April Fools' Day

Happy April 1st, everyone! And Happy Easter! Happy Spring 2013 too! Oh and Happy Birthday, if it happens to be your birthday today! I think I've run out of appropriate greetings now. So everyone knows that April 1st is also April Fools' Day, that glorious day of the year when you can get back at your brother for stealing your Easter chocolate, play annoying little pranks on your neighbours just to mess with them, and almost give your parents a heart attack. I didn't know the origin of April Fools' Day and even though such an intelligent, beautiful person like you probably already knows where this day came from, I took the liberty of looking it up anyway.

Wikipedia says that:

Precursors of April Fools' Day include the Roman festival of Hilaria, held March 25,^[2] and the Medieval Feast of Fools, held December 28,^[3] still a day on which pranks are played in Spanish-speaking countries.

In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1392), the "Nun's Priest's Tale" is set Syn March bigan thritty dayes and two.^[4]Modern scholars believe that there is a copying error in the extant manuscripts and that Chaucer actually wrote,Syn March was gon.^[5] Thus, the passage originally meant 32 days after April, i.e. May 2,^[6] the anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia, which took place in 1381. Readers apparently misunderstood this line to mean "March 32", i.e. April 1.^[7] In Chaucer's tale, the vain cock Chauntecleer is tricked by a fox.

In 1508, French poet Eloy d'Amerval referred to a poisson d’avril (April fool, literally "April fish"), a possible reference to the holiday.^[8] In 1539, Flemish poet Eduard de Dene wrote of a nobleman who sent his servants on foolish errands on April 1.^[6] In 1686, John Aubrey referred to the holiday as "Fooles holy day", the first British reference.^[6] On April 1, 1698, several people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to "see the Lions washed".^[6]

In the Middle Ages, up until the late 18th century, New Year's Day was celebrated on March 25 (Feast of the Annunciation) in most European towns.^[9] In some areas of France, New Year's was a week-long holiday ending on April 1.^[2][3] Many writers suggest that April Fools originated because those who celebrated on January 1 made fun of those who celebrated on other dates.^[2] The use of January 1 as New Year's Day was common in France by the mid-16th century,^[6] and this date was adopted officially in 1564 by the Edict of Roussillon.

A study in the 1950s, by folklorists Iona and Peter Opie, found that in the UK and those countries whose traditions derived from there, the joking ceased at midday.^[10] But this practice appears to have lapsed in more recent years.

I know, I have no idea what they're talking about either. All I got from that was the confirmation that people have been mean to each other for a very long time, even dating back to the 16th century. And nothing has really changed. But either way, I've loved this day since I was a kid. It's the day when you have 24 hours, well I guess only 12 because apparently the fun stops mid-day, to let your wicked, fiendish, diabolical, creative juices flow. I'm no good at it, believe me if I were to become a criminal I'd hardly be able to steal a paperclip. 'Course no one ever realizes their paperclips are stolen until they need one, its the perfect crime... April Fools'! I promise never to steal anything from you! You're too nice. Anyway, I like this day because seeing the person's face when you shout "April Fools'!" is priceless, and then you get to laugh with them about how stupid they were, and how clever you are, and telling the story over and over again to your other friends even though they don't understand how putting salt on their toothbrush, or a rubber band over the dish sprayer, or plastic wrap over the toilet seat, or toothpaste instead of oreo filling is at all funny. But I will admit, some of the pranks can be a bit mean, and if you know a certain person won't take it very well then don't put salt in their morning coffee instead of sugar. That will not put them in a good mood and I doubt they would feel so inclined to give you that promotion you were hoping for. So whatever happens today, just have fun. Live everyday to the fullest and be kind to one another, at least for the other 364 days of the year! Sincerely, Sam

Religion

Hello, there! Thanks for stopping by! So for those of you who are wondering why I'm blogging at 12pm on a school day, well you should probably get a calendar, because then you would know that it's Easter weekend! Which for me, means four days off to do all the stuff I wish I had done during March Break but was too lazy or busy to do. For other people however, Easter does a have special meaning. In the Christian religion, Easter is a holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion on what is now known as Good Friday. I will admit, and I don't mean to offend anyone but if I do feel free to stop reading and continue on your way, I am not Christian. I'm Agnostic, which means I don't necessarily believe in God and that Jesus was the son of God, but that doesn't mean that I don't believe there is some type of a god out there somewhere. I just have no way of knowing. I respect and sometimes even envy those people who are so sure that there is someone up there who is watching over them, giving them strength, and loving them unconditionally. But you can't make someone believe in something when in their heart they feel no connection to what is being taught.

Religion is a complex, fascinating concept. It's different in every culture, and it affects the way people think, act, speak, and conduct their daily lives. Now that I think about it, I know virtually nothing about world religion. It's a touchy subject for many people, but when it does come up in a conversation I always feel pathetically uneducated. I really don't want to offend anyone by saying something that goes against their beliefs, or is from a completely different belief system. How embarrassing... So I decided it was time to learn something about this important part of many people's lives. I have many good friends who are Christian and I think I know them pretty well, but I had never understood this part of their world. So yesterday I went with one of my friends to her Youth Group at her church. I didn't know what to expect, but the people there were very nice and accepting, and I although I had hardly even opened the Bible before, I enjoyed the passages we read and how they demonstrated the theme of that week. Having the privilege of experiencing a part of her daily life that I don't see so much at school was such a great opportunity that also made me think about what I'm missing out on, having not grown up in that kind of community.

Now, my mom was raised Anglican and my dad Catholic, which means they both went to church and participated in Bible studies and Sunday School and everything, but neither of them really believed and engaged in it entirely like my grandparents do. So they chose not to pass the traditions and customs that they grew up with on to my brother and I, letting us chose for ourselves what we wanted (or didn't want) to believe. Which I am thankful for because I have an unbiased, completely open opinion of every religion and belief that I come across. Not to say people who do practice a religion aren't open and accepting, but you know what I meant. I have developed my own opinion of what I think guides and teaches us as we travel through this human life (which for the most part is equivalent to what my mom believes, and makes me wonder if religion has something to do with our brains so is therefore genetic). I won't explain what I believe now because it's just not possible through a blog post, and I'm not even sure myself. These ideas and thoughts are hard to think about, they're "head-y" as my mom called it. But I do know that whatever a person believes, they're still a person and so should be treated as such, with kindness and respect. Sincerely, Sam

Thoughts, Quotes, Sayings

Hello, you amazing human being, you! You doing alright there? Got everything figured out? How about some inspirational quotes and sayings to liven up your day, huh? That's what I was thinking too. So here you are, some random thoughts to help you through till tomorrow:


"TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More". 
"Push will get a person almost anywhere- except through a door marked 'pull'."
"You gotta take the good with the bad, smile with the sad, love what you got, and remember what you had."
"Flying is simple. You just throw yourself at the ground and miss."
"Love is giving somebody the power to destroy you, but trusting them not to."
"Don’t ever be depending on the rabbit’s foot for good luck when it obviously didn’t work for the rabbit."
"Never be afraid to try something new… An amateur built the ark that lasted forty days and forty nights; professionals built the titanic that sank."
"If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you."
"Real Eyes. Realize. Real Lies."
"You’ll never be old and wise if you weren’t young and crazy."
"The day you realize you’re not as young as you used to be is the day you start dying."
"An eye for an eye will ultimately, leave the whole world blind."
"I never make stupid mistakes. Only very, very clever ones."
"When life gives you lemons, make orange juice and leave the world wondering how the hell you did it."
"Small people talk about people, big people talk about ideas."
"Wise people talk because they have something to say,
fools talk because they have to say something."
"The message below is a lie,
The message above is the truth."
"A goal without a plan is only a dream."
"If someone doesn't appreciate your presence, make them appreciate your absence."
"When things aren't adding up in your life, start subtracting."
"Accept what you cannot change, change what you cannot accept."
"Life is a puzzle, stop trying to place people where they don't fit."
"The word 'impossible' is two letters too long."
"The word 'listen' contains the same letters as the word 'silent'."
"Don't take life too seriously– you'll never make it out alive."

Well, I'd be very surprised and impressed if you read through all of those without getting bored, and are reading this right now. Sure many of them were incredibly cliche, but I hope at least one stuck in your head and you'll remember it and share with others, if only for a laugh. Thanks for paying attention! Sorry for dragging this on so long, you can leave now. No seriously, I'm not going to say any more clever things today, I'm all out. Okay, I promise I won't have a eureka moment while you're gone, or solve world hunger, or eliminate global warming, or make contact with an extra-terrestrial, or write the next super popular, epic, vampire/wizard/fight-to-the-death/space-battle/magical-ring book or movie series. Does that satisfy you? I'm not kidding. You're dismissed, stop reading. You're still reading... Why are you still reading? Oh, because I'm still writing, you say? You trying to blame the wasting of your own time reading something pointless on me? Well, I've got nothing to say to that.... 
Sincerely, Sam

Song of the Day

Hello, wonderful person! Guess I what? It's Friday! Yes, and for some reason I had a really bad day today. I won't get into the specifics right now but it involved a frustrating soccer team, a group member with the attention span of a fruit fly, and an unfinished lab report. And to top it all off, I missed my bus and had to walk home. Which isn't too bad considering I only live like 10 minutes away from my school, unlike many of my friends who live in Nappanee, or Inverary, or Odessa, or Amherstview, and a little extra exercise never killed anyone. But I'm getting off topic here. The point is, it wasn't the best way to end my week. But the one thing I can count on to cheer me up is listening to music, specifically one of my favourite songs. Which just happens to be my song of the day! Weird, huh? So today's song is..... I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz. I'm not sure why I like this song so much but every time I hear it I just have to sing along and I start to feel just a little bit better. Part of it is because it was last song that played on the season 6 finale of my favourite TV show, Heartland. So when I hear it, I picture the happy times I remember from watching that show with my family, and the excitement of watching the storyline and characters develop. (If anyone has ever watched a movie or show with me I think they will agree that I get VERY into it. I have a very strong investment into the suspension of disbelief theory.) Part of it are the lyrics. I think they tell a beautiful story, and the message is one I believe in strongly. Part of it might also be melody and instruments. I really like the guitar in this song because, one, I can't play the guitar so any half-decent guitar playing impresses me, and two, I like the way I can almost picture somebody's fingers playing the notes and the simplicity of the melody. Another reason this is my favourite song is because I can sing along, even though I am a terrible singer, with minimal difficulty. It's in the perfect key for me and my voice doesn't sound too stupid when I sing louder than I should. Whatever the reason is, this is my favourite song, for the time being, and I just wanted to share it with you, and inspire you to think about why you like your favourite song so much and to share your love of music with others.

Also, for those of you with significant others in your lives, here's a tip: always know what your loved one's favourite song is. Coming from a girl's perspective (and feel free to disagree, fellow girls, because this is just one person's opinion), but I think it is incredibly romantic and sweet when a guy makes an effort to remember your likes and dislikes and then applies this knowledge in the perfect situation. That didn't make much sense, did it? Well let me give you an example. If you're at a dance with your girlfriend or boyfriend or crush or spouse or love interest, before you ask them to dance, go request their favourite song (which in my case is a slow love song, because that's just what typical teenage girls like), wait for them to say "Omg, I love this song!", then sweep them into your arms and say, "I know". So romantic! It will put them in such a good mood, not only because they are hearing the one song that is guaranteed to make them happy, but also because they know that you've been paying attention to them and that you care about what they like and how they feel.

I hope this tip was helpful, although you're so smart and pretty and awesome you probably already knew that! So the lesson of today is: listen in! Not only to the music, but to the people too. Sincerely, Sam

My Book of Awesome

Hey there! How was your first day back in reality after March Break? Did you find the chocolate in the oatmeal, as they say? Speaking of chocolate, this brings me to my Awesome thing of the day: Chocolate milk. Ok, you might be thinking "Chocolate milk? That's it? How mediocre." Well I'm not talking about your average, everyday chocolate milk. I'm talking creamy, luscious, rich, fulfilling chocolate milk. I'm talking Limestone Organic Creamery chocolate milk. You know, the expensive, once-and-a-while, really good chocolate milk. Seriously, it's the best chocolate milk ever. But I guess there is a bit more than just the milk that goes along with today's Awesome thing. It's the fact that when I got home from school I opened up the fridge looking for a snack, not expecting to see such a wonderful beverage on the top shelf, and I saw the telltale shape of a Limestone Organic Creamery bottle and when I pulled it out from behind the mustard, I saw that the milk inside was that delicious chocolatey brown colour, and when I poured the milk into my glass the little amount that was left was just enough to fill it, and when I set the glass down, empty, I had the satisfaction of knowing the fact that I finished the chocolate milk will annoy my brother. Okay, so I know that makes me seem like a total nut-case for taking my cocoa-infused beverages so seriously, but that's the point of My Book of Awesome. To acknowledge the little things that make me happy and take them more seriously. This is what makes up my life, the little details that most people miss, the insignificant comments and jokes that make you smile in the moment but are forgotten seconds later, the memories and thoughts connected with specific objects or sounds that will come rushing back whenever inspired. So my little, happy, Awesome element of the day is: Chocolate milk. Just because it tastes so darn good. Sincerely, Sam

Word of the Day

Hello, how's your March Break been? Have you been sleeping in? Travelling? Getting stuff done? Me too. But for some reason, this week has gone by really slowly. Maybe it's because my brother had hockey multiple times a week so we couldn't go anywhere. Maybe it's because I didn't know what to do with my time. Maybe it's because I missed talking to my friends like I normally do everyday. Which brings me to my Word of the Day: miss. What does it mean to miss someone? Is it that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach every time you hear their name? Is it the longing to give them a hug and see their wonderful smile? Ok, so thats just one definition of the word 'miss'. You could also 'miss the ball' when playing catch, or 'miss the train' when going on a trip. Here's the specific definition for 'miss', if you're picky and were wondering:

miss

1.

to fail to hit or strike: to miss a target.

2.

to fail to encounter, meet, catch, etc.: to miss a train.

3.

to fail to take advantage of: to miss a chance.

4.

to fail to be present at or for: to miss a day of school.

5.

to notice the absence or loss of: When did you first miss your wallet?

Now, today I'm focusing on number 5. "To notice the absence or loss of." Because this week I began to notice the absence or loss of a number of things. I missed my friends, specifically certain people, or person. Whether they know who they are or not. I'm sure many of you know the feeling of missing someone. Like the quote that I've included above, it describes what lovers may feel when they are apart from one another. And even though I don't have that kind of claim on someone, that doesn't mean I don't feel it sometimes. I'm sure you've felt this way about someone at some point too. Right now you are thinking about this person and how happy you feel when you're around them, and how when you are apart you physically feel like you've lost a part of you. Your heart starts pumping when you picture their face and you imagine the conversation you might have with them if they were with you at that moment. It doesn't matter that these feelings may only be a superficial result of the raging hormones that cloud your mind at times when you're my age, or if they are a lifelong, everlasting emotion that you know you will share with this person until the end of time. It doesn't matter. So long as you know this feeling, because it means you've experienced a strong connection to someone. Now you may be thinking, what if I like being single? What if I don't have a significant other? Well, that's not the only kind of connection you can have with another human being. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, friends, pets, aliens, or another kind of being can be missed. I mentioned earlier that I missed a specific someone. You don't know who that could be, do you? Who knows, maybe its you! Perhaps the person you miss is me. I don't know, and you don't know. And I'm not telling. Unless you ask nicely, then maybe. And bring me some chocolate.

Just to prove my point, I'll tell you something else about the word 'miss'. Its can be applied to ANYTHING. You can feel that physical loss anywhere, at any time, about anything. I realized during my break how much I missed skiing, and horse-back riding, and my bed. I hadn't gone skiing in at least a year and yesterday I went to Camp Fortune with my friend. Even though the ski boots hurt for a little while before my feet got used to it, I enjoyed myself more than I had hoped. Feeling the wind against my jacket, and exercising my whole body to make it down the hill safely and gracefully reminded me why I miss skiing once the season is over. Then on the way home, I was so utterly exhausted, I almost fell asleep in the car. I just about feel asleep right when my head hit the pillow when I finally went to bed and I realized how much I missed the comfort of my own mattress. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about! Today I went riding for the first time in months and I felt the same way. I hadn't realized how much I missed it until I got back on. I know I'm gonna be sore tomorrow but I'm in such a good mood because that feeling I get when I ride has been revived and I am looking forward to next week's lesson.

See? I told you the word 'miss' could mean anything! So comment below and tell me what you miss, or who you miss. Especially if it's me that you are longing to see again, because chances are I feel the same way. Sincerely, Sam

Play Time!

Hey! You're looking positively amazing today! Did you do something different with your hair? Did you do some exercise or eat a healthy breakfast? Did you play at all today? Well whatever you're doing, it's working because you are glowing with youth. Speaking of youthfulness, yesterday my friend Ella came over and being 15 years old, and growing up, and having to think about our futures we decided it was time for a break from being a teenager. So guess what we did? We built a fort. Yes that's right, a good ole fashioned fort made of sheets and pillows and clothes pins. Now you may be thinking "15 years old and still playing like 8 year olds?" Yes, we are! And I think it's good for you! Taking a break from being all up-tight and mature, and just playing like a child again is beneficial to your health. We were moving around, being creative and innovative, sharing some laughs, and allowing ourselves to enjoy the simple act of sitting underneath a canopy of blankets that we created in my living room. If you are able to do these childish things with your friends and not care about being judged as immature and silly, I think that is a sign that your friendship is one that is destined to last. So play everyday! Whether that means climbing a tree, having a snowball fight, finger painting, jumping in puddles, skipping instead of walking to work, colouring in a colouring book, or building a fort. Just remember what it was like to be a child, the wonderment at everything new, the joy when seeing the world from a different perspective, the pride of building something all by yourself. These feelings don't come as easily as we grow older, we have to let ourselves be happy. Children have no trouble with this because they are blissfully unaware of their surroundings, they don't know what they don't know. But as we grow up and learn and observe others, we now know what we don't know. And this knowledge makes us self-conscious, we don't allow ourselves to enjoy life to the fullest because we are worried about being judged or that we don't deserve it. You do deserve it! Okay, I will admit going to a job interview in footsie pyjamas and cape might be pushing it a bit. But maybe one night if you feel like drinking apple juice instead of wine, go for it! Or if you see a log on the side of the road, pretend its the Great Wall of China and walk on it! Or if your favourite song comes on the radio, get up and dance! Live, love, laugh, and eat a popsicle. Sincerely, Sam