While I should be studying for finals right now (I did wake up insanely early just to get started on that), I decided to plan out my Christmas break instead.

And...truth be told, I will be keeping myself busy this break! How, you might ask? Well, I've decided to start writing another novel! I know that it's going to take longer than my first, mainly because I won't have a deadline this time, as well as the fact that I won't be co-writing it, but I'm rather excited to write a novel that I can completely claim as my own.

I have a notebook of ideas that I jotted down during my sophomore year of high school. I keep the notebook at home for future reference (I'm now a junior in college), so now seems to be the right time for me to explore my old ideas. I have a general idea for what I want to write about, so this entry is really just a means of holding me to my plans. I'll try and keep everyone updated on my characters and plot-lines as they come to me.

As of now, I believe the genre is going to be sci-fi/fantasy, which should be interesting. We shall see how that works out. I've been watching lots of Star Trek episodes and Star Wars movies to get into the general feel of it all. Oh, and I'm rereading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, so that should be helpful as well.

Well, I should probably start studying for my finals now. Ah well.

I admit it: I like to read posts on Xanga. A lot. Basically, that's what I do when I'm on the computer and A) don't want to work on homework, B) it's summer, and/or C) no-one is on Facebook. Consequently, I discover a lot of fascinating posts that attract my interest. Hence, this post. No, I did not come up with this theme. The theme I must attribute to RockinRita on Healthkicker, so thanks, even though I don't think she will ever read this.

And now on with the positives and negatives about me. Let's begin with the negatives!

Five Negatives:

1. I'm very introverted.

Okay, so this didn't used to be a negative, but ever since I started college it quickly spiraled into one of my worst qualities. Apparently, at college introversion = snobbery. I am not a snob, trust me on this. I love people with a passion. I honestly can't think of anyone in my life that I've ever hated. My issue is that I can only handle so much social interaction before my brain shuts down. I wish I could change this about myself, but as hard as I try, it doesn't work. So, I live with it as best as I can.

2. I'm emotional.

I need to learn how to control my emotions, and yes, I am working on it. Maybe it's just the female (sorry for the stereotype, but it's true, right?) in me, but I get far too excited when something good happens in my life and far too depressed when something goes wrong. I'm usually fairly good at hiding it though, so I guess that's a plus.

3. I'm a Facebook addict.

Enough said. Yes, I am one of those annoying people who posts song statuses as well. Haha.

4. I'm not very confident in myself.

This is my worst fault, I think. I have been working on my confidence for what feels like my whole life, and I have reached milestones in which I felt incredibly confident, but every time something happens that attacks my confidence, I feel like I have to start all over again. It's rather frustrating actually.

5. I've always known what I wanted to do with my life.

'What?,' you ask, 'how could that be a fault?'. Trust me, it is. I constantly set goals and if I don't achieve them, it's disastrous. So far, very few of the goals that I set for myself at the start of college have come true. In fact, I don't think any of them have. This could explain why I'm not very satisfied with my life right now. For someone with such an optimistic nature, it's really painful to deal with unmet expectations.

Five Positives:

1. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.

This was the best decision of my life. Everyone, everything, and every experience in my life thus far I owe to Jesus. He's amazing, and yes, that's an understatement.

2. I love my friends and family.

I love that God created me as someone who will always love the people in my life. I figure that every person, whether I've only met them once or I've known them for my whole life, was placed there for a reason, so I should be grateful.

3. I've never been in a relationship.

This has taken me a long, long time to think of as a positive, but recently I've come to the realization that the longer I wait, the sweeter it will be. Someday God will place the right person in my life, and it will be beyond wonderful. Until that time, I will remain faithful to my future love.

4. I'm passionate.

When I love something, or someone for that matter, I will go above and beyond the call. This may very well be why I am responsible, caring, and helpful. Passion is often underrated, but I think it is definitely an admirable quality.

5. I love to learn, and I'm good at it!

Reading, writing, science, music, foreign languages...you name it, and I love it...except math, unfortunately. Haha.

That was really entertaining. Now it's your turn! What are your positive and negative traits? Oh, and if you liked this blog entry, please leave a comment! :)

“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” –Proverbs 31:10

The most vivid memory that I can recall of my grandmother comes from a July 4^th celebration when I was very young.

My grandmother always loved the fourth of July, mainly because it was my grandpa’s birthday and his favorite holiday.

When I was little, the entire Donnelly side of the family congregated at my uncle’s house and lit fireworks, although these rendezvous sadly stopped before I was old enough to light my own sparkler.

This particular Fourth of July was memorable, although I never understood why, until now.

Like most memories, I remember short snapshots and images from that night: my cousin, Cameron, lighting his first sparkler, my mom holding me in her lap so I didn’t run off and light myself on fire, the many colors flashing before my wondering eyes, and my grandmother holding my hand as we walked back into the house that evening.

I very vividly recall her squeezing my hand, kneeling down to look me in the eye, and saying, “Corinne, look up at the sky.”

When I followed her pointing finger with wide eyes, I gaped at the giant full moon that stared down on us, lighting up the sky in a beautiful stream of color.

Grandma smiled and continued. “Look carefully because this is the last time that there will be a full moon on the Fourth of July until you are an old woman.” I’m sure I gasped in wonder, but I can’t say for sure. My memory grows hazy from that point on. But this was an intimate moment that stuck with me through the years and that I will now hold onto for the rest of my days.

Although it was so long ago, I thank God for this memory, particularly now. My grandma died this Sunday, the Fourth of July, after dealing with many health complications concerning her heart. She lived a long and happy life and is now with the Lord, as well as her late first husband, her sisters, my dad, and so many others that she had lost along the way.

What I loved most about my grandma was that she was very strong-willed. This at times could be incredibly frustrating, but most of the time it was endearing. Her strength kept me in the family, despite the death of my dad. Her persistence brought most of the family together every Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior, no matter how far away we may have been from each other, both physically and emotionally. She was the strong pillar of the Donnelly family through the ups and downs of life.

One of the last coherent conversations that we had with each other was about my future. Grandma Delores was so selfless and she cared so much about her family. She always gave me such great advice, which I will sorely miss. I vaguely remember her mentioning to me when I was thirteen or so that she intended to be alive to see all of her granddaughters get married, which frankly scared me at the time (I’m the youngest Donnelly), but now I sort of wish had come to pass. I know though that as time goes by, these things will become less pressing, especially with the knowledge that Grandma is in a better place now, a place with no more hospitals, no more pain, and no more heartbreak. She lived an inspiring life and her legacy will be passed on for generations to come.

"Through my grandmother's eyes, I can see more clearly the way things used to be, the way things ought to be, and most important of all, the way things really are." –Ed Cunningham