Why You Need To Watch Girl Meets World

     A few weeks ago my appendix ruptured and I spent a while in the hospital, a while at my parents house, and a few days at my grandparents house. I also spent a lot of time watching TV, mostly Girl Meets World. Let me just tell you, that you need to watch it. First of all I love Boy Meets World and if you love BMW I promise you will love GMW if for no other reason than all of the BMW alum and references. It's just a good show. I watched Girl Meets Rileytown last night...talk about a for real episode. I cried. It's entertaining and addresses real issues such as bullying. It's also funny and witty, unlike most kids shows these days. All of the actors and actresses are adorable and if you don't ship Maya with Josh you're a liar. Josh...another reason to watch. Uriah Shelton...enough said. So there....I pushed it, go watch it!

All My Harry Potter Lists

     Last night I finished reading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows for the first time. I have now read all of the books...and let me tell you, I cried for a good 15 minutes after I finished the books. I've read tons of book series and hundreds upon hundreds of books in my lifetime, and yet no books series quite attached itself to my heart the way this one has. It physically aches me that it's over. So in order to ease the pain of finishing Harry Potter I decided to make some Harry Potter related lists. I also put a limit on 10 for each list because there are so many.

List One - Favorite Characters (In Order)

1. Fred Weasley

2. Neville Longbottom

3. Minerva McGonagall

4. Molly Weasley

5. Ginny Weasley

6. Ron Weasley

7. Arthur Weasley

8. Hermione Granger

9. George Weasley

10. Luna Lovegood

List Number Two - Brave Men (other than Snape) Harry could have named his son after.

I'm making this list because even when all was said and done maybe I felt more sympathy for Snape or whatever...but I still didn't like him, and there were so many other brave men in Harry's life, braver than Snape, that he could have named Albus Severous after.

1. Fred Weasley

2. Remus Lupin

3. Hagrid (I mean THIS MAN!)

4. Neville Longbottom

5. Frank Longbottom (maybe he didn't actually know him but still)

6. Arthur

7. Dobby...he could have a child named Dobby!

8. Cedric Diggory!

9. Colin Creevey

10. Madeye

I was going to make a list called People That Could Have Died Instead of Fred but I decided againts it for fear. Seriously though,,,,WHY FRED?!?! Okay I hope you enjoyed it a little but and maybe I'll get over my pain eventually.

Book Asks

I haven't written a blog in a bit...and while I have some swirling around in my head this is just for fun. Maybe you'll get some good recommendations out of it. Who knows.

1: What's the first book you can remember reading as a child? Little Critter and The Nutcracker...I made my parents read me the Nutcracker every night for months.

2: Do you have any playlists you listen to while reading? Not playlists...I tend to listen to piano guys or Ed Sheeran though for reading music. Most of the time I don't listen to any music, I just read.

3: Where's your favorite place to read? I actually prefer tables or desks...but I love reading in a huge chair wrapped in a warm fluffy blanket.

4: Have you ever recommended a book that ruined someone else's life? What was it? I got my dad to read The Hunger Games....he hasn't quite been the same since Mockingjay, haha.

5: Which book had the greatest impact on your life? This is a tie between 3 different books (other than the Bible). The first one would be Hope Was Here by Joan Buar I don't know how to explain it but even when I read that book now I feel excited and hopeful. I feel like that book taught me that a completely ordinary girls can go through hell and still be okay and still accomplish something great and follow her dreams. The second Anne of Green Gables for obvious reasons (hello I am Carrots), just the lessons that I learned. It gave me a great role model, taught me to use my imagination and strength, that I can do things on my own, and so much more. Beyond The Soiled Curtain if you don't know my passion is to fight Human Trafficking and this book just broke me. It made me more passionate and opened my eyes and understanding to what I could potentially be getting myself in to.

6: Which author would you be thrilled to go out for coffee with? oh my gravy so many... June Rae Wood, Joan Buar, Mildred D Taylor, JK Rowling, Rick Riordan...Kevin Brooks for sure!
7: What questions would you ask your favorite author given the chance? I think more than anything I want to hear their personal stories and what first inspired them to write. Hear stories about the real life people that inspired their characters.
8: Which character can you relate to most? I honestly don't know...I'll go with Delrita Jensen from Turtle On A Fence Post just because that's who popped into my head first.

9: Do you have a goodreads account? yes I do.

10: Do you read fanfiction? read it, write it....ya know

11: Do you watch any booktubers? no I do not.

12: What's the prettiest book cover you've seen? I'm in love with the cover of Impossible by Nancy Werlin

13: Have you ever met any authors in person? I haven't but when I was in middle school I wrote and received 3 or 4 letters to and from June Rae Wood.

14: If you had to switch lives with one book character, who would it be? Caitlin from Lucas just because I feel like even though she has a rough life she gets to spend time with such an incredible person and that would be cool. or Hermione....now that would be stinking awesome.

15: If you were to live in any universe from books you've read, which would it be? The Percy Jackson universe for sure.

16: What is the absolute worst book you've ever read? Journey to The Center of The Earth I just hated it so much

17: Preferred reading format-- ebooks, physical books, or both? Physical but that's mainly because my eyes are bad and it hurts them to read e-books

18: When is the best time to read a book (in your opinion)? I don't have a specific time I would recommend reading....just whenever when you're in the mood for it.

19: Which books are at the top of your tbr list for 2015? Harry Potter, yeah I know...I haven't actually read them yet. Barbed Wire Butterflies, Two Kissed For Maddy, God In A Brothel, Living Like Lions, Full Circle, The Crooked Mirror, and that's just the beginning of the list.

20: Which movie adaptations of a book were actually amazing and which made you cringe? The Hunger Games did well, and even though it was nothing like the book I actually really liked the movie version of The Giver. I absolutely hated the movie adaption of Percy Jackson but I'm kind of in love with Jake Abel so what can a girl do? My Sister's Keeper was horrible too! Seriously...ya'll killed the wrong kid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

21: What are your top 3 books of 2014? I don't actually think that any of them came out in 2014 but they are my top 3 books that I read in 2014 for the first time! Imposter by Susanne Winnacker, Sometimes God Has a Kid's Face by Bruce Ritter, and A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers

Hope you enjoyed it and maybe found some books to read :)

~ Carrots

Ron Weasley Is My Security Blanket

            I hate breaks (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc.) for two reasons…or rather I hate two things about breaks. I hate leaving for break and I hate coming back break. I hate leaving for break because I hate saying goodbye. I don’t like leaving people behind…I spend every single day with these people. They are a part of my life. We work, eat, play, and grow together. Sometimes, I think I’m too attached to people because I barely know how to function without them. So, I hate leaving for break because I don’t like leaving people…I cried at the airport dropping people off. I cried hugging people goodbye at church. Heck, I even cried when I didn’t get to tell someone I don’t even like goodbye. Even if I don’t like you I’ll miss you because I don’t remember how to do life without you. Then inevitably I spend the first 2-3 days of break lamenting my loneliness and feeling empty and alone.

            Then I start loving being on break. Having no responsibilities, not having to worry about other people’s problems, not being in charge of anything; just being at home with the people I love the most and enjoying spending time with them. I’m very close to my family and I love doing things like daddy-daughter dates to Quick Trip, having tea parties with my sister, and helping my mom with unruly school kids. I enjoy family dinners, playing with my animals, reading books, and watching movies. I enjoy being part of a family again. I miss it. I miss being with my parents and sister, I miss them so much it hurts sometimes. I miss being a big sister. Sometimes distance and responsibilities at HAO make me feel like I’m not being the best big sister ever. I miss my little sis. Yet during break I was able to give her my complete undivided attention and attend the first Orchestra concert of hers that I’ve been to in almost 3 years! She is fabulous. I just loved being home. It was great and I suddenly didn’t want to go back. I wanted to stay home with my family and friends. I wanted to be normal and just got to school or whatever. I even asked my best friend from back in Missouri if she would pack up my room for me…she told me no. I told her I didn’t want to come back because I was scared and nervous. I was homesick and all kinds of things. Then I told her that I would come back unless she got me Ron Weasley because if I had Ron everything would be okay and I could handle all of the stress.

            Needless to say I went back. It was what I was supposed to do, but that didn’t make it easy. I missed my parents and sister. I missed home…plus this time saying goodbye to Kansas was real. This time I knew I would never be coming back for more than occasional visits and that’s a tough place to be in. I got back to my house and loaded everything in. Mumbled hello to my housemates that had returned before and went to my room. I turned on my light and found that my room was completely covered in pictures of Ron Weasley. COVERED! I counted around over 20 (so obviously not all of them are shown here). I just started laughing and suddenly I was okay with being back. The fact that I have friends that love and care about enough to spend time cutting out and taping up pictures of Ron all over my room/bathroom just to make feel better made me realize how lucky I am. So what if it’s difficult, stressful, or away from my family. It’s where I’m supposed to be. It’s where I want to be. Ron Weasley is my security blanket because it took me a bunch of tiny Rons all over my room to make feel like I was home. Where I belong. As to what it means about my feelings toward Ron Weasley…maybe just a bit obsessed but who cares. I have the best friends in the world and thanks to them I have the best room too.

~ Carrots

Why I Want To Be Anne Shirley

     "If you could be any fictional character who would you be and why?" Just one of the many questions written down on the many index cards in a pile on my living room floor. My housemates and I have spent many hours playing The Question Game because we're nerds that love ice breakers and love talking about ourselves. This is the question I have been waiting for. Anything about books or fictional character I've got in the bag. So why am I suddenly staring at this question like a deer in the headlights? This should be easy say a name and give a reason. But I think...no this is important. This is me telling everyone who I wish I was. Who I want to be. Who I dream about becoming. This defines me. I think of every girl, teenager, and even woman that I have heard answer this question with things like, "I want to be Bella Swan." All I can think when people say that is why? Why would you want to be Bella Swan? Or girls that want to be Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, or Snow White. What makes you want to be them? Is it because of the guys they get? Their beauty? The "happily ever after"? What is it that makes being them so appealing? Don't get me wrong I love Disney Princess movies...my personal favorites are Tangled and Mulan but come on. Snow White ran away and lived with men she didn't know and then fell into a trap rendering her helpless until a man she didn't know kissed her. Exact same scenario with Sleeping Beauty minus the men, instead she lives with magical grandmothers. Cinderella, I love watching Cinderella....Cinderella 3 is actually pretty speculator. But, I have never wanted to be her. She marries a guy that didn't even recognize her until she had on a certain article of clothing. So I thought who would I want to be a why? Hermione Granger would be a good choice...but no that's a little too far fetched, plus I mean I've been a fan of Harry Potter for exactly 3 months. Mulan? I mean come on she saved an entire country, but I would really rather not be a Disney Princess. I want it to be someone I've read about, watched, and admired since childhood. Someone realistic. Someone real...as real as a fictional character can be. Someone who when I have daughters of my own I'll feel comfortable handing them her books and movies and saying here...when you play make believe, believe you are her. I pray my daughters never wish to become Bella Swan. So I thought, and as you can probably guess, I would be Anne Shirley.

     Anne Shirley is as real as any fictional character can be. She has flaws, oh does she have flaws. She has family problems (she doesn't have a family until Matthew and Marilla). She deals with insecurities about her appearance. All she wants is to be loved, appreciated, accepted, and taken care of. She's a dreamer. She's misunderstood...she is essentially a real emotional girl. She finds a family and they love her for her and through their love she comes to understand her value and worth. She is physically a beautiful woman and after she struggles with her red hair she learns to accept it as part of what makes her beautiful. Plus I love gingers and kind of want to be a ginger to the red hair for me would be bonus points of being Anne Shirley. She is so incredibly smart. She is smart and she doesn't hide it or play dumb. She excels at school, does her very best, gets an education, and uses that education to better herself and help other people. She is bold. Anne Shirley is never timid about what she believes or wants...and yes she should learn some tact but at least she doesn't let people walk all over her. She is strong so strong! She overcomes, adjusts, heals, and is restored always coming to the other side of a trail as victorious and not a victim! If we're going to venture away from the books and strictly into the movies she traveled the freaking globe in order to find and save her husband. Woman kicked some butt! Look at the books, she is still just as amazing and strong even without plowing through war torn lands.
     She doesn't need a man. Granted she end up with the perfect  man aka Gilbert Blythe and everything in me ached for her to end up with him sooner than she did, she still didn't spend every waking minute of her life fawning over him, (like I do, ha-ha.) Do I wish she would have spent a little more time fawning over him and less time holding a grudge over being called Carrots? Yes, yes I do. Besides, we all know Gil is another reason why I would want to be Anne. But, between breaking his heart, him breaking her heart, them becoming friends, dating other people, being single, becoming best friends, falling in love, and accept the falling in love she lived her life. She did not determine her life based upon Gil and what he was doing. Even when she was hurting over him she lived. She went to school got a job, and touched the lives of those around her. She took care of Marilla, and even bettered herself for marriage. Then yes she does marry a man and falls helplessly in love and that is NOT a bad thing it's an amazing thing...but she did it at the right time and she never needed him to determine her worth. She was confident in who she was as an individual and that's what we need before we need a man.

     She also had a great best friend. They were so different but they loved and cared about each other. Every girl needs a bosom friend that will be there no matter what and she had that! They weren't catty or gossipy or got jealous. They were friends. They recognized strength and weaknesses and instead of shaming or bragging the helped, encouraged, and strengthened. That's how friendship is supposed to work! Sure they had their problems  but they got through it. They did things too! More than just sit around and talk about boys. They went on adventures, they read books, and wrote...oh my goodness Anne and Dianna are the epitome of the friendship that I want to have and want my daughters to have too. They valued each other and didn't throw one another under the bus.

     Things I want to do that Anne does or that I admire. Reasons I want to be here (basically a repeat with different words.) She is book smart and street smart, she is bold, she's a published author (my dream!), she's beautiful, she's strong, she's passionate, she's independent, she knows how to have a great friendship, she's an amazing mother, she gets Gilbert Blythe I mean hello, she takes care of her family, she has her head on straight, she's a ginger, her vocabulary is extensive and impressive, amazing imagination, she chases her dreams, she makes things happen, she loves deeply, she is loved deeply, she leaves an impression on everyone she meets, people don't forget her, she is mesmerizing, and she stands her ground. She is who I've wanted to be since I was a little girl.
     When I have daughters I will hand them books because I want them to read. I want them to fall in love with books, characters, and go on adventures just as I have. However, I will be selective in their reading. I don't want to raise daughters that think Bella Swan is a role model. Or daughters that just sit around accomplishing nothing while they wait for their "prince to come". I don't want them to attract the Edward Cullens, Christian Greys, and Prince Charmings of the world. I want my daughters to imagine themselves being strong and courageous. I want to raise daughters that go outside and pretend to be Hermione Granger, Cassie Logan, and Anne Shirley. I want them to attract the Ron Weasleys, Gilbert Blythes, and Moes of the world. I want to be Anne Shirley, Hermione, or Cassie. I want to be Mulan. I say this because what we read and see shapes our very being. The first fictional character we fall in love with we will always be in love with. The first heroine we read about is who we will try to become. I don't know about you but I want to be strong, brave, confident, and a world changer. So if I would be any fictional character...I would be Anne Shirley and that's why. Want to know a secret? I am.

~ Carrots

“Oh, it's delightful to have ambitions. I'm so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them-- that's the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.” 
― L.M. Monstgomery, Anne Of Green Gables