Scribes & Archers

Let it be said that Julia at Lit Aflame takes the cake for best birthday emails to her newsletter people ever. They’re stuffed full of her lovely humor, and they include… an entire blog tag? (And that’s just the first email.) If you had any doubt that Julia’s newsletter would be awesome, this should quell that fear. (But you should sign up because Julia’s awesome, not just because she’ll make you feel awesome on your birthday. ;) ) Anywho… there’s a blog tag. So I’m going to do said blog tag. Enjoy. :)

RULES:

~ Link back to the Creator of the tag (Done)

~ Answer the questions!

~ Have FUN!!!!

 

THE QUESTIONS:

1. How old are you turning?

Seventeen. I’ve actually felt seventeen for a while and almost told people I’m seventeen when they asked how old I am. Time and I have a strange relationship.

2. What’s your favorite thing about Birthdays?

CAKE. No, I’m kidding. They’re an excuse to actually get friends together to hang out, which isn’t something I get to do very often because it’s really difficult for my family to have people over. But this is a time there’s more push to work around that and figure something out, and I really enjoy getting to spend time with my handful of friends. :)

3. What’s your favorite Birthday meal?

I don’t really have one. *shrugs* Although last year I had an entire hobbit feast throughout the day, and that was pretty cool.

4. Favorite Birthday Dessert?

Cheesecake. Hands down.

5. What’s your favorite Birthday memory?

Two years ago, my sister was going to make me a blue cheesecake because we thought it would be cool, and I like blue, and for the Percy Jackson reference. When she was doing it, though, my mom suggested it would look better if she marbled it blue instead of doing the whole thing, but what ended up happening was all the coloring ended up bunched in the middle of the top of the cheesecake, which then browned over. It still tasted just fine, but it looked, to quote a friend of mine, “like moldy pizza.” And then we also forgot to get it out of the freezer early enough, so it was half frozen and murdered several of our plastic spoons, which spawned a whole conversation about spoonicide and spoon murder and fun stuff like that. ;) So that cake was very entertaining.

WAIT. NO. For my thirteenth birthday, my mom put together a book of memories and encouragement for me from friends and family, things like how they remembered my birth, or from when I was little, or what they most love about me… I cried. It was incredibly thoughtful and encouraging. I need to dig that out and dust it off and read it again.

6. Worst Birthday memory?

I don’t have a whole lot of bad birthday memories, so I’m returning to the cake (maybe I lied when I said that wasn’t actually my favorite part) and giving a not-so-bad bad memory. For my seventh birthday we had a tea party, and my mom made a (very impressive) tea-pot shaped cake, but she made it with fondant and the fondant was nasty, so we had to peel the cake out of the fondant before eating it. Which is a very minor inconvenience, looking back, but it sticks in my brain for some reason.

7. If you could do ANYTHING on your Birthday, what would you do?

I’d spend it going on miniature adventures and just hanging out with friends. Going out for Sweet Frog, exploring the local walking mall, playing board games, going swimming up to and after dark, and stargazing somewhere there isn’t as much light pollution and we can actually hunt out constellations.

8. If you could get anything for a gift, what would you ask for?

My own room, I think.

9. What’s your favorite Birthday gift you’ve ever gotten?

See #5b

10. What does a typical Birthday day look like for you?

Like any other day, with the addition of birthday messages and Facebook posts.

11. What are your plans for today?

Mostly writing stuff. I have five different writing projects represented on my to-do list for today. XD A short story I’m writing for a contest (which I may need to totally overhaul; we’ll see if the unlikable protagonist works or not), The Shadow Raven, Calligraphy Guild (Asian-inspired fantasy novel), Caithan (fantasy short story), and The Half-Elves.

12. Any plans for the future?  What do you want to do (as in career, etc)?

I want to be an author– *collective gasp* –and a youth music minister. Maybe also an editor; I waffle back and forth on that one due to imposter syndrome. XP As far as the next year, though, my biggest plans are to go on a New York trip with the other choir seniors, go to Realm Makers, go on an out-of-country graduation trip with my dad, and go to camp (probably this year as a counselor; I’m not sure what the cutoff is). And to graduate. And publishing Slander & Steel would be cool.

13. Choose three B-day resolutions!

1. Don’t slack off on the harder writing projects on the to-do list (mostly The Shadow Raven)

2. Enjoy today

3. Reread my birthday book thing

14. How do you want to see God work in your life?

Over the coming year? I’m hoping He’ll grow me in leadership; I was team leader at camp, and that was a great experience and a great challenge, but I know there are things I should have done better, and I’d like more opportunities to practice and get better.

I’d also like to be more confident and depend on God more; I tend to get caught up in what I can or can’t do at a given moment instead of asking God to help me where I struggle, and I tend to put a desire for human relationships above a desire to grow closer to God, so I’d like to get better at putting God first over the next year.