Pictures again...

"The journey is the reward."
Chinese Proverb
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DAR- Gettysburg Address

When I was in 7th grade I entered the Daughters of the American Revolution Essay contest. The theme was "The Ideals of the Gettysburg Address". I was able to win 3 out of the 4 levels of this competition. I couldn't find the final draft, but I think this copy is practically identical. Enjoy, and feel free to comment...hint, hint.


Four and a half months after the Gettysburg Battle was fought, on November 19th, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln stood and delivered what is one of the most quoted speeches in American History, known as the Gettysburg Address. This two and a half minute speech changed the meaning of the Civil War for the Union.
In Lincoln’s speech he revealed three very important topics. The first is “all men are created equal”, the second, “It is rather for us here dedicated to the great task remaining before us…,” and the third key concept is “a new birth of freedom.”
When he said that “all men are created equal” the general meaning was slavery and discrimination towards the blacks. When President Lincoln was elected the South knew that it could be devastating for them. They were accustomed to using slaves to harvest the main crop of the South, cotton, and also for many tasks around the plantations. At this time 57% of U.S. exports, was cotton. If they lost the War they lost their slaves and their livelihood.
The second topic President Lincoln addressed was the fact that the people should be dedicated to the work which the dead soldiers had fought for as well as those still fighting. The country was separated into the Union (North) and the Confederacy (South). It was necessary for them to unite so they could succeed as a nation.
It is a common belief that slavery was the main cause of the Civil War, when in reality the big issue was state rights with the states wanting to create their own laws and not be subject to Federal Laws. In the Gettysburg Address President Lincoln presented the fact that to become a free nation they would have to join together.



In the closing of the Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln presented his hope that at the conclusion of the Civil War the United States would be able to proceed as George Washington and the founding fathers had meant for it to be: “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”That the country would be able to learn from this experience and become stronger.
Many years later the ideals presented in the Gettysburg Address still relate to our nation today. If the Gettysburg Address was recited now and those same three topics mentioned were addressed, how would our country change?
The first issue was “all men are created equal”. Even though slavery became illegal at the end of the Civil War, the oppression towards black did not end at that time. It took more than one hundred years for blacks to begin being treated as equals. In fact history was made in the last presidential election when the country elected its first African American President. However, stereotypes still exist and there are issues today on religious and non religious beliefs.
In the last presidential election one of the many topics of debate was the size and power of the federal government versus the size and power of each state. It seems that in all the years since President Lincoln gave his speech the correct balance for state rights versus federal rights is still trying to be determined.


When President Lincoln stated that he hoped “that this nation, under god, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”. One hundred forty six years later, the United States has been privileged enough to enjoy the blessings of freedom.
Through President Lincoln’s speech he showed the Union what the war was about. It took many years after the war for the country to start becoming united. It was after the Gettysburg Address, however, that the war turned in the North’s favor. The Gettysburg Address contained many important ideas about the country then and still relate today.

Farmer's Market

I walk curiously through the jungle of venders, and entertainers. Home grown, fresh vegetables, lay out in baskets for wanderers to look at. Bakers lay out their sweets, their aroma enticing passer bys. The sound of guitars and drums feels my ears, and I turn to see a small band to the side of me, a music case open, trying to get money for their talents. We continue down the street. Soaps, flowers and other scents feel my nose, each trying to get me to go to where they come from. I follow the flow of the crowd. They are friendly and helpful to each other as they walk the cemented side walk. Dogs of all kinds follow their masters, trying to get a bite here and there, of the fresh fruit being passed out. A piano player sits on a stool playing the large piano he towed to the park on his old bike. A hat sits on stool near him. There are homemade skirts, and jewelry booths. Their crowds are small, their prices far too expensive for the average window shoppers pocket. Trees shade me as I walk through the veritable circus surrounding me. Chatter fills the air, my friend and I laughing along, adding to the raucous. A horridly peculiar scent tingles my nose hairs. Together we search the booths to find the cause of such a disturbance on this pleasant day, only to see some form of noxious weed smoking on a table of a woman with dried herbs and small sunflowers. The melodious sound of drums comes to me as I look at dangling, loose knitted scarves. A girl dances in the grass by the drummer with hoops circling her twisting body. Colors and fragrances run in heavy abundance here. Finally we go, and leave the maze behind us.

Piano Team

These were taken while my piano team was warming up for our competition this morning. They're not that wonderful, but I don't want to show any pictures with faces. We competed at Baldassin Piano store. We were able to compete on 5 grand pianos! We played The Entertainer,Argonaise and Sabre Dance.

More of my quotes

These are so more of my favorite quotes...

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at your, then they fight you, then you win."
Ghandi

"What great thing would you attempt if you knew you could not fail."

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

"I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflections. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death."
-Leonardo da Vinci

"The world can use these words. I know this now. Every man gives his life for what he believes. Every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing, yet they giver their lives to that little or nothing. One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. Then it is gone. But to surrender what you are and live without belief, that's more terrible that dying. Even dying young."
-Joan of Arcs last words

Story Prologue...Please Comment!!!

This is a beginning/ prologue of a story that I've written...It is just a Rough Draft, and will have SOOOOOOO much more editing! Anyway, I thought I'd post it and see what people thought. So as you critique and cringe just keep thinking rough draft! (:
"She has to go... if only for her own safety."
"But she's so young."
"Don't you dare try to protect her! She isn't so young anymore, she's a woman, if only because she's been forced to be one."
The man said with the slightest thread of affection stinging his voice.
He looked through the crack of the wooded door, to the small figure lying on an rough army cot that he had secretly watched for the past seventeen years. Her thick raven curls were strewn across her body framing her face like a porcelain doll. Her aristocratic face was gently inclined to the left, her hand gently touching her cheek. Her eyelids were still darkened and painted from her restless day. A stream of light flowing in from the door crack gently showed where the sun had kissed her face, bringing the look of blush to her paled complexion. Her other hand laid gently off to the side, laying on a colorful woven blanket that lifted up and down with each gentle and emollient breath.

"Where will she go?" The woman pleaded
"The America's."
"No!" The woman's voice suddenly went hoarse.
"There is no other choice, they'll find her if she goes anywhere else, at least to quickly anyways."A touch of humor came back into his black voice.
"How will you tell her?"
"Oh, no doubt she probably already knows."
The tall silhouettes left the door frame just as the dark green eyes opened.

And yet another

My first true rant

Oh the limits of teenage language, was one of the first things that popped into my head as I walked out of school today. I had a class today where people around me were talking about inappropriate matters and swearing, then I walked out and people were constantly calling each other dude, etc. While I can see people saying, "Hi guys," or "Hi dude," once or twice, I don't believe that we need to start every sentence with it. I'm not saying that we need to speak like Shakespeare or Dumas, but we do not need to sound totally illiterate. Swearing in my opinion is the worse way to talk. Some may argue the need for colorful language to express our opinions. I truly doubt that. It sounds much more colorful to say something else then to put all your feelings in one word form that take's the Lord's name in vain... End of my first true rant.

Quote of the day- "The limits of our language are the limits of our world."

A few more pictures... with more to come

Random...

We all know that practicing an instrument can get kind of boring. That is until you get the camera out...
So yes, this picture is definitely not incredible - it is slightly interesting.

Just so you know- You can click on the pictures and they come up bigger. You probably already knew this, but if your like me, it could be a novel idea.

Campout

To put it simply, 9th grade is far more stressful than any other junior high school grade yet. And even for people who thrive off of that stress, like me, it's been way too much! So luckily I was able to attend a Young Woman's camp out. It is amazing how much fun you can have with girls your own age (also the leaders), and that have the same beliefs as you. Each and every one of them is incredible! It was also really nice, because none of the people in my ward go to my school, and as much as that could seem a downer (and sometimes it really is) it takes off even more pressure. Where we went is owned by about 8 stakes and is up around Pine View Reservoir. The trees were all turning their different colors. It's slightly amazing how things are the most beautiful just before they die. (Yes, that's a slightly strange last line, but it really is true... most of the time)

Quote of the day: "If the grass is greener on the other side, maybe it's time to water your own."

Quotes

I absolutely love quotes! So here are just a few. (There will be so many more throughout the year) If you have any quotes that you like, please feel free to post them to me or something!

"I believe in the sun even when it is not there, in love when I am alone, in God even when he is silent."
- Prisoner at a concentration camp
----Random note: A really good book is called "The Silence of God" by Gale Sears.-----

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
- George Bernard Shaw

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."
- Maya Angelou

"It's always darkest just before dawn."
-"Pursued"- Maggie McKenzie Mystery

Sunset

I took this picture a while ago and really like it... so here it is!

Rain- A Short Story

I love to write short stories. This is one that I wrote when I was in 8th grade. Feel free to post comments on it.


It felt as if someone had put smoldering coals into the already muggy Georgian air. Even the cream painted wood seemed to be sweating under my hands. The dirt on the porch had puddle with the inhuman humidity. The orange- gold sun started descending under the green, lush trees.
“How could it be?” I asked myself.
“How come we never got caught?” I stood there, just myself and the small trickling of an unexpected shower. I looked up realizing I must have been standing in my polished new raven colored boots for hours. It had been exactly like this, sixty years before, on this very day, when it had all started.

The moon light climbed over the statue of a small slave carrying a burning lamp. Rain fell like tears as if heaven was crying for some reason and we could only pray it wasn’t for what we were doing.

I sat on a swing in the black night listening to the gentle creaking of the new oak wood rocking chair next to me were my mother sat. I was a basic imitation of her with her curly auburn locks. The only difference between my mother and I was I had the bluest eyes in the state and my mother had the darkest. The tension between the 2 of us could not have been destroyed even if lighting had struck the almost visible rays of it.

My father should have been here. He was the richest most well-known, outspoken man with salted hair around. Surely, they wouldn’t have stopped him at the checkpoint. Then it came. The sound of dis-planted mud being pitched back at the earth, the drumming of the ground and a small lantern light, that to us we were sure was as obvious and bright as the burning sun.

The carriage pulled into the narrow trail leading past us and into the brown mahogany shed that stood by our Victorian mansion. I quietly rushed into the house; pass the burning fire that warmed the freezing wood under my feet, past the 3 bowls of inviting Boston clam chowder to the back door. Outside I heard the startling call of a willow- warbler, once, twice, three times. I pushed the back door open and 2 dark figures came through the door. I quickly ushered them past the closed curtains, to the fire box. I opened its tiny doors and pulled them in with me. We went rushing down the cemented stairway into a tiny drab room. Room was an overstatement. I t was more like a tiny black box. I stumbled around in the darkness till I found the oil lamp, which I quickly lit.

There they were. Their black eyes met my blue and conveyed the messages “I’m lost”, “I’m hungry”, “I’m cold”, but most of all “I’m scared.

“I’m Alexandria” I offered

“I’m Sinda said the taller of the 2, and this is Oney.” Their clothes were ragged and bloodied. I smiled wider attempting to not cry. After we fed them and got them to lie down and sleep, I went to my elaborate room and quickly changed to my lace nightgown. I looked out the window, past the falling sky, and the dripping old trees and saw a light, coming closer and closer towards us. I tried to stay calm, but I knew then and there, the heavens were crying for our reason.

Within minutes they knocked on our door. The pounding was like thunder against the illustrious Georgian, almost aristocratic room.

“In the name of the confederate army, we command that you open your door at once.”

I rushed down the stairs only to see my father placidly open the door. Five young men rushed into our home, guns shining in the candle light.

“Excuse me Mr. York, we have had multiple accusations against you being a part of the so called Underground Railroad and would like to relieve ourselves of the burden of getting more complaints. May we please check your house?” The voice was familiar and then I realized it was Bobby Lund, my best friends’ brother.

“Of course” I dreamed my father said, and suddenly came to the brief realization that he had. Luckily none of the soldiers had seen my terrified face.

As we sat in my parlor, me reading Dickens, Mother doing a needle point and father reading the newspaper, I heard the sound of 2 oak doors being opened and the sound of footsteps going down cool cement steps.

Eons later the soldiers entered the room, again Bobby was the spokesman.

“Sir, we apologize for this intrusion.”

I couldn’t believe it, but as I escorted them to the door Bobby turned and winked. My heart raced, my stomach felt as if it had burst, and my breath caught in my chest.

“Good night Miss. York”

I stood there door open with my family. Wind pushing at my braided hair, and my long blue candle extinguished.

Sixty years later I stood in the same door way. My name had changed, my face, my dress. Only 4 things hadn’t changed at all over the years. My hair, my eyes, my shock, and the rain.

Fermata's Note

There may be some of you curious about why I used Fermata's Note for a blog name.  So, I'm going to tell you. Music has always been a huge chunk of my life. It started to be one by the time I hit about 1st grade, when I really liked to sing…a lot. Also by the time I was in first or second grade I started to learn how to play the piano. Then, when I was in 4th grade I started playing the chimes. (The one's you may see in the Bell choir at Temple Square that are long and straight).  Then later I got into the solo chime group, and also was in the choir that sang along with some of the numbers. (We also learned the penny whistle) After that I switched piano teachers and started competing in Federation, Ensemble and AIM competitions. I also started playing the flute in seventh grade, which then eventually went on to the piccolo. I was in the Davis High Marching Band (piccolo) this past summer, which was an amazing experience and I can't wait to be a "veteran" next year! I'm now attempting to learn the saxophone... learning, and attempting, being the key words in that sentence. I'm also on a five person piano team, which between the kids and the learning curve is absolutely hilarious and fun! I still enjoy singing. (Just ask any member of my family- Huge Smiley Face) I also am a dancer, which goes (in my opinion) hand in hand with music. I'm currently in Ballet, Modern, and Jazz, and at one point I was in a ballroom class. My favorite genre of music is probably Broadway Music (mostly the older plays and songs) and Movie Soundtracks. However, I will listen to almost any type of music, unless it's serious opera- due to the fact I usually break out laughing- and rap. There are a few others but those remain the main ones. So, now you know why I'm Fermata.

Aggie Football

Last night we were able to go to an Aggie Football game. It was so much fun! Our neighbor is their kicker, and he is incredible. Also my sister is in the marching band. They did a great job! She's a piccolo player, but is marching the trumpet this year. She's so amazing! Where it was September 11th yesterday, they did a patriotic field show. They had a box that the male cheerleaders brought out onto the field almost like a coffin. When they opened it they grabbed the corners of a massive piece of cloth, and then ran apart from each other as fast as they could. Then the other cheerleaders grabbed the edges of a gigantic flag, and around them was the band in the shape of the United States. My favorite piece that they played was When Johnny Comes Marching Home. It started out really slow and steady, but then out of no where they sped it up. Marching fast is hard, and for those going backwards, good luck! If you don't believe me turn a metronome onto 180, go to a track and march with your left foot hitting every down beat. Then make sure your arms are in the correct position, your eyes are up and not looking around, and that you're keeping a straight face (which is probably the hardest part at this moment). Then, play an instrument. (Believe me though when I say that I am Not an expert on how to march). So, Good Job Aggies!

Blog Post #1

Hello World!