Northwest Dweller

I still love you, but facebook and I have been seeing other friends for awhile now..

2010-01-31T21:06:00.001-08:00

Wow. That is so pathetic and just plain sad that my blog STILL had a thanksgiving background as of today, January 31. So, I am getting the skeletons out of my closet so to speak, and you are about to read the dark and horrible truth........

I have traded blogging for facebook. There, isn't that scandalous?? My defensive reasoning lies in the simple fact that, quite frankly, Facebook is instant and easy. Like Starbucks coffee, it's quick, addictive, and gives you a little pick-me-up. When one is a busy person trying to balance a full college class load and music and work, and pretend to be a helpful daughter around the house, blogging goes by the wayside, and Facebook becomes the idol of choice. It wasn't intentional. Oh no, it wasn't pre-meditated in the slightest. The change came about slowly, creeping through the hedges, slithering along the highways and byways of my mental realm until one day, the metamorphosis was complete, and instead of beauty, there emerged in it's place, a new social network.

What a sickened society, when we opt for the easy, conveniency of popular social networking as opposed to the now stable, old fashioned, and slightly outdated blog. Come to think of it, I cannot exactly recall one witty or slightly well written post on Facebook since I cruelly ignored my poor blog. Perhaps, just perhaps, there is value in the staid and well known regimentation of spilling one's thoughts out into an online journal. Then again, it could just be a larger outlet for the mind to ramble, because no person with brains actually wants to listen to these incoherent, insipid thoughts. In which case, this blog merely becomes a form of false advertising, luring the unsuspecting reader in with cute backgrounds and soft music, then delivering the full force of idiotic ramblings displayed on a silver platter. Then and only then does Facebook hold value, because it's ignorant "likes," "Hello's" and other short, sweet nothings, have more worth comparatively than an entire blog page devoted to idle chatter.

Anyway, this is my blog, I still love it, and if you are reading this I probably love you too, unless you are a creepy stalker. I shan't make any promises about regular posts, but I do give you my word of honor that never again shall you, my blog readers (if you are even still with me), have to suffer through outdated blog backgrounds. Yes, 'tis true that Facebook and I have been seeing other friends, but the return of the prodigal blogger is nigh. Until the great day when you see several new posts in a row, tootles, and have a jolly day, night, afternoon, mid-day, whatever; just make sure you are keeping the energy up, and super jolly.

"ello, and 'ows everyone doing?"

2009-10-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

You know, this has been a good week. Not one of those, "I ran around like a headless chicken, but life was good weeks", but rather a quieter, kind of, "wow, I'm getting things done in an organized fashion and I feel accomplished!" kind of weeks.

Meh, actually, my vocal instructor might beg to differ on that point when I confess that I only practiced for about an hour...oops. Oh well, greater things were accomplished, like the serious outline for my 5 page paper on the French Revolution. I whole heartedly believe that no man can serve two masters, so this week, I made my English professor happy. School is frustrating that way, because there are so many people to please...I must purpose to not let more interesting things get in my way.

But anyway, back to the original topic, this has been such a great week, because it's been a week in which I can totally see the hand of God at work. You know those days, (especially when it's cold, rainy, and windy) that it just seems like God isn't exactly present? Murphy's law is in full swing, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and you find yourself feeling totally negative and miffed that life isn't bright? Well, maybe it's just me that gets that way, anyhow, I haven't been making a very conscious effort to be cheerful and look on the bright side the past couple of weeks. My family can definitely attest to that fact. :D The root of the matter is the fact that I let work, school, and friends take precedence over God, and I wake up and realize that I have spent the bare minimum if any amount of time with him for quite a while. It makes me feel so UN-christian like, and naughty almost...but when I purpose to get back into His word and spend some time with Him, everything magically becomes right. Really, everything in life seems okay, when I spend time with the Lord. I'm half irritated with myself that I let other things get in the way. Why is it that I have time for work, time for school, even time for friends, but at the end of the day I don't have time for God? Yeah, I think my priorities were definitely due for a change around. Which leads me back to why this has been such a good week...now that I've been making time for God again, He's been opening several exciting doors! It's really humbling to know that He loves me no matter how shamefully neglectful I am, and that He never neglects me. That truly is true love. God isn't joking when He says, "Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass...Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for him;...do not fret it only causes harm." Psalm 37:5-8

Choices

2009-09-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful to God for His goodness! He's so amazing and wonderful, it blows my mind. This Autumn has been so beautiful, it almost takes my breath away every time I step outside the door. The crispy cool air, and the leaves, awaken some indescribable excitement inside of me. There is so much joy and beauty in life, if we only force ourselves to see it. It lies in simple things like a beautiful song that stirs your soul and brings tears to your eyes, or in a multi colored flower. Beautiful thoughts and joy are personal choices, especially in this age of evil and horrifying circumstances. God gave me a real life example today of how we choose our emotions. Today, a friend of mine told me that he trys not to listen to the news because it's so depressing, and the state of our world is so messed up. He went on to explain that there are generations of people that aren't even living their lives because they're debilitated by the fear that they sense through the media. Instead of pursuing joy, they continue to let themselves be dragged down. So instead of focusing on the darkness, he devotes his time to improving his mind and playing / creating beautiful music. It's a choice that he makes every day, a choice that all of us need to make. Life is so full of small choices that we don't give much thought to, but they end up affecting our lives forever. Choices affect not only our generation, but the lives of generations to come. I want so desperately for people to see Christ in me, and to live my life totally devoted to Him. It's like a hunger, and there's so much to do that I can never satisfy it. There's so many dreams and desires that I have, but I really just want to love God and seek joy and beautiful thoughts. That's the choice I want to make, for the rest of my life.

Springtime and Brooke Return to the Blog..

2009-06-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Isn't that hilarious that back in February I apologized for "not having written in a LONG time" when it had only been 3 weeks between posts?? I mean, come on!! It has been almost 6 MONTHS since I last wrote! :D But seriously, if you all are sad about the long silence, you should really feel pain for my dear pen-pal Rebekah. She has patiently waited for an un-countable number of months for a letter. And it is finally being written and sent as well.

There's just something about Spring time that breathes hope and life into everything. It charges one with energy, and makes you want to press forward and finish unfinished tasks that have slept all winter. This has been a busy spring, but then again, I guess that every spring is really busy! I recently started a Life Guard course at Discover Aquatics (the pool where I work), and it has been very taxing. Somewhere in all the craziness I've been trying to find the time to pick up writing again... henceforth this blog entry.

Because of my Life guard course, I am out of the house swimming, approx. 6 days a week, and two of those days I swim at our local high school pool. It's very fun, because all the senior citizens turn out for water aerobics, and I have made fast friends with several of them. After just two days of swimming with them, I have received two job offers (life guarding / teaching at that pool), and a movie on swimming like a fish. Actually, the video is coming to me next week, but you get the idea.

Well, I have to get up early tomorrow and teach, so I need to depart. But hey, maybe I'll keep up with y'all more regularly. By the way, did you notice that my blog has changed it's face a bit? The old look was so last year. :D

Have a jolly day!!

Love, Brooke

Hello World!!

2009-02-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! So sorry that I haven't posted in awhile!! Anyway, I wanted to share with you all something really neat that my friend Lauren wrote on Valentine's day. Even though it's a bit past the date, the message still definitely applies. So, read her post, be inspired, and I promise to commence writing again soon! :)

Love, Brooke

Thoughts On Singleness and Contentment This Valentine's Day

By Lauren Torres

As each passing February day has brought Valentine's Day closer and closer, I will admit that I have been thinking a lot about love, romance, and relationships. I am what you would call a "hopeless romantic". I sigh over romantic movies...whether the hero of the day is Mr. Darcy or Gilbert Blythe. As the movie credits roll and some inspiring film score plays, I am filled with hope and excitement for the future. While I don't believe that it is wrong to look forward to that time in our lives, I do believe that oftentimes singles are guilty of wasting time. And I am including myself in this! I have noticed that we as singles are often looking to the next big thing in our lives to bring us happiness and contentment....finishing school, getting that job, starting a career, beginning a relationship, etc. We focus our time and energies towards that point in time and forget to invest in today.

This can also be applied to the romantic relationships area of our lives. I have known many young people who are so discontent with their lives simply because they do not have that special someone in their lives. They feel incomplete with the intimate companionship of the opposite sex. And yet, when they are finally in that much-desired relationship, they are rarely truly happy, because either the relationship should have never began, or it was started for selfish reasons. Don't waste time! If God has marriage in your future, then this time is precious! You will never have this time back again. This is preparation time for us. There are so many things that you are free to do while you are single that you may not have the opportunity to do once you are married, if God so desires. Don't waste time longing for the future to come--it will come soon enough. I encourage you to use your singleness to serve God with passion. Use your singleness to serve others....family, friends, and church. Focus on growing and building godly friendships with other singles, and encouraging one another in their relationship with Jesus. We as singles will never be truly content in any relationship until we have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. And no, I am not talking about going to church on Sundays, or reading our Bibles for a few minutes and then mumbling a prayer for the day. I am not even talking about missions trips and ministry. I am talking about a intimate, personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe, the One who's mighty hands formed us. The One who knew us before we were even a thought in our parent's minds. Paul writes in Philippians 4:11, "...for I have learned to be content with whatever I have." This is so true. For those who long for romantic relationships and marriage and are not content with their present situation, they will likely be discontent in a relationship or marriage. The romantic earthly love of another person can never compare the love of Jesus. He is the Lover of our souls. He desires to be close to us! We don't deserve His love, yet He longs to be one with us. Jeremiah 31:3 says "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself." I love that! His unfailing love draws us to Him! His love will never fail and never end. Even in good, godly relationships, we will face disappointment at times. Those we love will let us down and hurt. But God promises unfailing love. Let's not be discontent this Valentine's Day! I would encourage you to get alone with the Lord, spend some time talking the King of your heart. He is the greatest romantic...He died so that we might know the beauty and hope of His unfailing love. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). -Lauren

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!! Won't 2009 be simply splendid??

We started off the year with 3 feet of snow, which has now melted down to about 11 inches.
As the snow continued to fall, the 'phone rang off the hook, canceling all my plans for the week.
For example, the phone rang, I answered. "Oh, the pool is closed due to snow, so don't come to work? Okay, bye,"

Two minutes later, the phone rang, and again I answered. "Oh, the Christmas party is canceled, due to snow? Okay, bye." An hour later, the phone rang, I answered - and knew before I picked it up that somewhere, something was canceled due to snow. "Hello! Oh, the choir concert and church are canceled due to snow? Okay, bye."
This pattern continued for a couple of days, until one Christmas party, several days of work, church, a Wilderness Northwest meeting, and a choir concert was canceled, while one was still being decided about. What had started out as a horrendously crazy week, quickly turned into a very quiet, stay-at -home week, due to snow. Needless to say, we are all so tired of the snow now! God's creations are always so beautiful, but sometimes he sends a little too much of them. :)
So, the New Year has started out cold, snowy, and a little quiet, but the joy of a fresh New Year is warming our hearts. There is something so exciting about a New year..it's like tomorrow - fresh, with no mistakes in it yet, as Anne of Green Gables would say. :0) Have a wonderful, blessed New Year everyone!!

Love, Brooke

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T11:16:00.001-08:00

(Be sure to click the "pause" button on the music player located to the left of the blog, before listening to the music videos.)

Merry Christmas Greetings from snow bound western Washington. (Check out my Mother's blog for some snow pictures!) I've been pretty busy lately, but will (Lord willing!) get back to blogging about my Tennessee adventures soon! For now, I'll leave you with a tidbit about what I've been up to lately... A couple of weeks ago, I was blessed to go the the Fiftieth annual Julfest (featuring the Swedish Lucia Bride Service) at First Covenant Church in Seattle. The Shoemaker family took me, and we had a wonderful time!! The Julfest was so Christ centered and uplifting - truly an exciting pre-Christmas experience! The short clips of the service below are just a sampling of how awesome it really was. For a special touch to the usual program, a Swedish choir came all the way from Sweden to sing for the Julfest!! I really wish that I had more pictures, but it wasn't one of those situations where it was appropriate to be a 'shutter bug.' :o)

Next year, my parents and I are hoping to attend "Handel's Messiah" also in Seattle... wish we could have made it this year, but things were way too busy!

I was hiding behind a pillar, so the view isn't that terrific. In person it was breathtaking!

And just yesterday evening we attended the Shoemaker Brothers concert in Shelton. It was held at the Shelton High auditorium, and about 300 people showed up despite the crazy snow! The concert was amazing, the boys did so well, and we were quite proud of their sucess. Mrs. Shoemaker and I supplied the refreshments and it was a huge answer to prayer when my friend Lael showed up with a bunch of cookies. Thank you so much Laelann!! We were worried there wouldn't be enough, but God was in control and it all worked out beautifully! By the way, for anyone that's interested, the next local concert is January 9th, at Charles Wright academy in Tacoma, WA - 7:00 p.m - $12 at the door. Below are pictures from the concert and the boys' recent youtube video.

Samuel, Nathanael, Daniel, & Gabriel

Be sure to check out the Shoemaker Brothers Website for tour dates - they're embarking on a national tour and may be coming to a town near you...

Shoemaker Brothers - Dancing Girl

A Thankful Thanksgiving To You All!!

2008-11-27T10:45:00.000-08:00

Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100: 4,5

Thanksgiving is a day when we come together to be reminded of God's many blessings to us throughout our lives and throughout the year. God is so good, and has richly provided for us as his children. I am so thankful for the freedom to worship and serve the Lord, a freedom for which our forefathers fought and gave up their lives. Freedom, and the chance to worship God was the reason that the little band of pilgrims set forth on a perilous journey to a new land. Now, almost 400 years later that group of less than 60 people have become a great nation. We have the freedoms we have, because many before us sacrificed so they could save the love and hope of their life: FREEDOM!

I am so thankful for God's gift of freedom, and for His never ending mercy and love. I recently read a really neat quote by Robert Strand. It goes as follows: "Those whose lifestyle is marked by thanksgiving will enjoy a sweetness to life uparalleled by any other."

May we be encouraged to give thanks to God in every circumstance this year, finding that a thankful heart is the secret to a happy life.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gifts!

Love, Brooke

God Bless America!

2008-11-04T17:55:00.000-08:00

God Bless America! May He stand beside our nation and guide and protect her through the following years. Who knows now, how long it will be that we are free to write, and speak, and publish what we really think.

Obama will 'change' America, yes he can and he will. But not for the better. America as we know her, has come to an end. At the end of Barack Obama's four years, so much liberal legislation and socialist agenda will have been put in place, that we will not know our free country any more. And we have stood by and let the communists put the nails in our coffin. It is true, our country has made history as they say. But the sacrifice of our freedom was a high price to pay.

May God have mercy on our nation, and forgive her, for she knows not what she does.

To Tennessee and Back Again...The Tale of Brooklyn's Travels-Part Five

2008-10-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

The new day started out very warm. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell went to town, taking the Liberian's with them. Hannah continued to teach me about the office, and outside the storm clouds rolled. As the day wore on, it grew more and more humid, and lightening began. It was the scariest lightning I had ever seen, and more than a little unnerving. Hannah said that it was normal though and not to worry.

By this time I had met Serene, Pearl, Bowen (Pearl's 8 year old son), and Jireh (Evangeline's 8 year old son). My memory is beginning to fade now, and I can't remember which day I met them all!! But I do happen to remember Bowen and Jireh coming up to me and asking for rubber bands. "Sure!" I replied, then asked "And what are your names?" Bowen spoke up and said, "I'm Owen!" then continued to make up a name for Jireh, which I forget. That was so funny! They were confusing though because they kept switching it around. :o)

Anyways, the end of the day came, and Mr. and Mrs. Campbell still had not returned. So Hannah and I made our way upstairs and tidied up our room. Hannah packed a few things, and then wanted to watch "Madagascar" (which I had never seen). We also finished up the snacks that I had brought on the plane trip over. During all this, the telephone rang and Hannah answered. It was Mr. Campbell saying there was a tornado warning out, and we needed to keep an eye on the weather! That was so strange!! Curled up on the leather sofa in their living room, I kept looking out the window above it. The sky turned a dark greenish color, and it was very frightening!

When I called my parents that night, it felt so good to talk to them. I was starting to get homesick again, and the tornado warning frightened me. As I paced the deck, I encountered many HUGE nasty bugs of unknown origin. In the middle of describing one of these strange phenomenons, my cell phone went silent and I lost reception. For the rest of the trip, my cell phone didn't work unless we were outside of Primm Springs. I ran back inside to use the landline, when Mr. and Mrs. Campbell came home. I talked to them for a bit, then called my parents back.

After our conversation ended at 10:00 pm, I went back inside to get ready for bed. The next day was going to be a big change, because Hannah would be leaving, and I would be alone to face the office with all it's daunting tasks. A new girl named Kaylene, was scheduled to come in 2 weeks, but that wasn't soon enough for me!

I went to sleep and woke up againg quite refreshed. Since Brittnie was gone, I was able to take over her bottom bunk, which really made me happy. :o)

Now that the girls were gone, I had one-on-one time with the Campbells'. I began to realize that just about everything I had been told was wrong. Mrs. Campbell began to say, "Okay, forget what they taught you, just listen to me!" On my first exploration through the office, I came across a huge box of 'partial orders' which were Mrs. Campbell's especial abomination. Her theory is that if we are out of an item, go ahead and ship the rest of the person's order, just remember to include a kindly note explaining that it was on back order and would be sent as soon as possible. These particular orders had been left in a box with the packing slip, and hadn't been shipped out at all. Mrs. Campbell became horrified when I unearthed an order from 3 months before. She guided me through the steps of calling the customer, explaining, shipping, recording etc. The following weeks were so busy and stressful. Everyday Mrs. Campbell and I would hear of orders misplaced, misshipped, unsent, and more. Mrs. Campbell's best phrase for these misshaps was, "That's simply disgusting! I can't believe it!" Mrs. Campbell and I also ran several months back through the credit card machine, because they had been authorized, but not made out as a sale. In other words, Above Rubies made no money from all those transactions. That involved another large set of phone calls, and it was so intense! I daily looked forward to Kaylene coming, because by this time I was beginning to be lonely, and I desperately wanted a friend. Mr. Campbell was really sweet and was like a grandfather, but you couldn't necessarily talk to him all day long, because he had work to do. Mrs. Campbell was the kindest grandmotherly personage too, but the same thing-she was sooo busy.

The day Kaylene arrived, I made a sign for Mr. Campbell to take. Mrs. C was on a retreat and was not there to welcome Kaylene, so I cleaned our room and picked a bunch of wildflowers to put in vases. All that day and into the evening I was so excited I could hardly stand it. So when Mr. Campbell called from the airport, I couldn't resist begging to talk to the new girl. Mrs. Campbell had informed me that she was 20 years old, and from San Francisco, California, so I thought I knew a little about her. She sounded very nice but also tired on the telephone. The next hour was so hard to bear! I played the old piano in the basement some, and ate dinner, then went down to the office. I heard the other door open, and I ran out into the long room. There was Mr. Campbell and Kaylene!! I gave her a hug and started drilling her with questions. It turned out that she was really 17, and from Oregon! Isn't that a funny mix-up?? That night it was so great to have a friend. We talked about our interests and our families, and just everything. The next day was going to be so exciting!! I couldn't wait to show her Nikki's Cabin (A cabin up in the hills that Brittnie and Hannah took me to.), and fun places to walk, and the wildflowers and everything!

To Tennessee and Back Again...The Tale of Brooklyn's Travels - Part Four

2008-09-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

My cell-phone morning alert (set for 6:30 am) jolted me from pleasant sleep, and I opened my eyes to a beautiful Tennessee spring morning. The Campbell's red mini-van (driven by Mr. Campbell), was heard going down the drive, and you could hear Mrs. Campbell stirring about in the kitchen. Hannah Arentson (age 19) and Brittnie Miller (age 19 too!) were groaning in their bunks and attempting to wake up. I gingerly crept down the ladder of the bunk bed and ran to the window, pulling the curtains back to get a peek outside. Since it was quite dark when I had arrived, I really
had no idea what my surroundings looked like. It still seemed unreal that I was actually in a different state, and at the home of Colin and Nancy Campbell! In fact, to this day, those two months shine like a bright golden dream and it seems as if I just imagined it all. Except for the fact that I keep in touch with everyone. Okay, enough of this rambling! Back to the original story...

Hannah informed me that I really needn't get up that early, and that Mr. and Mrs. Campbell didn't really care if we came to breakfast on time or ate in our room. (I found out after the girls left that that was not true, and yes, Mr. and Mrs. C are very strict about meal times and 'sitting up to table.' Oops!)

After I was ready for the day, I walked through the french doors into the main part of the house, and Mrs. Campbell greeted me with a strong hug. My first impression of her was a kind, cheerful, on task / duty driven person who steers a straight course throughout her day. Mr. Campbell came in a bit later, and he was very different from what I had expected. Tall, kind, with a commanding prescence, yet a bit of hillarity, he was the exact complement to Mrs. Campbell. During my stay, it was so neat to see how well they complemented one another.

Hannah, Brittnie and I had a hurried breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen, and then went downstairs to the office promptly at 9:00 am. There, they showed me the 'ropes' of office work. I learned how to locate and ship items, enter magazine subscriptions into the database (aka "Squirrel Mail"), take credit card orders over the telephone, do donation / money orders, and run credit card orders through the machine. This last task held a bit of difficulty, as one of the girls had been improparly running transactions through as authorizations instead of sales. In other words, Above Rubies was making no profit on items sold for the past 3 1/2 months. Hannah showed me how to run everything back through (force transactions) the machine, and what to do if anything went wrong. It was a long, un-eventful, yet rewarding day. I was beginning to worry about how I was going to manage without the two girls.

We climbed back up the stairs and began to help with dinner. Hannah and Brittnie showed me where all the dishes and food were, and disclosed the secret food stash in our clothes closet. They solemnly bequeathed all their food to me, since they were leaving tomorrow.

That night at the dinner table, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell and the liberian children went around and gave 'eulogies' to Hannah and Brittnie. Devotions were completed, we said our good - nights, and went off to bed. [Here I must note that Brittnie left after dinner to go stay with Rocky and Monique - the Campbell's son and daughter - in -law. She was to be their nannie for the next year.]

Bed time came and I wearily laid my head upon my pillow. It had been a busy day, and I was eagerly looking forward to tomorrow. Little did I know that on the morrow, I was to experience my first tornado warning!!

To Be Continued...Stay Tuned!

To Tennessee and Back Again... The Tale of Brooklyn's Travels - Part 3

2008-08-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well, the airplane did not crash, and the terrorists must have forgotten to hi-jack it. We safely landed in Nashville, when I instantly became so nervous I started to shake. Joy graciously walked me to the baggage claim signs, and I placed a call to Mr. Campbell, informing him that I had arrived and was ready for pick-up. But, there was no answer. "Oh no!!" I was beginning to panic, "I'm alone in a strange part of the country, and no one is answering!!" Trying to calm down, I hoisted my bags and walked to baggage claim. On my way, I telephoned again, and still there was no answer. Then, there they were! Two Above Rubies Girls, and Mr. and Mrs. Campbelll's two adopted daughters. They were holding a sign, and I was so relieved to see them.

They helped me get my other two bags, and escorted me outside. Opening up the doors, I felt a blast of heat, and just about choked. When I left Seattle, it was 45 degrees outside, and had just snowed a few days earlier, and I was dressed accordingly. Let me tell you, DO NOT wear a wool skirt, long sleeved shirt, sweater, and heavy stockings to Tennesee if you are planning to visit. That simply is not the proper attire for 85 degree heat with full humidity. Imagine my discomfort when the girls laughingly said, "Oh, our Ruby mobile doesn't have air conditioning." "Oh, yeah, ha ha ha! Don't mind me if I just curl up and die back here from heat stroke."

Our journey ensued and there was another shocker in store for me. The speed limit on the freeway was 7o mph! Our freeways are mostly 6o, until you are about 1 hour, south bound only, down the road.

The Tennessee countryside was lush, beautiful, and green! It was so gorgeous that a deep part of my soul that loves natural beauty was satisfied. We were all having such a jolly time, looking out the windows and chatting that we made a wrong turn which resulted in an hour long detour. By this time it was dark, we were lost, and very hungry. At about 8:45 pm Hannah, (one of the Above Rubies girls) said, "Oh, look! We're somewhere in Dickson! Isn't that interesting that we're in a town that we know. Let's go to Shoney's for dinner..." Anyway, by this time I had contacted my mother with the comforting info that I was lost in a strange land with strange people going to some unique southern restaurant called 'Shoney's." She was quite worried, but was attempting to stay calm. I promised to telephone her after we were done with dinner.

Exhausted from my flight, and still dying in my wool skirt; the girls dragged me into the restaurant. It was buffet style, and I was to later learn that buffets are a Tennessee thing. It was so weird to hear all the people talking so strangely. I felt alone and afraid in this restaurant with options on the buffet like swiss chard and some beef / vegetable thing on rice. That was another eye opener for me, to learn that Tennesseans (sp?) love swiss chard. I mean, the swiss chard was good, it's just that it isn't served in Washington restaurants. Common restaurant vegetables are: potatoes, corn, carrots and beans, not swiss chard (or 'silver beet' as New Zealander's term it.)

We rushed through our dinner, then went to the counter and paid. Here was another 'culture shock' for me, as the waitress spoke so thickly with her unmistakable southern accent. Drawl would probably be a better term for it, as it sounded so slow and slurring. No offense to any southerners reading this, but I by far prefer our more cultured speech up here in the Northwest. :o)

On the road again, we drove down a long winding country road, and turned in at the driveway of a large house. "Here we are!" The girls said "The Campbell's seem to have gone to bed already." With that, we quietly walked through the large house and up the stairs. It seemed like a dream that I was actually here; in the home of Colin and Nancy Campbell!! The girls showed me to our room and we all prepared for bed. As I lay in the top bunk, I could hear frogs croaking through the open window. "Tomorrow is going to be SO fun!" I thought as I succumbed to the power of sleep.

To Tennessee and Back Again...The Tale of Brooklyn's Travels - Part Two

2008-08-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

The woman next to me introduced herself and continued to chat away. "Isn't it wonderful that only two of us are here on this row...there is so much more room this way" and other comments helped ease my nervousness. She was such a kind lady, and sympathized with the fact that I was leaving my family for two months. Joy proceeded to tell me about her family and her two children (both boys), and all their interests. It was such a relief to realize that this was a kind woman who wasn't some crazed psychopath! But, when she realized that her youngest son and I were about the same age, she began directing more and more of her conversation in his direction. It soon became apparent that this mama was 'daughter-in-law shopping' and that became slightly disturbing until I was able to divert the conversation.

Note of warning: stay away from nice mothers who have eligible sons. It can be dangerous out there. Anyway, back to my story...

The flight was long and uneventful, and I snapped pictures at an amazing rate. My chatty companion didn't leave me much time to devour "Uncle Tom's Cabin", so the entire flight was punctuated with interesting remarks like, "Oh, these Oreo snacks are so good. You must try some. I had some on my other flight and they were really good. By the way, do you like soccer? My youngest boy is very athletic.." Here there was need for diversion so I remarked: "Did you see that interesting mountain back there? Here's a picture of it!" and "I have to use the restroom, will I die if I stand up and walk there?"

Oh dear, that was a bad decision on some one's part. Of course certain well meaning engineers designed airplane aisles to be about 6 inches wide, so of course unsuspecting passengers trying to walk somewhere will incidentally collide with certain grumpy travelers elbows. This situation can turn serious when the aforementioned grumpy traveler happened to be holding a cup of water in the hand attached to the elbow that was bumped. To top it off, when you apologize, the now irate traveler's wife will invariably shout "Of course he's not alright!! Just look at him! He's all wet!"

At least the flight attendant understood my plight and handed me napkins, which I in turn handed to the grumpy traveler's wife who was attempting to dry poor Herman's lap. Anyway, Herman and his wife continued to sizzle as I passed them on my return trip, and the glares scorched the very deeps of my soul. Dear Joy, inquisitive as ever, remarked "What happened back there?" I wearily related the events and she calmly berated them as 'creeps who could have for seen these events by keeping their elbows to themselves.' Since she was in an aisle seat, she kept me updated on how they appeared to be feeling. At this moment, the intercom system came on and told us to keep our seat belts fastened. The plane began to shake, and looking out the window, all I could see was fluffy swirling whiteness.

To Be Continued...Stay Tuned...This Could Take Awhile...Check Back Soon!!

To Tennesee and Back Again...The Tale of Brooklyn's Travels - Part One

2008-07-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, April 30th, I set forth on a 3,000 mile journey by plane to the new and exciting land of Tennessee. My purpose for leaving? To work in the office of Nancy Campbell, editor of Above Rubies magazine. Feelings of excitement and fear of the unknown struggled for expression, resulting in a jittery / ditsy Brooke who sadly exasperated her long suffering parents.

"What do I do if my bags are too heavy and they won't let me take them??" and "What if the security guard refuses to believe I am under age and tries to sabotage my flight plans?" " Maybe terrorists will hi jack the air plane and dump my limp body into an arid desert. Will you guys miss me?" These questions and more plunged me into a wave of fear, and slightly disturbed my already worried parents. It was a step of faith for them to allow me, their one and only baby girl, to fly across country and stay with total strangers for two whole months. But, God's hand was in it all, and my parents safely escorted me through the security guards, and onward to my gate.
As we were sitting there, looking out the massive windows and seeing my airplane quietly resting on the ground; my mind flashed back to the circumstances that had brought me thus far...

I was sitting at our dining room table, the morning sun was glittering and dancing through the window, illuminating the Above Rubies magazine that I was thumbing through. As my eye ran down the page, I saw a picture of four girls that appeared to be around my own age. This piqued my interest, and I decided to read the article. Nearing the end of the editorial, there was a blurb about girls being welcome to come to TN and stay with Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, in order to help Mrs. C. out in the office! I ran to my mother and said, "I want to go so badly! Please!!" AND, can you believe it? My mother had been thinking that I should go to TN ever since she read that article herself!! Mommy suggested that we pray about it and seek God's will in this matter. So with that, I walked away and prayed really fast.

Well, time went by and I eventually stopped praying about it. The desire was always in the back of my mind, but I wasn't very committed to praying. That Spring, Mrs. Campbell came to Olympia for a retreat, and my mother and I attended, hoping to meet Mrs. Campbell and ask her more questions. Oh my, that was awkward!! Mrs. Campbell thought that I was like 24 or something and started asking me questions like, "Well, and what do you do?" Very hesitatingly (I was scared to death of her!), I lamely answered, "Well, I do school work and cook dinner." From the look on her face, she clearly showed that she was not impressed. Trying to fix the situation, I hurriedly added that I was only 14. Suddenly, her entire demeanor changed. "Oh, my!" she exclaimed "Of course you would still be homeschooling. I am so sorry! I thought that you were about 24 and was a little surprised at your answer." She laughed and after a little more discussion, she agreed to let me come when I turned 16, although she usually prefers to have older girls. I was so excited and relieved!! Anyway, months passed and the excitement wore off, and realism reared it's ugly head. Questions like: "How will I pay for this trip?" worried me to a frazzle. Finally my mother had to take me aside and tell me that this was in God's hands, not my own. (Do you see the pattern here, as God was drawing me closer to Him?) More time passed, and I was saving money as quickly as I earned it from my piano teaching, and from working at the swimming pool. Finally, January of 2008 came, and my mother made the fateful call to Tennessee. Dates were talked over, and schedules were compared. Finally the dates of April 30th to July 1st were scheduled in, and airplane ticket purchasing was starting to begin. God provided the rest of the funds for my trip, and my tickets were purchased and my anticipation began to mount! I, Brooke Parsons, was actually going to fly all by myself to a strange new part of the country. It was a positively exciting adventure!!

All this and more came to mind as I continued to wait in the airport with my parents. As our last few minutes came to a close, I began to realize that the people I loved most in this world were to be separated from me for two whole months. Suddenly the weight of this hit me, and I was almost in tears as I hugged, kissed, and waved farewell to my darling parents. Sitting in the plane and gazing out the window, I realized that I had just embarked on an adventure of a lifetime, but I was desperately homesick already. Then, the pilot's voice came over the intercom, and our plane launched into the wide open blue, leaving everything I loved behind.

To Be Continued.....

I Have Arrived!

2008-07-14T09:50:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone! I have finally returned from the deep southern state of Tennessee. Many adventures and many new friends, I would love to tell all about it. But... alas, there is such a thing as NO TIME!! So many responsibilities and other things keep me away from my beloved blogging. I shall post again as soon as possible. Until then, just be happy that I am back and that I have missed you all horribly.

Tootles!!

~Brooke

Farewell Until July!

2008-04-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I will be quite busy for the next two months, so this blog will not be updated for awhile. Look for another post sometime in early July. Have a extravagantly jolly couple of months. Are you all looking forward to summertime?? Can't wait for the warm, sunshiny weather!!!

Farewell my dear bloggy friends, until we meet again!

In Christ Alone, Brooke Parsons

Good Times

2008-04-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!! It's been awhile since I have blogged, hasn't it? We have been very busy, helping some dear friends move, having my niece stay with us for the week, etc. It would be very fun to do a long blog post now, but I have to do Algebra lessons! So...here's some pictures documenting the time that I have been away. :)

A Day of Happy Moving:

The Van is being unloaded into the new happy home
Chris, a very happy mover
My mom, another happy mover
Gabe, a happy mover showing off his macho-manly strength Drew, a happy mover trying to look bored, but utterly failing

Four happy movers, eating a happy meal
Thumbs up to Mr. Cornutt! He's the most amazing and happy mover that ever was!

A Week With Gracie:

Kitchen Photoshoot - Picture OneKitchen Photoshoot - Picture Two

Gracie At Swim Lessons
A Puppetshow Designed and Written by Gracie
As Gracie would say, "Hey guys, it was really, really fun."

To Cut or Not to Cut - A Philisophical Play in Two Parts

2008-03-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

Act One: First Scene

At this point, Shakespeare is rolling in his grave. There have been many twists (both comical and idiotic) to the classical Shakespearean "To Be or Not to Be...THAT is the Question!" For my original purposes, I am again slaughtering this well known phrase. In classic brookian philosophy, the great question is not about being, but about cutting. My very small and very wise niece informed me that my hair had simply grown too long, and the most logical way to fix this most terrible problem would be to chop it off. She happily displayed her own recently shorn locks, presumably as an example to make me feel guilty over my longer ones. I am lost in a sea of kind and philanthropic friends who have forgone the pleasures of long hair, to donate to "Locks of Love." These self-sacrificing girls almost make me feel twinges of guilt over my hair. This is preposterous! ;o) In this culture of mixed up genders; with women trying to be president and men trying to be cosmetic models, someone has to be unabashedly feminine. (I don't know who is going to be unabashedly masculine though. I personally know some, but the numbers are growing disconcertedly smaller every year.) Now, I'm not trying to say that every girl has to have long hair. Actually, some girls look really nice in shorter hair, but for my own personal decision, I am choosing to keep my hair long. So my friends, "To Cut or Not to Cut" is now a question directed at you. Why do you have long / short hair?? Explain yourselves!! ;o)

Act One: Second Scene

Does anyone besides Bethany R., Joanna R., Lael H., Hannah H. and the occasional Elizabeth S. ever read my blog?? It makes me wonder, because the "ClustrMap" shows visitors from all over, yet very few comment. That leads me to believe that a) This blog is considered unworthy to comment on by the aristocratic blogging world, b) People are scared of me, or c) There are just a lot of creepy Internet people reading this blog.

Please let me know. This could be an educational experience. ;o) By the way, "Lurkers" disgust me. FYI: A lurker is one who reads a blog, but never shows their prescence. This is weird behavior and usually requires counselling sessions. Just kidding. ;o) Don't be shy, just comment. Commenting isn't difficult. Here's a few examples:

Hi! My name is Bobbie-Jo Bobkins from Bolingbroke, Butternut County. I like the letter B, and that's why I like your blog. I am giving you a thumbs up. OH!! Wait!! I just realized that you couldn't see my hand!! Tootles!
Hey! Your blog is weird. I just wanted to let you know. Sorry if this hurts your feelings, but that's okay too. Do you like Peanut Butter? ~Timmy Tarter
You wrote a post on hair?? I love hair too! Your blog is cool. I just wanted to let you know. ~ Ima Fibbing
Hair is such a lame topic to write about. ~Nate Noname
Shakespearian works display the originality of an eloquent mind full of wondrous ruminations. ~Gertrude Cloppinghop

Have a jolly day!

Tootles! ~Brooke

A Game of Tag?

2008-03-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hey All! I got "tagged" by Bethany Roberts! This sounds very interesting... Okay, here it goes!

Here's the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random and some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

Note: I'm changing this to just tagging 3 other people.

4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

All right, here we go. This will be potentially interesting!!!

1) I was born with deep blue eyes, and my eye color didn't change to brown until I was 3.

2) I have been known to sing in my sleep

3) The summer I was 12, I read over 100 books

4) The most bread I have made in a single day was 12 loaves

5) I am one of three children and the baby of the family

6) I look like my great-grandma on my mother's side

7) I accidentally swallowed 3 bugs in one summer

Hope you had fun with this post! Now I am going to tag Joanna, The Shoemaker's, and Laelann!

A Guest Post From Gracie...

2008-03-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hi my name is Gracie. You probably never ever met me before. I hope you have a wonderful day! I had so much fun with my Grandma and my Aunt B and my brother. And I got to see my Grandpa. I love him so much. (and my Grandma and my aunt B and my mom and my dad and Sylvia.) I like to visit my friends all the time; it is so much fun. And I like to visit my Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt B.

I tried to put pictures on, but the computer is not working now.

Love, Gracie

Note from Brooke: Gracie and Jace are my sister's children. They came to visit at our house for the day on Saturday. It was quite fun!)

MEMORY LOSS - Part One of a Two Part Series

2008-02-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

Tip of the Week: If you have aging parents, you might want to check into memory loss supplements.

Okay, from these pictures, you can ascertain that my parents are not necessarily ancient, I must admit. But, they are advanced enough in age to really need myself and my older brother and sister's memory. Mom, my sister Leigha and niece Gracie, and I are planning on attending the wedding ceremony of Joe Hageman and Kelly Fagerness tomorrow afternoon. So of course, this past week has been spent discussing such interesting details as: "What are we wearing?", "What time should we leave", and most importantly, "Oops! We forgot to get them a present!! What should we get??" Decisions, decisions... and through it all, poor mother has confusedly asked:"Wedding?? What wedding?" To which I constantly remind her that we're going to Joe and Kelly's wedding. This is followed up by, "What time? Oh, I can't remember where I put the invitation!" Just tonight mom was talking to Leigha on the 'phone and Leigha said something about seeing us tomorrow; to which mom replied, "Tomorrow?? What are we doing tomorrow?"

As you can see from this interesting soliloquy, we have good times at our house. With fairness, and all due respect, my mother does remember a remarkable amount of things. It is just these rare times that give us cause to wonder...

And, along the lines of fairness, I will be posting a short story on my father as soon as material is provided. Which shouldn't take long, and that's the truth. ;o)

~Farewell, I am off to get my beauty sleep for the wedding..

Disclaimer: This was not meant in any way, to hurt or wound the feelings of the involved parties thus described. My own family understands, and will know that no cruelty was meant. Be a good sport, and know the same.

A Caucus, and A Tea Party

2008-02-11T07:51:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a jolly day. We went to the Mason County Republican Caucus, and afterwards some dear friends of ours, the Shoemaker's, came over for tea. What a delightful time! Elizabeth and I dressed up in crazy outfits, and everyone spoke with an english accent. The accent was actually fairly easy to keep up for the duration of the tea party. ;o) We all ended up staying together until 6:45 PM!! I must admit, that Elizabeth and I dashed up stairs, and came down attired to play in the snow though. Henceforth the late hour at which we parted. ;o) High tea truly is better than low tea. There is more to do. Have you ever tried eating a croissant sandwich elegantly?? How about eating a cookie with a fork? DO NOT attempt the latter, as you will inevitably wind up with your cookie on the floor in several pieces. ;o)

Aerial view of the tea table
Close-up of the tea table
Mrs. Shoe, Booey, Me & Mother
Me, Elizabeth
Mrs. Shoemaker, & Mother

That's all folks! Come again soon...

Life is... A bed of roses!

2008-01-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that maybe I am a bit obsessed with my future. I mean, I spend way too much time thinking and planning what I am going to do. Pretty much wasting precious moments that could be better invested in the here and now. And in all my plannings, I find myself fearful of what lies ahead. "Well, what if God plans something for me that I won't like?? Where am I going to go to college? I want to travel, but how would that ever be possible? What if God wants me to marry someone that I think is ugly and weird? How am I ever going to publish my books?" Sad things like that consume me. No need to feel pity, I am just a hopeless creature. Don't worry, I am seeking a psychologist for this problem. Just kidding!! It was a joke!! Okay, but seriously, one of my besetting sins is not trusting God with my future. It can be so hard!! Sometimes I feel like God is teasing me, and has a really good sense of humor. Other times It seems that I am just waiting, and God is feeding me tidbits, but witholding the big picture. So, when I found this poem today, I really liked it. It just fits. You know, Anonyomous is a very sensible and wise person...read and be amazed:

The Rosebud

by Anonymous

It is only a tiny rosebud,

A flower of God's design;

But I cannot unfold the petals

With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers

Is not known to such as I,

The flower God opens so sweetly,

In my hands would fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,

This flower of God's design;

Then how can I have wisdom

To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust Him for His leading,

Each moment of every day;

And I'll look to Him for guidance,

Each step of the pilgrim way.

For the pathway that lies before me,

My heavenly Father knows;

I'll trust Him to unfold the moments

Just as He unfolds the rose.

Winter Writing...

2008-01-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

It's a cold winter evening in January. My well proportioned cat is asleep on the couch, and my father is asleep upstairs. Today was a sunshiny day. My dear mother is sweeping the floor, and I am going to work on my book. Yes! It's called "Spring Will Not Forget", and it promises to be a most interesting work of fiction. Soo... I am off to the wonderful world of imagination. Maybe sometimes I will post excerpts from this most worthy of literary works...

Cream Pie...Part Two

2008-01-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

It was told unto me that blogging etiquette requires a recipe accompanying pictures of eatables. So, for thee, Mrs. Edgren, thou mayest enjoy this humble recipe.

Dark Chocolate Cream Pie

Recipe taken from Better Homes and Garden Cookbook

1 Baked Pastry Shell (recipe following)

4 eggs divided

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup corn starch

2 1/2 cups milk or half-in-half

a little under one cup of chocolate chips

1 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 pint whipping cream

<>Prepare Baked Pastry Shell. Separate egg yolks from whites. Discard whites.

<>For filling, in a medium saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in milk or half-in-half. Add chocolate chips right after mild is stirred in. Cook and STIR over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Slightly beat egg yolks, and gradually stir in 1 cup of hot filling into yolks. Add egg yolk mixture to filling in saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Keep filling warm.

<>Whip whipping cream until quite stiff, adding enough powdered sugar to sweeten.

<>Pour warm filling into Baked Pastry Shell. Cool, until room temperature. (If you are in a hurry, put pie in freezer to chill faster) Spread whipping cream over chilled filling. If desired, you can grate some chocolate chips over the top. ;o)

Baked Pastry Shell:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening (I used half butter, half shortening)

4 t0 5 tablespoons cold water

O In a medium sized bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size.

O Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water at a time over the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork, just until moistened.

O To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it.

O Trim pastry to 1 1/2 inches beyond edge of pie plate. Fold pastry under. Crimp edge as desired.

Can She Bake a Cream Pie? Maybe...

2008-01-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have never made a successful cream pie. The sad truth comes out. Yes I can cook without poisoning my family, and bake berry pies that are enjoyable, but I never could attain to a cream pie. It has always nettled me that my brother could make a good one, not just mediocre, but a really good one. There is something very wrong here, that a guy can make a pie, but a girl can't. SO... last night I rolled up my sleeves and attempted it once again, under the guise of 'treating' my dad to a dark chocolate cream pie. To my complete and utter disbelief, it actually worked!! Following are the pictures, forever marking this most momentous day in history.

Voila! Dark Chocolate Cream Pie! Yes, it is lopsided!! Thank you for noticing. I was hoping the background would hide that little deformity. I have never had a lopsided crust, so it is a mystery as to how this happened.

Is There Any Resolutions Out There??

2008-01-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

It is the great and awesome NEW YEAR!! Now, comes the time of fulfilling our resolutions.

Ah, I do love a new year. It is like the blank pages in my journal, I don't know what will be written yet, but the mere thought fills me with excitement. Like Anne of Green Gables, there is hope because, "Tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it." 2008 is fresh, with no mistakes in it.

Just for a random bit of interest, some of our friends went to a wedding on New Years' Eve. Wouldn't that be a lovely time of year to get married? Hey, at least you would never forget your anniversary, right?

New Years Eve is Coming...

2007-12-29T14:52:00.000-08:00

How do you end a year, and start a new one with a bang?? Well, frankly I don't know. I think that it would be fun to dash about in a yacht, playing fun games, then watch a fireworks display. Wouldn't that be a fun way to celebrate the new year?? Then at midnight we could all hold a prayer meeting for the new year. Or perhaps it would be fun to go to an old stone church, and join in a candelit service with a dynamic new years message. Afterwards we could all go to the pastor's home and play games. You know, the latter option almost sounds like a new years eve 100 years ago. That sounds soo fun...

Christmas is here...

2007-12-24T10:06:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Have a really wonderful day, and may God go with you! Enjoy this celebration of Jesus' birth!!

In our home, we celebrate on Christmas Eve with my parents, my sister and her husband and two children, my brother, and myself. Sometimes my grandmother comes as well. Then on Christmas morning, we head to Olympia to my aunt's house where all my dad's family is. So, we kind of 'double celebrate.' ;o)

Yours Truly, Brooke Parsons

A Guest Post From Elizabeth Shoemaker...

2007-12-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

THIS IS THE CAT OF THE 21st CENTURY!

Annabelle

Happy thoughts...

2007-12-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

Did you know that imagination is just intelligence having fun???

Anonymous is one of the wisest people I have ever heard of!

Be Joyful People, Be Joyful!

Flood!

2007-12-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

The following video is of Finch Creek overflowing its banks. The bridge at the 25 mph sign was completely exterminated by floating debris. The building and parking lot shots are of Lumbermen's warehouse and hardware store where my brother, Chad, works. After the water receded, they were left with 6 inches of mud in the warehouse, with several thousand dollars worth of damage to lumber supplies.

Please excuse mommy's voice in the background. I was trying for a silent picture, but...

Here in Hoodsport, we received 14 inches of snow in 24 hours, then literally, overnight, it melted. Melting snow combined with torrential downpours, led to flooding like most longtime residents have rarely seen. It was amazing! The road between us and our neighbors was a one and a half foot rushing river!!!

In Shelton, it was also a very rainy day. The Shoemaker's pulled their canoe out and paddled around their yard.

Well, that's all for this cheerful post. I hope y'all are having a grand day.

Come See My Family...

2007-11-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

Hey Ya'll. Let me introduce you to my family:
The pictures are not in any particular order, but that will make it randomly fun for you. I do love random things! ;o)

Aunt Judy, Nephew Jace, Sister Leigha

My darling brother and sweet niece Gracie

Cousins!!
More Cousins!!
Second Cousins!!

Niece Gracie, and myself

My Mommy and Daddy

My Brother Chad and I

A Maiden's Quest

2007-10-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

Just this last September, I was priviledged to go to an awesome young ladies retreat called "A Maiden's Quest." Put on by four talented and God honoring young ladies, it truly was delightful. I would to go to another of their retreats in a heartbeat. The website doesn't do it justice though, it is so amazingly good! Some topics included were:

Cultivating a relationship with Jesus Christ

Developing Vision

Delighting in Femininity

Waiting for Prince Charming

Living under the Lordship of Christ

Visit http://www.maidensquestminstries.com for more info.

One of the things I greatly enjoyed at the retreat was when they read Proverbs 31: 10-12: Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil ALL the days of her life.

They began to explain that "all the days of your life" begins on the day you are born, and not the day of your wedding. That was just so interesting to me, because I had never really given it any thought about doing my future husband good and not evil. That means guarding our hearts in due earnest. I mean, why would we willingly want to look on other young men as potential husbands, thereby defrauding our own future husbands of our whole hearts? I can't remember whether it was Katrina Reibsch or Tara Riddell who said this, but one of them said that it is easier to guard your heart when you think that you are pretty much engaged. God has your future all planned, right down to the man you marry, so some day you will be engaged. So instead of 'scouting around,' walk with the attitude of you are already taken. I challenge any girl, (or guy for that matter) reading this, to save their heart for their future spouse! Remember, it is through Christ Alone that we have any strength. Don't try to guard your heart in your own strength, but in the Lord's strength and the power of His might.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Brooke Parsons

Looking Back

2007-10-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all! My blog just left the dark ages! I mean, it actually has pictures now. I have been hearing lately that a blog with pictures is just a better blog. ;o) Following is a collection of photos from our Summer. Consider this a sunshiny rememberence, as we head into the frosty days of Autumn / Winter. ;o) As everyone who lives in Western Washington knows, we have frequent rainstorms 3/4 of the year. A friend just pointed out that Washingtonians truly have an appreciation for the sun. ;o) Goodnight everyone, and God Bless!

~Brooke Parsons~

Sunday Night volleyball after church- July 2007

A portion of our yard / June 2007

The adorable bridge at CYIA

(My cabin is barely visible)

Myself and Hannah on Sunday Night-July

(Right after volleyball)

Beautiful Mount Baker

(taken from the ferry)

That's all folks, hopefully more pictures will be coming soon to a blog near you. ;o)

Thoughts From The Stump

2007-10-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Lonely. Forsaken. That's kind of how I felt yesterday. My Grandma died on September 29, and shortly before that my dad broke his hand; meaning he can't work. So, life has not been an unending source of joy for me lately. But, God has been teaching me that my joy doesn't come from life, but from Him. The Lord is really using this time to stretch me, to teach me to depend on Him, and to draw me closer. In the book of Job, Job talks about being refined, and coming forth as gold. It seems that God is trying that approach on me. :o) Well, I was sitting on a stump in the woods behind our house, vainly trying to memorize scripture and a poem I have been working on. I was kind of low in spirits, because it seemed that no one really cared about me, or wanted to spend time with me. Now, that totally isn't true, but that's the road I let myself wander down. While I was sitting on the stump wallowing in self pity, a thought entered my mind. It was something like "Maybe I could derive some joy if I start thanking God." I mentally noted all the things that I could be thankful for ie; my family, my friends I had seen earlier that day, my books, God's word etc. Amazingly it picked me out of the pit, and God began to speak to me. " For I know my Redeemer lives, and that on the earth again shall stand. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, I will behold Him and not another. O how my heart yearns within me. Job 19:25-27

Oh, that verse was my life line for the rest of the day! God is so amazing. My heart started overflowing with the goodness of God, as verse after verse came to my mind, reminding me of the love of Christ, the goodness of my Heavenly Father.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

The Future

2007-09-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Future. That is to be or come hereafter; that will exist at any time after the present, indefinitely. ~Taken from Webster's 1828 dictionary

What is this all mysterious future? Is it just the time 2 hours from now, 2 days from now, 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years from now? What will I be doing? What things will be different? These questions have pestered me for a few years now. I am one of those people who spends a lot of time thinking about my future, just wondering. Sometimes it fills me with a secret fear, because I don't want anything to change, yet I know nothing will stay the same. Then I worry about my life; what directions will it take? What will I be doing 10 years from now? Wait! God hasn't told me yet, so what will I do?? And on the list goes. But, in the midst of my doubt and fear, God comforts me. What a faithful God He is, sending me promises like: * I will never leave you nor forsake you... *I know the plans I have for you... *The LORD is near to all who call upon Him...

And just this morning I was turning the pages in our hymn book, when I came across a hymn titled *"He Leadeth Me." What fear need I have when:

"He leadeth me! O blessed thought! O words with heav'nly comfort fraught! Whate'er I do, where'er I be, still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me."

My attitude rather should be like this:

"Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine, Nor ever murmur nor repine; Content whatever lot I see, Since 'tis my God that leadeth me."

How sweet to know that though the future is unknown territory to me, God holds the map, and promises to be my compass, (and my trail guide!) the whole way. Yes! Content! No matter what lot I see, because it is my great and awesome God who leads me! Oh, there will be times when this does not seem at all clear to me, and I begin to doubt and fear. But God is faithful, and He knows the way that I take.

Following In His Steps,

~Brooke

P.S. On a bit lighter note, I am memorizing "My Heart Will Go On", the theme song from the movie "Titanic." "Be Thou My Vision" is coming along quickly, just for you Grandma!

(1.) Hebrews 13:5a (2.) Jeremiah 29:11 (3.) Psalm 145:18a (4.) He Leadeth Me by Joseph H. Gilmore - verse 1 & 3

Note: My Grandma passed away September 29th, 2007, and I played, "Be Thou My Vision" for her funeral while my cousins, Emily, Janine, and Amanda sang.

End of Summer Cleaning?

2007-08-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

Guess how I have been using my freetime the last two weeks? Cleaning! Actually, I have been de-cluttering, and organizing our hallway and two attic closets. The garage is coming soon. ;o)

It has been a very, uhm, unique undertaking to say the least. So far approximately 6 large garbage bags have moved from our house to the dumpster! We now boast an organized hallway, and two semi-organized attics. My parent's attic was slightly more difficult, as mommy has 25 years worth of 'special' things stored.

Following is a list of interesting items located in our closets:

1) Mouse traps!
2) Porcelain nick-nick high heels, and one doubles as an exotic pin cushion!
3) A bag of brain teasers that my aunts have faithfully bought daddy every year for Christmas.
4)Miscellaneous papers that have no purpose.

After it was all over, my mommy gave me this really quaint old music box that looks like a cottage / water wheel. It is really cute and well made. I love it!!

And, now that all the organizing is done I get to dig into my school work. Algebra 1, History, Science, Spanish, Piano, Violin (Lord willing!), and Canning!

Well, we're supposed to be going out to dinner with my great-uncle Bruce tonight, so... it's time to go.

In Christ, Brooke

We Are Servants!

2007-08-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

To Be a Servant =Service to Others

I wrote this for an assignment last March. This has been something that the Lord has been laying on my heart this year.

In your minds eye you see a hill in front of you. There stands a cross with a man hanging upon it. A man who was a servant in the truest sense of the word; Jesus Christ. For though I am free from all men, yet I made myself a servant, that I might gain the more.
1 Corinthians 9:19

You could say this verse was Jesus’ mission statement. He was a holy King who lived in beautiful heaven, but humbled himself to come to earth and hang on that cross for us.

Another picture flashes before your eyes. A tired man climbs into a boat and heads across a lake for needed rest with his followers. When he reaches the other side, he is unexpectedly met with a large group of people clamoring for his teaching. He lays aside his own needs to care for them. This and many other accounts tell of his selflessness. Yes, Jesus was a servant.

If you look at the characteristics of a servant, Jesus possessed them all. He was humble, gentle, patient, self-controlled, and conducted his life with peace.

It is not an easy thing to do; this becoming a servant, living with joy in every circumstance and dying to ourselves to serve others. But he who gave his life for others has promised: “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” John 12:26

In June, I wrote a poem about this topic as well. Being a servant does not come easily to me. Often I just want what I want, and tend to forget that I am here to serve others, not myself. It is something that God has been teaching me. (Most diligently I should say!) :

A Servant

A servant, Lord Jehovah let me be:
Someone who reaches out to help men see.
Although the way be rough and lonely,
Help me find my joy in serving only.

The hard and dismal tasks;
“Give to me!” is what my heart asks.
Give the strength and joy to carry on;
Take my pride, my will be gone.

To be a servant for my Lord!
Far better than any golden hoard.
“For in finding more of you and less of me,
I will find the person You want me to be.”

Marathon Thursday

2007-08-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

Hello! Isn't it a lovely day?

Today was our marathon shopping day. Every Thursday, my mom and I make the 1 hour trek to Olympia for groceries, appointments, etc. This is also the day I take piano lessons, teach piano lessons, and take swimming lessons. ;o)

Gracie (my 6 year old niece) is still staying with us, so that made the day a bit longer. "Hey Grandma, when will we get to..." "Aunt B? You will play with me when we get home right?? We'll play outside together?" Ya'll get the picture, right? ;o)

Teaching piano was so fun today. The 7 year old little boy that I teach is really fun! Today we had extra time, so he told me a short, yet interesting tale entitled, "The Experiment Gone Wrong." It was a gory boy story about several bloodthirsty rabbits living in a forest. He told me all about their unique adventures. (which all involved killing by the way.) It really was cute though, so I told him he should write it all down. "Uhm" he said thoughtfully, "I can't write very well." Trying to cheer him on I told him he would learn to write very soon. "But I'll forget my story by then!" he wailed

So, I offered to write it for him, and I am now sucked into penning the words of an imaginative 7 yr. old. ;o) Well, I need to get some sleep now. Tomorrow is another day of club, and that afternoon I am going to the Kempton's house to learn the art of canning. Mrs. Kempton is planning an all night canning party. Poses to be interesting.

~Brooke

P.S. I am learning the hymns from the hymnbook right now. This week I am playing "Be Thou My Vision." Guess what? I'm hoping to begin Fiddle lessons in the fall! As far as memorization goes, I am learning Psalm 119 this summer!

Clubs, Cookies, and Craziness

2007-08-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

This week is pretty crazy because my 6 year old niece, Gracie, is staying the week with us, and I'm teaching 5-Day club all week long as well. In case any of you are wondering what a 5-Day club is, I'll give you the general description. ;o) They are taught by teens trained through Child Evangelism Fellowship, and they run for about 1 1/2 hours every day. We teach the children Bible stories, sing Bible songs, memorize scripture, hear missions stories, play review games, and witness to the children using the wordless book. We also give invitations ( to accept Christ) at the end of every Bible lesson. They are very time consuming, (lot's of planning to do) but this one is especially difficult because it is mostly toddlers. ;o) I really have to go over the preschool section, and fit the lesson to it. Gracie loves it, and says she is having a good time. I asked her to tell my blog friends something about club. She says: "If they don't trust in God, they can learn about God at club. We played Tic-Tac-Toe."

I am baking cookies for club right now, and my mommy is telling me to dry dishes. So... I must take leave of all of you. Have a jolly day! COME TO CLUB!!!

~Brooke

P.S. This Friday, I get to do an all night canning session at the Kempton's house. That should be a unique experience, as I get really sleepy nearing midnight, and I have never canned tuna (or anything) before. Saturday I'm hoping to get some swimming in up at the lake with Elizabeth Shoemaker. On the schedule for Sunday is my cousin's baby shower in Oregon, church, and Sunday night party at Endicott's house. ;o) Yup, I sure am busy this week. ;o)

A Trip To Holland

2007-08-05T23:01:00.000-07:00

No, not really. But I wish!! Our family vacations in a quaint Dutch town in Northwest Washington every summer. Lynden is approx. 25 minutes from the Canadian border. It was originally settled by Dutch immigrants, and most of the current inhabitants have strong Dutch roots. What brings us there, (most of my family knows this, but not many of my friends do) is the annual Puget Sound Antique Tractor and Machinery Association's Steam and Tractor Show. (Wow! That's sort of a long name. We just say "goin' to Lynden") My daddy and both of my uncles inherited steam yarders (used in logging) when my grandfather passed away, and my dad does most of the 'events' with them. For this one though, my dad helps one of my grandfathers old friends, Bob Sorenson, run a steam powered saw mill. It's pretty interesting to watch! Bob's saw mill is set up year round in Berthusen Park on the outskirts of Lynden. The family joke is that daddy works harder on vacation then he does the rest of the year. ;o) So... while daddy is working, my mom and I explore the town, do a little early Christmas shopping, and have a jolly time. ;o)

One thing that kind of bugged me though was the fact that I didn't get to play my piano before we left. I thought, "Oh, it's okay. I'm sure I'll come across a piano in our travels." Sure enough, on our trips through the unique little shops, I saw several rare, old, and very beautiful pianos. My fingers itched to play, but upon further inspection there was always a neat little sign saying, "Please do not touch." Drats. And I actually believed that there would be a nice piano to play!! Oh well, not the end of the world by any means. For any one that is interested I am currently learning "Be Thou My Vision", "Unchained Melody", and "Canon in D." So far I have Canon in D memorized! Yeah! Speaking of memorization, some friends of ours and I are racing to see who can memorize Psalm 119 first this summer. (They are probably winning.)

Talk to ya'll later! ~Brooke