In Which She Writes Relationship Advice...

 

Relationship advice?

 

I feel kinda silly on one hand. I mean, it's not like I've had years of experience knowing what exactly to do with the opposite gender. I'm a single girl who just turned eighteen a few months ago. What could I possibly know about the topic, a naïve thing like me?

 

Guess what. I'm not writing relationship advice. I try to dabble more in just plain ol' common sense, and more importantly align everything with Scripture. If you click HERE you'll found out what this whole thing is even about.

 

 I wrote a post for APOC entitled "The Foolproof Guide on How to Treat Guys" 1. It took several hours out of my sleep last night, and 2., I think it's safe to say it has some valid points, so I wanted to share it with y'all on here. Notice that this is a 'girls only' kind of post, so, sorry you male readers - go find something else to do.

 

In other news, I've been working up a storm on Radicals and last Friday held the second audition for the project. God provided somebody to play Griffin and Sam for the promotional material! (Remember, you can follow the progress of it all on the production blog here.) Anyway, so then yesterday I started doing rough sketches of wardrobe concepts for each character. An hour or two on Pinterest may or may not have helped inspire some of the looks...hehe. I love Pinterest for costume design ideas! Even though it did suck a little more time away than I anticipated - looking up slightly-futuristic clothing turned out to be somewhat addicting. Here are my favorites of what I came up with for the main characters.

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you're having a blessed week!

Check out the new film blog!

 

News, news, news! Remember the screenplay I've been working on for a while?

Well little by little progress has been inching along and we're getting closer to the reality of it become a real movie.

 

I've been working on a small production blog for it and you can follow all the events and happenings with the project at www.radicalsthemovie.blogspot.com Go check it out right now!

 

If you live in north central FL, you'll definitely want to look into this. There are many roles we need filled and we'd love to have you join us!

 

Also - I'd be thrilled if you could spread the word for me about this. Thanks so much! Word of mouth is epic.

 

Hope everyone's having a blessed week!

 

"Luminary" by Krista McGee {book review}

 

| Music listened to while writing this post:

Falcons (Sidelmann Remix) - Sam Simmon

All For You - Haerts

Wings - Haerts

Houdini (RAC Remix) - Foster The People + RAC

Exit Calypsan - Falling Up

Into Darkness - Thomas Bergerson

Wings - Birdy

End of the World - Ingrid Michaelson

Overdose - Little Daylight |

 

 

Thalli thought escaping to the surface would mean freedom. But is she any less of an anomaly aboveground?

 

After escaping an underground annihilation chamber, Thalli, Berk, Rhen, and John find themselves fleeing across the former United States, aboveground for the first time. As the defectors cross the for gotten landscape, the three youths see things the y had only read about on screens: horses, rain, real books—and a colony of unsanctioned survivors living the ancient way in a town called New Hope.

When the citizens of New Hope reveal the truth of what happened years ago, Thalli is left unsettled and skeptical of everything she’s ever been told. Can she trust anything from the State, including her own feelings for Berk? When she volunteers for a peace mission to New Hope’s violent neighbor, Athens, her confusion mounts as the supposedly ruthless Prince Ale x turns out to be kind and charming. Although everyone in New Hope warned her not to, she can’t help but fall for him.

Meanwhile, John’s unwavering faith in the goodness of the Designer begins to make its mark on Thalli’s heart. But can Thalli really come to trust in a generous, protective Designer who rules over all things? Would that not be setting herself up for another betrayal?

The time for her to decide is now . . . because the State is closing in.

--

 

So I was pretty excited to get to read and review the anticipated sequel to Anomaly. Even though I felt like Anomaly took me on more of an emotional rollercoaster than Luminary, it still was a great read. I found myself flying through the pages, eager to keep reading, and if you like a fast-paced dystopian thriller I'm sure you will too. (Although you definitely need to read Anomaly first.)

 

 

Plot:

Although slow starting out for the first five chapters, it quickly shapes into something you can't take your attention from.

Thalli is frustrated. With herself, God, and her friends. Especially Berk. She's worried that he's fallen for Rhen and no longer loves her as he used to. She's constantly taken by fear that the Scientists will find them as they explore the desolate remains of the world above - earth.

And then, boom. Suddenly the little group of pioneers discovers that they're not alone. They stumble upon a charming little settlement and soon are attempting to make themselves at home.

Next thing, Thalli's being doted on by a light-haired 'prince' and....I'll stop there.

 

Throughout the whole book the Berk drama continues. It's a little annoying at times because it feels somewhat overdone. I mean, yes, we all know Thalli's super emotional and that contributes to the problem, but hey. I get the melodramatic deal. I'm a drama queen myself - one of the big reasons I can relate to Thalli so well. That being said, her issues with Berk were probably my least favorite element of the plot.

 

The plot in general stayed pretty predictable (with a few exceptions) in comparison to that of Anomaly.  There were some details concerning the Scientists and Athens which were pretty amazing and break-through, however.

 

Something very, very sad happened. *sniffff* Somebody....dies. I was expecting it, yes. But that didn't make it any less tragic. I won't say anything more.

 

 

Genre:

Refer to my review of Anomaly as obviously the genre didn't change here. My thoughts remain the same.

 

 

Characters:

Man, what a cast of characters in this one. I could give a note of reference to all the new ones but that would take a while so I'm only mentioning two - the ones that stood out most, of all the 'newbies'.

 

Alex. He's pretty amazing, really. I love the multi-fold layers/aspects of his personality. Personally, as much as a Berk/Thalli relationship is cute and kind of the default option, I can totally ship Alex and Thalli.

Alex reminds me of a prince from Atlantis or something. I don't know why. Maybe it's his long, messy blond hair. He's fiery, fierce and thoroughly unpredictable. Deep down, he strives for justice and peace. He's fed up with his murderous, evil father.

 

Speaking of which. King Jason, Alex's father. I hate him. I just.....yeah. He infuriated me. If you want a blatantly wicked antagonist there's one for ya.

 

 

Setting:

I thought it was interesting that the settlement of Athens was vaguely modeled after the real Athens. Athens in general is a fascinating place. Everything is painted black to collect solar energy - which makes it feel ominous and yet grandiose in a way.

I loved the contrast of the simplicity in New Hope compared to the peculiar wonders in Athens. Also, good vibrant imagery just in general of both locations.

 

 

Underlying Theme(s):

Refer back to my review of Anomaly. Pretty much the same theme - Thalli seeking God's presence and learning who she really is.  Also, her learning to trust Him in adversity.

 

 

(On a 1 - 10 basis, 1 being the most mild and 10 the most extreme:) WARNING - SPOILERS!

 

Violence: 7  Even though there was little actual bloodshed it was amplified by its setting and context. There were no medical experimentations and neurosurgeries taking place. There is however, a scene where mutant wolves attack Thalli, Rhen, Berk and John before they get to New Hope. Berk is injured severely. And more disturbing, there's King Jason's sadistic schemes. He uses gas to keep the citizens of Athens under his subjection. He gasses Thalli to make her cooperate, and it's revealed that he murdered his own wife and would just as easily murder his children. (In fact, Thalli discovers he even planned to have her assassinated, for political reasons.) King Jason uses public torture and execution as a means to scare his people into submission, and overall it seems he just has a lust for bloodshed. His kills his daughter, accusing Thalli for it to instigate hatred between the Athenians and New Hope people.

 

Sexual context: 1 Nothing explicit occurs. Dallas comments that Rhen and Thalli are the nicest looking girls he's ever seen.

 

 

Overall:

I think Anomaly is still my favorite of this series. However, I still greatly enjoyed this volume. It was encouraging to see Thalli learn to place her trust in God instead of leaning on her own strength. It was devastating to see the wickedness that one man could spawn. It was traumatic, the romantic relationships morass. Berk or Alex? Alex or Berk? If I've learned one thing so far about this series, it's that you can't trust anything for very long. Just when you think a certain character is so wonderful, the truth is revealed - or that character dies. People are not what they seem, and reading Luminary, I felt as confused and contemplative as the protagonist herself. I was captivated by the cultures displayed in Athens and New Hope. I was elated at yet more musical references. I was on the edge of my seat for the good last half of the book.

I was sucked into a thrilling world with a tremendously heartbreaking backstory. I was left in inner turmoil over what could possibly happen next.

 

In conclusion? I was left hungry for more.

 

 

Krista McGee's Official Website | Buy on Amazon



Health Benefits of Romerillo {eat your weeds #2}

 

Bidens alba - also known as Romerillo, Butterfly Needles and Shepherd's Needles - is a weedy plant found abundantly in the Sunshine State. However, it can also be found worldwide. There are more than 40 native species in the United States alone and over 230 across the globe.

 

At first glance, this plant doesn't look like anything special. In fact, most people see it as a nuisance! A pest to get rid of!

 

For one thing, it has these little clusters of sticker-burs that instantly cling onto anything they brush against. Your clothes and dogs' fur especially. I'm sure many of us can happily recall those wonderful times when we brushed against a Romerillo and got covered in the annoying little things - and had to spend 20 minutes just picking them all out.

 

So yeah. At first glance, this seems like just another troublesome 'weed'.

 

Well, guess what. I have news for you.

 

This is more than just a weed.

 

You're looking at me skeptically. Don't try to hide it. I see you over there on your side of the computer, in your little corner of planet earth. You're squinting at the screen right now in major doubt of what I'm about to say.

 

"How on earth could such a cumbersome plant be beneficial to me?"

 

Did you know that for centuries, people have been using this weed for both food and medicine?

 

You didn't? Well, neither did I until several weeks ago when my family visited a local gardener's place and learned quite a bit from him on the topic of wild edibles.

 

 The flowers and tender young leaves and of Bidens alba can be added to salads, and the more mature leaves can be boiled or steamed as a pot herb. A mild tea can be made from the flowers. Some folks have even made wine from them, I hear.

 

It has a good amount of protein, fiber and beta-carotene. Also possesses a good deal of anti-bacterial and anti-cancer compounds and activity.

It's said to boost the immune system and anti-malarial. It's also antileukemic among other things.

 

Here are some of the ailments Romerillo has been used to treat medicinally:

 

• Colds
• Flu
• Snake bites
• Colon cancer
• Blood clots
• Cuts
• Hepatitis
• Bacterial infections
• Inflammation
• Urinary tract infections
• Worms
• Sore throats
• Headaches
• Diarrhea
• High fever

Native American Seminoles would chew on Romerillo leaves if a sore throat was present. I'm guessing for the other issues one would make a tea from the leaves and flowers and drink it throughout the day. Or, dry it and make it into a powder to consume with other food/drink items. Think adding it to your smoothies, that sort of thing.

 

"Antineoplasics phytotherapeutical composition based on Bidens alba, has properties that inhibit the growth of neoplasia.The presence of those properties in the extract and also in the fractions of plant have extreme importance in cancer treatment, with the possibility to obtain drugs with less collateral effects and less resistance development of the carcinogenic cells."

 - BitterrootRestoration.com

 

 

Here's a very helpful video from Green Deane at EatTheWeeds.com.

If you want to really get informed on this particular plant you should watch it. Everything you need to know about identifying Romerillo, cautions to take when harvesting, and all the other topics can be found here!

 

Hope y'all are having a blessed week!

This Title Has Nothing To Do With This Post

 

Hola queridas!

 

What's been happening with y'all lately? Well, I've been meaning for several weeks to put up a post about the most recent reenactment. So here I finally am.

 

This was our third Civil War reenactment. One of the best things about it was how close it was! Only about 20 minutes away from my house so the driving time was superb in comparison to the other two reenactments which were further away.

Jason, a new friend.

The Nature Coast reenactment took place in Williston this year on a privately owned farm. It was the smallest reenactment I've been to yet, but that didn't deter from the experience.

 

This reenactment wasn't based off an actual, historical event. Therefore the battle was 'made up' in a sense. Knowing this, I have to admit I was more amused with it than anything else. Is that bad? I know we were supposed to take it seriously since it was an effort to recreate mildly something from one of the bloodiest events in history. Still. It's not nearly the same (thank God!) and when you have an announcer who's a comedian going the whole time, well....

 

Kay took all these battle photos, by the way. She, Maygan and I came to play music as we always do. Also, we had an additional person in our group this time. Maygan's guy friend, Callan.

 

It was a fun time of fellowship, but I have to wonder if perhaps I was the loopiest of the little band. I mean, I'm loud and outgoing anyway, and everyone else seemed to be more in control of themselves somehow. *shrug* Oh well. Nothing new.

 

Our music-playing went decently, but it was pretty warm out and there were no trees anywhere whatsoever. The only shade came from the ball tent and that was being occupied most of the day by other folks who wanted to get out of the sun.

 

Only in FL can you get a sunburn in March.

 

 

 

Cause that's what happened, with all of us. I didn't get burned that badly, just around my cheeks and nose, but still. It's not nice to feel like you're blushing all day long when you know you're not.

 

Yeah. When you've got stockings, a crinoline and lots of fabric on, it can get hot very easily. Maybe this is why there are few reenactments here in the state during summertime.

Oh well, it just made me enjoy that cold root bear all the more!

 



Smoke ring from the cannon fire!

Maygan was wise and packed lunches ahead of time for us to eat in the parking lot. We never buy food at these things because it's so expensive. Plus it's utter junk food anyway!

We had a feast. Yogurt, chips, sandwiches, crackers, yeah, basically the works.

 



Kay wanted to get some pictures in the dark by the train tracks. Yes, that's me in the shadow.

Maygan!

Moi, Christin, Maygan and Callan.

Part of the area for dancing/the ball. 

 

That evening we drove over to Winn-Dixie in Williston which was only a few minutes away, to use the restrooms/get 'fixed up' for the ball. This is part of the routine now, you see.

 



Kay!

Jason!

Christin!

Jason being dramatic? I don't know what was happening here but you can see me and Chris in the background on the right.

Kay's photography continues. 

The sunburn is evident here. And my hair which got insane and wild after the first polka.

 

I think this was my favorite ball ever. I enjoyed the last two greatly, but this one felt so much more relaxed and casual somehow. (Maybe because it was a smaller event, and I also knew more people this time.) But besides that, I had the pleasure of meeting a young man with similar beliefs and ended up dancing/hanging out with the whole evening.

 

The significance of this statement is that I had just been telling my dad earlier that week that surely there were other Christians in the reenacting field. You see, I've had a few run-ins now with creeps at these things. Basically, guys that were not gentlemen in the least bit, let alone possible Christ-followers. So my dad was skeptical about the kind of people that go to these events. I was trying to tell him that surely not all the reenacting folks were like that.

 

So this was exciting because it literally proved what I had been hoping/thinking. Not all reenactor guys are huge flirts! Yes, there are ones who are genuinely nice people and even share your basic belief system! 

I'm such a dork.

Most illogical, captain?

I love this one of Kay.

 

Anyway, as soon as I found out Chris was into evangelism and Creation Science I was thrilled. It's so encouraging to meet other Christians who are eager to share the Gospel and stand up for their beliefs! I told him he was the first blatant Creationist I'd met at one of these things.

 

Besides talking, we waltzed a good deal. And waltzing is always fun! The variety of different dances was smaller at this ball, compared to Olustee and Brooksville, but it was still a blast. We basically did the Pattycake Polka, and then Virginia Reel and waltzing over and over, with five-ten minute breaks in-between each dance.

I think we were going for a serious look here. That or just tired?  



I love this picture...and it kind of proves what I was saying earlier about who the crazy one in the group was.

Overall, it was a marvelous day and marvelous evening. I was so thankful that everything worked out and that we got to go!

 



This, and the pictures to follow were taken by a photographer who thankfully gave me his business card later.

The ball tent.

Chris and I talking.

Virginia Reel!

 

 

Maygan and Callan being adorable. ^_^

This picture is so cute I'm going to die!!!

 



Anyway, it was a spectacular day. I think all of us at Southern Lights agreed on this!

 

I had a bit of post-reenactment blues on Sunday since it was over, but that's what happens after every big event that you look forward to for a while.

 

Sadly, the reenactment season has drawn to a close for us for this spring. :'( It's bittersweet. We've only done three events, but it feels like so much more.  I think I'm addicted. Can't wait for the next season!

 

Well, hope y'all enjoyed this post. Now I'm off to go shoot some hoops and run before it rains!