicest compliments from one of my essay-readers, and I just had to share it here...
I do like your organization. It's very clear and your writing style is very readable. Is a little of Jane rubbing off on you?
Eeee! *picks self up off floor after fainting dead away* What a lovely thing for her to say! She doesn't even know me personally (she's a friend of a teacher). When I'm feeling down about my essay, I re-read her comment. :)
I have one question- should I really care about the aspirations of Russian society directly after the February Revolution? I thought as much. Bleah to this paper!
Beyond this, I still have my Extended Essay revisions to do, three music compositions to, uh, compose, two Physics labs to do, a computer program to build from the ground up... and... a whack-load of other stuff, but I'm depressing myself and you, so I'll stop. *LOL*
Right now I'm feeling very sorry for myself because I'm coming down with the flu (I think), and I feel like I want to have a shower, climb into my PJs and sleep for at least 24 hours. However, tonight is shaping up to be another late night, with no end in view right now. So, of course, I'm blogging. *snort*
If you're wondering what Marilyn Monroe has to do with any of this, the answer is "nothing" :). I just found her at Josie's Dollz, and I think that Josie did a wonderful job. Isn't she pretty?
Anyway, it's back to Russia for me (Siberia? Nooo! *LOL*). After that, on to Jane Austen. And then, oh, then... sweet sleep! Have a good night, everyone!
I received something lovely and thought-provoking in my email today, and I thought that rather than just forwarding it along to people, I'd share it here.
Just for Today...
smile at a stranger.
listen to someone's heart.
drop a coin where someone can find it.
learn something new, then teach it to someone.
tell someone you're thinking of them.
hug a loved one.
don't hold a grudge.
don't be afraid to say "I'm sorry".
look a child in the eye and tell them how great they are.
don't kill that spider in your house; he's just lost; show him the way out.
look beyond the face of a person into their heart.
make a promise, and keep it.
call someone, for no other reason than to just say "Hi!".
show kindness to an animal.
stand up for what you believe in.
smell the rain, feel the breeze, listen to the wind.
It's cold out there! Brrr.... You'd think that after experiencing winter for my entire life, I'd get used to it, but no- every year, my body says, "Wait a minute! It's really cold!", then sulks and is generally ticked off at me until spring rolls around.
On the upside, my body usually responds well to bribes, so when I got a new coat a little while ago, it was well pleased :). My coat is a peacoat with a hood, and a little longer than the one the girl in the picture to the right (who I adopted from Mandra's Dolls, by the way) is wearing. I love wearing it, especially with my "hobbit hood" up (so named by me due to its peculiar resemblance to the cloaks worn by the main characters in The Lord of the Rings movie). However, it's been way too cold to wear it for the last few days. I'd cry, but the tears would freeze on my cheeks. *snicker*
While I'm thinking of The Lord of the Rings, I should share this character test I took. This *highly scientific* (cough!) test can be found at http://www.zovakware.com/tests/lordoftherings.htm. I found it pretty fun... and my friend who likes Arwen was thrilled :).
Arwen
If I were a character in The Lord of the Rings, I would be Arwen, Elf, the daughter of Elrond.
My Extended Essay is finished. Wow. I just stared at those five happy words for a moment. I can hardly believe it.
I typed my last word at around 5:00 this morning. I practically got to see the sun rise *LOL*. I have thirteen pages in Word (plus my title page and bibliography), and I really don't care if I ever see another block quote again.
I'm off to drop off my essay at my advisor's house... *crossing fingers* and praying that he'll like it!
I was making my usual, compulsive (*LOL*) visit to her blog, when my eye happened to catch something on the left hand side of the page. Is it... couldn't be... YES! It is! A link to Civility! *does silly dance*
Oh, Jenn... you've made my week! Thank you!
Composed by Cordelia (who should be asleep!) at 2:40 AM.
Monday, March 4, 2002
I'm actually listening to a string quartet right now, and writing about Jane Austen, so my quote of the day is particularly applicable. :)
Can you believe that *gasp* my essay is actually sort of coming together? I finished my introduction, which I'd been putting off, and all of a sudden all of my disjointed internal research sounds like something vaguely coherent! This calls for a celebration... time to break out the peppermint tea and scones!
Speaking of peppermint tea and scones... I was able to chat with my good friend Lady Andrea last night, and while we were chatting, she sent me a bunch of beautiful old Victorian pictures. The lady to the right is a sample from one of them. Thank you so much, Lady Andrea! :)
By the way, if you're into the Victorian era, you have to check out Lady Andrea's beautiful and informative site, The Victorian Emporium. I'm an absolute VE junkie! *LOL*
I must return to my essay now... I spoke with my advisor, and told him that it would probably be done by tomorrow. If it keeps going well, as it has been for the last little while, that's entirely achievable. If not... well, I just won't consider that! Wish me luck...
Online quizzes are absolutely addictive... now I have a place to share my addiction! *LOL* I had a blast doing this quiz- it's so Seventeen Magazine ;).
What's My Style?
Trends? Forget it! You want to be a star because of your simple beauty and super-charming personality, not because of your wild style ways. Some may say that you're way too predictable, but you've stuck with the same stuff for years because you know that it makes you look pulled together and pretty. Don't be afraid to let loose, though, by trying out a slightly toned down trend now and then -you could have a blast mixing the old with the new.
I spent all of today in my pajamas. I wish that I could say it was because I spent the whole day relaxing and chilling out... but no...
I've been working on my Extended Essay all day, from when I got up until now (well, I'm technically still working on it... I mean, Word is open... *LOL*). I got so carried away with it, I never got around to changing out of my pajamas!
A 4000 word essay is daunting in and of itself, but when there are at least three people waiting to read it... make that three English teachers... make that three English teachers who are expecting highly sophisticated writing. *Cordelia runs to find a hole to hide away in for the next few months*
Seriously, though, it's really frustrating because I know exactly what I want to prove and what I want to say, but whenever I try to get it down on paper, it sounds like elementary sludge. Everyone assures me that this is normal. Well, fine then! It's normal! But that doesn't help me! *snicker*
By the way, my essay is on Jane Austen (well, three of her six novels- Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma). I love Jane Austen (erhm... hence the Regency Cordelia to the left!), and these novels are my favourite three. Nevertheless, I'm feeling my passion for this beginning to wane, and that's a really frightening thought! I've put the famous first line of P&P up as my Quote of the Day... I'm hoping that will remind me how much I love P&P, and will inspire me to get some more coherent thoughts down on paper.
I've whined long enough- I really ought to go back to writing the essay. Oh, by the way, if you're wondering what this "Extended Essay" thing is, check out the official IB website. I'm sure that it should have some stuff on the EE there. Then, after you've become thoroughly intimidated by all the official-sounding stuff and nonsense there, pay a visit to 10 Reasons to be an IB Diploma Candidate and How to write an IB Paper in 25 Easy Steps and have a good laugh. There, don't you feel better?
Composed by Cordelia (who's really enjoying this blogging thing!) at 9:30 PM.
Sunday, March 3, 2002
The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things... of ships and shoes and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings...
-Lewis Carroll
Welcome to the very first "edition" of Civility, Cordelia's new blog. The peer pressure has been mounting, so I've finally caved, and joined the blogging crowd. What do you think of my look? (I went through umpteen different graphics trying to find the right one. *snort*)
What are your plans for your blog?, you may ask. Or you may not. I'll tell you anyway. ;)
It will probably end up being a sort of catch-all for my miscellaneous thoughts (and you know I have plenty of *those* floating around my head!), like most blogs on the Net. However, I will keep an air of elegance about it all, a sort of modern Victorian ideal. Hence the name, Civility. (Ohhhh! *grin*)
I hope that I've intrigued you enough to come back! Please do :).
Trends? Forget it! You want to be a star because of your simple beauty and super-charming personality, not because of your wild style ways. Some may say that you're way too predictable, but you've stuck with the same stuff for years because you know that it makes you look pulled together and pretty. Don't be afraid to let loose, though, by trying out a slightly toned down trend now and then -you could have a blast mixing the old with the new.