Feb 22, 2010

The King's Daughter Part III

Hello Readers! Here is the ending to the story that you all have been anticipating:

The King's throne room was huge with crimson, velvet carpeting and curtains. Intricate embroidered tapestries hung on the walls, and the marble that made up the floor had gold veins stretching through the slabs. A large golden throne was the centerpiece of the room while smaller silver chairs were lined along the red carpet. The King sat on his throne, and his royal advisers sat in the silver chairs. The people in front of Lilian stood impatiently in line to hold an audience with the King. As Lillian waited patiently, she noticed a lonely, unoccupied throne that was studded with jewels next to the King's. She asked the man in front of her about this, and he replied, "oh, that is the former Queen's place. She died a long time ago. The King probably does not have the heart to remove it."
Lillian became uneasy; it was her turn next. Although she was nervous, Lillian stood confidently in front of the King. With a firm tone, she said, "Your Majesty, I am ashamed to say that I do not have an offering of fruit or chicken for your table, but alas, I come empty handed. I have overheard earlier this day, that the man with whom I have been living with was not my father as he claimed to be, and that he might have helped plan the kidnapping of your daughter!" The advisers gasped and one said, "It cannot be, Your Majesty. With all do respect, this girl is obviously a liar!"
"Begging your pardon, but I am not lying. What I say is the truth!" she defended.
The King stood saying, "If you are telling the truth, lead me, child, to where this man who has concealed the truth to you, rests his head to-night."
That night a small girl led a whole band of troops to the tiny apartment where Raphael slept.
"This is the place, I presume," the King whispered in her ear. Lillian nodded.
"Perhaps, it would be prudent if you return to the palace." Lillian, although disappointed, did as she was told.
"Open the door in the name of the King!" cried one of the soldiers. The racket awakened Raphael and Tibias. Tibias looked at his master and ringed his hands nervously. "We are trapped!" Tibias exclaimed, and before Raphael could reply soldiers stormed into the room, surrounded them, and pinned their hands behind their backs. The King strutted over to the captives. He looked surprised when he saw his brother.
"What right do you have to treat me this way?" Raphael glanced at his brother furiously. "I am a prince, and a prince should not be treated in such a way. I deserve the throne not my brother; he is not fit to rule!" he screamed.
"Raphael, who is the King's brother, has two charges against you," an adviser announced.
"I knew I would catch you someday! Now where is my daughter? Has any harm come to her?" The King demanded.
"No, she is well," Tibias said.
"Don't you dare say anything, Tibias!" Raphael's eyes were bloodshot and red.
"She's working at the palace as a maid, not knowing that she is a princess," Tibias confessed. "Her name is Lillian!"
The King asked further questions, but Raphael remained silent.
"Very well. Take them away. We shall settle their sentences later."
The very next day, while Lillian was washing some dishes in the kitchen, Madam scurried in excitedly. "My dear, my dear!" she cried sweetly. "We must have you dressed."
Amy came in hearing the excitement. "What is wrong?" she asked Lillian. Lillian shrugged.
"I cannot tell you, Your Majesty, but I must ask you to accept my apology for mistreating you," Madam said.
Lillian was taken aback by the statement. "Your Majesty?" she and Amy said in unison.
"You need to meet with the King immediately. It is of utmost importance," Madam smiled mysteriously. "Haven't you have anything other than your uniform?"
Lillian shook her head.
"I have a dress that you can borrow," Amy volunteered.
"That will not be necessary," a voice behind them said. It was the Housekeeper who was next in command to the Queen. Beside her were two well-dressed maidens.
"Come with me for your bath," she gestured. Lillian felt like she was dreaming. Was it not but an hour ago that she was a scullery maid that was not paid much mind to? The Housekeeper lead Lillian to a room where a steaming hot bath was being drawn. After her bath, Lillian was dressed in a gown of satin and brocade and given some warm tea and delicious scones.
"Follow me," the Housekeeper ordered. The two hurried through the long corridors towards the throne room. Lillian caught her breath, and walked in.
All eyes were on her, making her feel a little uneasy. She glanced over where Raphael sat, and he stared back with penetrating eyes. Lillian shivered. "Never again shall I ever call you father," Lillian whispered to herself.
"Lillian, your real name is Princess Jeanne daughter of the King, next in line of the throne," the King's voice boomed. Jeanne gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth in disbelief.
"Come forth to be crowned."
Jeanne gulped and kneeled before the bishop and was crowned Princess.
People shouted and cheered, and the Princess waved as the coach slowly made its way through the crowded streets. The King placed an affectionate arm around his daughter; tears were in his eyes. She could see the palace gates ahead. She knew that going through those gates, she would not be a scullery maid as she had once been, but a Princess; the King's Daughter.
And they all lived happily ever after
The End
Love,
Grace

Feb 21, 2010

A Day Outing

Hello Readers! Hope that everyone had a nice weekend. I have not posted any recent events for awhile since, as you can see, I have been posting my short story The King's Daughter. (Hope that you enjoyed that)
A few days ago I had such a lovely outing with my friends. We went to a charming restaurant that served good food. This was the place where Mother and Father went on their first date, and it was very special to finally see inside.
Does not this chocolate mousse look absolutely wonderful?! Oh, it was! :) it was rich and ever so creamy. And the presentation was just so perfect that I had to take a picture for you.
Charity
This is a sweet little herb shop that I am very fond of.... Remember the boquet of roses I got for Mother on Valentine's Day? Now, after a few days, they have begun to wilt. I love to press rose petals. I usually take the ones that are not suitable for pressing and save them for potporris. Here is how I press them:
Lay petals on a piece of wax paper....... And then fold it like this.... Stick this in a VERY thick book, leave it for about a week to dry; and enjoy. These are great to put in scrapbooks and on cards.
I have decided to try my hand at card making, and it is so much fun! My mom purchased this lovely scrapbook paper for me. I have such a nice selection now! Are these not beautiful stickers? It was incredibly hard to chose which ones to get! :)
Book from my "library":Another really good book that I highly recommend "for the young women who want to do so much more than 'survive' in this feministic, anti-Christian culture." (The words in the parenthesis are from the back of the book. I wanted to give full credit to the Botkin Sisters.)
Here is the dedication that is inside the book: (this really touched me)
Dedication
To our heavenly Father
who chose to make us the daughters of our earthly father,
And to our earthly father
who taught us about our heavenly Father.
Whoever has read this book please comment below.
Poetry Corner:
Sun and Fog
by
Emily Dickinson
The Sun and Fog contested
The Government of Day-
The Sun took down his Yellow Whip
And drove the Fog away.
Fog
by
Carl Sandburg
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Love,
Grace
P.S. Check out my new button on the side bar, Maidens for Modesty.

Feb 20, 2010

The King's Daughter Part II

Hello Readers! Thanks for stopping by on such a lovely Saturday evening. I wanted to specially thank the people who left the encouraging comments on my last post. I am very excited that you are enjoying the story. Hopefully, in the future I will be able to post chapters of The Inheritance which is one of the many stories I am currently working on. Enjoy!
The King's Daughter Part II
"Lillian, clumsy girl," Raphael murmured groggily. He had come back to his apartment after drinking in the tavern. "Lillian," he cried. She did not reply. He shrugged and lied down on the cold stone floor. A few hours later, deep in the night, he aroused. Raphael woke up and rubbed what seemed to be a bump on his head. "Owe," he said feeling absolutely miserable. His eyes adjusted to the dim light. "Where's the girl?" he asked himself, groaned, and lit a candle. On the table, lay a small note. It read:
Dear Father,
Be not alarmed by my absence. This is a brief summary to explain myself. I do not want to sound ungrateful, but our unkempt apartment has been called to my attention. Since I am now older, I think that I can take a fraction of responsibility upon myself. There is an open position of maid service at the king's court. The job is of low pay, but if I stay long at court, it shall increase slowly. As a result of my applying to this position, I must stay at the castle for a short period of time. I will send part of my income to supply daily essentials including, rent, food, clothing, etc.
Yours truly,
Lillian
After reading the note, there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Raphael cried rather annoyed.
"Tibias," was the reply.
A scowl crossed Raphael's face. "Come in."
Tibias strutted in wearing fine clothes. "And might I ask where you obtained such finery?" Raphael questioned snobbishly.
"Fair and square, thanks to the money you gave me for completing the mission," he said with a smirk.
"The mission was a failure. My wife died thanks to your not warning her," he replied angrily.
"Hey, I did warn her. I was counting my coins while I was waiting, and they accidentally scattered everywhere making quite a racket. I told your wife to run when we saw guards coming, but it was too late," Tibias said trying to fake his grief. "Anyway, what upsets you, my lord, that makes you such ill-tempered to-night?"
"Well, first of all, your barging into my apartment at this time of night, and now this," he showed him the letter. "I think it will be good for her to stay at my....I hate to say his name; it sends shivers down my spine," he gulped then resumed, "my brother's court, and there will be something good for me in the bargain." He gave Tibias a scheming look. "Lillian will send me part of her income, and I will spend it on drink! And when her first paycheck arrives, you and I will celebrate."
"But my lord, what if she learns of her past? Will then trouble befall thee?" Tibias said nervously.
"Oh, I don't think she will," he scoffed and poured some wine into two glasses. "Drink, Tibias," he said handing him a brimming glass. "And be merry!" he added.
Lillian ran panting down the hall with a bundle of white towels. "Oh," she moaned as she tripped over her skirt. She clutched the towels, but it was useless to catch them in midair. "Oh, no! Madam will be very angry at me," she scolded herself and tried to collect the towels that had scattered the floor.
"My, my, she will!" a familiar, high-pitched squeal said from behind her. Lillian twirled around to see Amy Richardson standing there in her neat, unwrinkled, uniform and a bundle of clean towels, one thing that Lillian did not have at the moment.
"That will teach you not to be late," Amy said waving a finger at her. She chuckled. "Sorry I will not see you at dinner," she gave Lillian a smirk. "You will surely be missed.
Lillian sighed and looked down at her wrinkled outfit. It had only been three days, since she had applied for the job, and so many rules came with it. In a way, the palace was better than her filthy, dingy apartment, but she had no time to rest. She was either running errands and messengers from one place to another, or scrubbing kettles, washing linens, and making beds. It was rather a cold place as well. She had a cold, strict supervisor and cold, haughty co-workers. Madam, as she was to be called, was none too popular with her staff. And Lillian's co-workers just saw the palace and its riches as a fantasy and way to sustain their everlasting hunger of greed.
"What?!" Madam screamed as Lillian stood ashamed against the cold stone wall. "Young lady, I demand an explanation for such a foolish action." Lillian did not answer.
"You obviously take your work lightly, but here at the palace we take it seriously. I do not want to have to go to the king on behalf of an irresponsible action done by one of my serving maids!"
Lillian still remained silent.
"If you remain to do your duties this way, I will have to dismiss you," she said slowly but sternly. Lillian nodded and heard giggling that was coming from around the corner. Madam sighed.
"I will not disappoint you," Lillian said quietly; a great lump had formed in her throat. After Madam left, Lillian sank to the floor with her head in her hands.
A few days later, Lillian was preforming the same task of taking the linens from the washing room to the ironing room when suddenly, she stopped, seeing that Madam was talking to the King! Madam gestured for Lillian to come to her side to be introduced. Lillian gulped nervously and slowly made her way towards the two.
"And this is one of the maids that I am in charge over. Is not her uniform so nicely pressed? The maidens always have their uniforms like this," Madam said politely. The King nodded, and the young girl curtsied. Then he stared into her eyes, just like the time he had seen her at the parade.
"Have we met before?" he asked.
"No, Your Majesty, I do not think that this girl has ever met you before," Madam replied sweetly. "Perhaps, your bad memory is playing tricks with you."
"Perhaps, it is so, Madam. Ah, what is your age, child?"
"I am but only sixteen years of age, Your Majesty," she tried to answer politely, for she had very little training in etiquette.
The King was taken aback by the nonchalant statement.
"Is anything the matter, Your Majesty?" Madam asked.
"No it is just...it's just that, that my Jeanne would be her age," he said sadly.
"My lord, you do not think that there is any connection between you and-"
The King interrupted Madam, "No, it would be most impossible."
"Why, yes, sir, it would be quite preposterous," Madam chuckled half-heartily.
On the way to the kitchen, Lillian shyly asked Madam, "Do you mind if I ask why the King is so low-spirited? Has he always been this way?"
"Dear," she replied returning to her cold tone, "You should never mention this to anyone, especially the King. But such a long, long, long time ago the King lived happily in this castle with his lovely wife. They had a daughter, but when she was born she was kidnapped by an evil, jealous man. No one knows whom this man was or where he is now, but I say that he be cursed with guilt for his evil actions and breaking the King's heart. I think that the King secretly knows whom this villain is, but has never publicly revealed to his kingdom and court the man. Now the King and his palace have never been the same."
Lillian thought of what Madam said. "What an odd, sad, terrible story," she murmured and secretly wished that she could find the King's daughter.
The next day, Lillian was excused from her duties and was able to deliver some goods to Raphael. Before she entered into the apartment she heard low voices.
"Raphael, my lord, are you sure that she will never ever EVER discover her past at the palace?"
"Relax, Tibias. Why do you question your lord like this? Do you not trust me?" Raphael said.
"Well, I nearly got caught in the kidnapping. And besides, you are taking nearly every penny of your daughter's wages and spending it on wine and drink," Tibias said.
"She is not my daughter, and you know that. And you are just as guilty as I. You have taken some of the money. You have helped me with the kidnapping," Raphael responded angrily and scowled.
"Yes, but I think that my guilt has got the best of me, and I am getting a little uneasy with the situation."
"Maybe some wine will relax your nerves. Come over here for a drink and some bread," Raphael said calmly.
Lillian was shocked and a little angry too. Those vile men in that room were feasting on bread and wine that they had paid with her own hard work earnings. She had to tell someone about her predicament, but who? Then an idea struck her, and she ran all the way back to the palace to put her plan into action.
I shall post the ending in my next post. Hope you have a wonderful rest of the weekend.
Love,
Grace

Feb 18, 2010

The King's Daughter

Hello Readers! Thanks for stopping by to-day.
I wrote this short story for my dad for Father's Day last year. I thought you might enjoy reading it. I am warning you that I am just an amateur writer, but at least I actually finished this story.
The King's Daughter Part I
by
Grace
One dark, cold night in the shadows of the august, stone castle, stood two dark-hooded figures. One was a former prince who was of a great position in the king's court, and the other was his wife. Each longed for a child, but sadly the woman could not give birth. Because the prince had plotted to take over the throne, he was banished from stepping into the court forever. The enraged prince sought revenge ever since.
The two were alerted when they heard soft footsteps and faint panting. "Raphael," the woman whispered. They heard a twig crack. "Raphael, who could it be?"
"Shh," he answered. "Dear, let us hope that it is the messenger with a good report."
The footsteps became louder and louder. "My lord," a medium height figure said. It was one of the very few loyal spies of Raphael's.
"You have word, Tibias?"
He bowed. "Yes," he answered, his breath formed small white clouds as he spoke. "The queen is in labor. The king has arranged for mounted messengers to declare the word throughout the village, most of them guards. Soon the cavalcade will pound through the gates," he said still panting. "You need to make haste before your brother's guards come back to their posts."
"My brother is a fool to send so many of his men," Raphael snorted, much louder than he intended.
"Shh, if we are found here-" the former prince stopped his wife with a wave of his hand.
"I have heard enough from you. You keep quiet, and this plan should work perfectly."
Raphael praised Tibias for the good work. Tibias pulled out his hand towards Raphael. He sighed.
"You will get your money when our work is completed."
"But you may not make it out of the palace alive, but I might with no money in my pockets."
Raphael sighed again and handed him a small pures filled with jingling coins. "I'm going to regret this," he thought aloud.
The three went over the plan. It was simple. They would each sneak in through the back. Raphael's wife and Tibias would stay quiet and distract the guards if necessary, while Raphael sneaked into the king's chambers.
Suddenly, a loud deafening blast of the royal horns could be heard. The sound startled the three. Horses neighed and the earth quaked. "The king has born a child this early morn. A girl! A girl!" The messenger shouted excitedly.
After the stampede passed, Raphael led the "troop" to a small veranda just below the king's balcony. He threw a rope and tied it securely to the railing, and up he climbed.
While the others stayed on the veranda, Raphael would sneak inside.
He pressed against the heavy doors.
"My dear," he could hear the king's deep voice was filled with rapture. "We shall name her after her great grandmother, the queen of Navarre, to whom my father was very fond of. Jeanne." There was a boisterous laugh from outside the door. The king and queen were startled. The door was suddenly opened, and Raphael entered.
"Raphael, my brother?" the king said once he realized it was he. "Guards, guards," he bellowed. The sly prince thought quickly and locked the door. He smiled an evil smile. The king backed away in disgust.
"You have banished me from your court, and now I shall take revenge!" He walked to a small crib and took the small bundle inside it. The bundle started to wail. The king and queen gasped. "Please, I will give you anything that you ask of, but please just do not hurt our daughter," the king pleaded. Raphael smiled wickedly.
"Now my brother submits to me because he thinks of me as a threat," he said. The three suddenly heard a pounding at the door. Raphael hastily opened the door that led to the balcony and started to climb down the rope.
Surely, the king would not summon the guards to cut the rope for fear of hurting his precious daughter. Then, Raphael's wife screamed and a crashing of a jar could be heard. He looked down on the veranda and saw a guard pulling his wife by the hair. The former prince gulped hard and resumed his climbing.
Months passed since the kidnapping. The king sent a search party all over his kingdom, but the search was unsuccessful. The queen died shortly after Jeanne's birth, leaving the king heartbroken. What he did not know was Raphael was hiding deep within the forest just outside the village. The king imprisoned Raphael's wife and soon executed her once he found out that she was an accomplice to the plot.
Years passed, and Jeanne grew up with the peasants and commoners. She had no wealthy luxurious and no sumptuous silk clothing. All she had were rags on her thin figure. Raphael moved her into the village, once he thought they were going to be safe. He disguised himself and changed his name. Grieving over the death of his wife, he became a helpless drunk. Jeanne lived in a small one-roomed apartment where the conditions were miserable. Raphael changed Jeanne's name to Lillian, and she believed that he was her father. She, of course, never knew of her past.
One day, a day like any other for Lillian, there was a celebration in the middle of town. "Long live the King! Long live the King!" the crowd shouted. She heard a person say, "The king, he is coming home in his coach."
Lillian had no intention of trying to see the king, and she was about to turn back; but a strange feeling overcame her to stay. People pushed her to the front. She tried to fight the tide of people with no success. Since she was in the front, she had a fairly good view of the king's coach. As the coach passed she saw the king waving, but not smiling. He looked to have a heavy heart. Then his eyes fixed upon hers! She tried to avoid direct eye contact but could not do it. He gazed deep within her eyes. The eyes, they were so familiar. They reminded her of something.....
The whole moment seemed to be in slow motion. Lillian only heard the muffled roar of the cheering crowd, and the carriage was a blur. A wry smile crossed his face. She did not smile back.
A few days later, Lillian was passing a shop and saw something in the window that stopped her. There was a sign that read: Maiding Service at the King's Court Needed. The sign was not very formal. Lillian had an idea and rushed home.
Find out what happens to Jeanne in my next post. Hope that you have a great day.
Love,
Grace

Feb 16, 2010

February's Simple Life

Hello readers! Thanks so much for stopping by to-day.
Sorry I have not blogged in awhile. I have been very busy with school. Hope that everyone had a happy Valentine's Day full of love!
My parents gave me a lovely card and some very sweet notes.
Springtime, oh springtime! This apple blossom is beautiful, but its pollen makes me sneeze like crazy! A dull brown letter box.... ...holds treasures within. This box is very special to me and is in my hopechest. There is some scented soap that I purchased at a local farmer's market. It reminds me of spring in the death of winter. This chicken was carved by my french penpal's father. It is definitely a keepsake.
My ballet outfit came just in time! I started my first lesson today. I stretched muscles that I never knew existed, but it was still fun. It will take awhile to learn the steps.
I worked on this drawstring bag while I was watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics. I was surprised that I finished it within a night since the last one took a few days.
I know this picture is blurry, but here is what the lace looks like. It was leftover lace from a previous sewing project.
Book from my "library:"
This book is awesome! My mother got this for me. It has a companion book for daily studies too. I highly recommend this book for any young lady who has thoughts on developing good character.

Poetry Corner:
Leisure by
William Henry Davies
What is life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in the grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
A poor life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
I absolutely love this poem! It reminds me of Yosemite where in my leisure time I can stand and stare just for fun! When I come home, everything is at such a fast pace that I have no time to stand and stare.
In Christ,
Grace

Feb 11, 2010

Today's Events

It's all most Valentine's day! I made a whole bunch of Valentines for my friends. All I did was glued a doily to a piece of card stock, cut around the doily, glued a rose or bow, put a sticker on it, write a message on the back, and your done. Hope that everyone has a sweet Valentine's Day! I am starting this new Valentine's tradition. Everyone has a bag, and every time that they have a sweet thought for some one else, they write it down and drop it into a bag that has their name on it. For example, if I had a note for my mom, I would put it in the bag that has my mom's name on it. On Valentine's Day everybody opens their bags. I also put special treats in there too.

Yesterday I finished this pretty drawstring bag. I had been working on it the past few days. I obtained the instructions from another blog that I visit often.
I do not know what to put in it. Does anyone have any suggestions? If anyone has an idea please comment below, it would be much appreciated.
While my mom was busy ironing, I chopped up potatoes and carrots for dinner... They actually turned out fairly well.
Here is my sweet (sometimes) cat named Lily Rose O'malley. She is soooooo spoiled.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Isn't she suweeeeeet?! (With cuteness to spare) Book from my "library"
The Princess Adelina by Julie Sutter. This book was based on the story of Esther.
Poetry Corner:
The Violet
by
William Wordsworth
A violet by a mossy stone,
Half hidden from the eye,
Fair as a star, when only one
Is shining in the sky.
Verse of the Day:
1 Timothy 4:12
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word,in conversation,in charity,in spirit,in faith,in purity.

Feb 8, 2010

Recent Updates

Yesterday Mother and I helped host a baby shower for a friend at my house. Here are a few pictures of the cake that was made by a friend's aunt who works at the Culinary Arts in town. Carrot cake with rich frosting. Yum!

These are a few pictures from my room. This is my hopechest where I am keeping special things for when I am married.

I told you in a past post that I had made a makeshift apothecary in my room. Here are some pictures:
Some of the herbs are store bought, but most are organically home grown. I love tending my herb garden. In the summer, when my garden is pruned, I will post some pictures, but for now it will still be a dormant mound of dirt. I like to ask people if they can guess what each herb is by its scent.It is fun to watch people's expressions when they sniff an odd herb.
Poetry Corner:
Dawn
by
Paul Laurence Dunbar
An angel, robed in
spotless white,
Bent down and kissed the sleeping Night.
Night woke to blush;
the sprite was gone.
Men saw the blush and called it Dawn.

Feb 6, 2010

Miscellaneous Photos

This is what I call the Meadow of Light. The sun made the grass look golden. Dragonflies flitted all day long through the grass. If you follow the board walk to the end and cross the parking lot you will end up...
...here at Camp Curry, where my family and I stay every time we visit YNP (Yosemite National Park). This is the home of the firefall.




These are some black-eyed susans that were found in the Meadow of Light. I had to go off of the trail to take these pictures. :)

In Arroyo Grande (a cute town close to mine), owners let their chickens and roosters roam free.



Easy Lavender Linen Spray Recipe


This is a really easy recipe. I use this refreshing spray as a linen spray, perfume, room air freshener, and as an energy booster when I am feeling low. In the summer, you can put this in the refrigerator for a cooling face toner. You can also mix other esential oils depending on your taste.

All you need are:
Witch Hazel
Lavender oil (or other esential oils)
Water
Spray bottle
Combine ingredients into spray bottle, shake, and enjoy. Soon your room will smell amazing. I use a spritz on my towel before I take a shower, and I spray this on my sheets before I go to bed. I have also subsituted lavender oil with cinnamon oil for a holiday scent and with rose water for a face toner. Great for gifts too. Hope you enjoy!
Lavender quotes:
Lavender is almost wholly spent with us, for perfume linen, apparel, gloves and leather and the dryed flowers to comfort and dry up the moisture of a cold braine. -John Parkinson
A reminder of you first herbal lesson. It speaks to you of devotion and virtue-two things you will always need if you are to become a true noblewoman. It will cheer you on a gray day, with its purple color, and its aroma will add beauty to the room where you sleep. -From Dr. Oma by Ethel Herr

Day Dreaming

What do you dream about? I think that the teenage years are the greatest time for the most vibrant dreams to come to a girl. Whether the dreams are about the future or past, dreams just make life more colorful!