New Blog!

Hello, everyone! This is just to say that I've decided to create a new blog that is focused specifically on writing! You can find it at http://magickeyhole.blogspot.com/. Hope to see you all there!

McLean's Michigan Vacation

Here's another tech project. This one is a video, the subject of which is, again, my family's vacation to Traverse City, Michigan.

Poll -------------------------------------------------------->

Hi everyone! I'm trying to decide what direction I want to take this blog, and I would like some feedback. You can help either by commenting on this post or by voting on the poll you see directly to the right. If you have any suggestions beyond what is in the poll, please let me know! Thank you! :)

Podcast!

My friends Turner, Ben, and I made a podcast together for tech class! It's hilarious! Listen to it here: http://hlleafpool.podomatic.com/ 

Michigan Vacation Collage

This is a collage I made in Technology Class of my family's vacation to Michigan this past summer!

Narcissus

This is a short story I wrote the other day. Let me know what you think.

Narcissus

“Mornin’, Alana.” The bus driver smiled at Alana Chambers as she climbed the steps of the school bus.

“Good morning, Mr. Jacobs,” Alana answered politely, making her way to her usual seat. It was smack dab in the middle of the bus, not quite up front with the littlest kids, but not in back where the high-schoolers liked to sit. As a seventh grader, Alana didn’t fit into either category. Some of her peers liked to sit in front, some in back, but most of them were just kind of squished in the middle.

In Alana’s town, McLean, Illinois, the elementary school, middle school, and high school sit right next to each other, so the same bus carried students from all three schools.

Alana sat down on the seat and rested her forehead against the window. Another Monday.

Something hard poked her in the back. Alana stuck her hand down underneath the cushion and pulled something out.

“Oh my gosh.” It was the most gorgeous necklace she had ever seen. A delicate net of silver filigree was interwoven with tiny jewels that caught the light streaming in through the dusty window, filling the bus seat with rainbows. A beautiful white glass flower adorned the net, large enough to catch anyone’s eye but not so large that it was garish. It too was covered with the tiny diamonds and sparkled in the light. The whole necklace looked so delicate, like it would fall apart if Alana touched it, yet it had survived being shoved down a dirty school bus seat without losing a single gem.

Alana had never seen something so amazing.

She had a sudden urge to try it on.  She lifted it to her neck and—

“What are you doing?”

With a little scream, Alana let the necklace fall into her lap and looked up. Her best friend, Felicity Hendrix, was standing over her.

“Um...” Should I hide the necklace? Alana wondered. I want to keep it to myself. But Felicity’s my best friend. And the necklace isn’t technically mine, anyway. “I just found this necklace. Isn’t it gorgeous?”

Felicity sat down beside her and looked at the necklace. “You’re joking, right?”

“No!” Alana was insulted. “Don’t you think it’s beautiful? This flower, and those gems—I think they might be diamonds!”

Felicity stared at her. Had her friend gone crazy? “Alana, it’s just a cheap, dusty old rhinestone necklace with a plastic flower. It’s not even in good shape! See, half the jewels are missing!” Felicity reached out for the necklace, but Alana snatched it away.

“It is not ugly, or dusty, or cheap! Honestly, Felicity, you don’t know beauty when you see it! Maybe that’s why you don’t even care how you look!”

“Well, at least I’m not spending an hour in front of the mirror each day, or putting on a pound of makeup every morning, or constantly asking my friends if a particular outfit makes me look fat, like you do!” Felicity took a deep breath. “Listen, Alana, I don’t want to fight with you over a stupid necklace.”

“It is not—”

“Okay, I get it, you really like it. That’s great. I’m happy for you.”

They sat in awkward silence for a moment. Alana couldn’t stop staring at the necklace. Did Felicity really think it was ugly? Alana had never seen anything that looked less like plastic than that glass flower. And the necklace wasn’t missing a single jewel, either.

Felicity was completely confused. Was this a joke? It was just a dirty old necklace, not at all beautiful or special, just the type of thing you can buy at a thrift store for twenty-five cents.

Felicity and Alana had been best friends since kindergarten. Felicity adored Alana, but she was worried about how obsessed her friend was with her looks. Felicity just wore whatever she liked and was comfortable, but Alana spent hours pouring over fashion magazines, looking for the latest styles. She always felt bad about herself, too, no matter how much Felicity assured her that she was beautiful just the way God had made her. Felicity had gone to church since she was a baby and loved God. Alana didn’t really care.  

All Alana thought about was the necklace. She wanted so bad to try it on. But what if everyone else thought like Felicity? What if she was the only one who appreciated the necklace’s true beauty? What would happen to her reputation if people thought she was wearing a cheap, gaudy necklace?

It was unthinkable. Carefully, Alana wrapped the necklace in the sweater she was wearing and tucked it inside her backpack.

Felicity and Alana had study hall together right after lunch. As soon as study hall started, Alana raised her hand and asked to go to the bathroom.

Alana made her way down the hall to the smelliest school restroom, the one no one ever went in. But she didn’t even notice the smell as she pulled her sweater out of her backpack and carefully unwrapped it.

The necklace was still there, as beautiful as ever. Her hands trembling, Alana gently held it up to her neck and fastened the clasp.

Alana stared at her reflection in the mirror. It was as if the necklace had been made for her. The flower nestled gently on her chest, the net perfectly filling the area above her shirt. Just one necklace made her face light up. Her blond hair seemed to shine, and the diamonds made her blue eyes look almost silver.

She was beautiful.

Alana perched on the edge of the sink, staring spellbound at her reflection. She looked like she belonged in a magazine, or on a billboard, advertising perfect hair or perfect makeup.

“Alana?” Without turning around, Alana knew it was Felicity.

“Hi Felicity! Don’t I look divine?” Alana trilled.

“What has gotten into you? Study Hall is almost over! We need to go to class!”

“Oh, pshaw,” Alana laughed. “You’re too anxious, Felicity. I haven’t been here for more than five minutes!”

“You’ve been here for twenty-five minutes, Alana.” Felicity was starting to get worried. “Are you sick or something?” Alana didn’t look sick. She just looked as she always did.

But no, something was definitely different. Alana was wearing the cheap old necklace she had found, but that wasn’t it. It was something about her attitude, the way she held herself...

With a start, Felicity realized what it was. For the first time since they had started middle school, her friend wasn’t unhappy about how she looked. Alana was radiant because she was confident. “Wow. Um, what just happened?”

Alana was now dancing around the bathroom, still not taking her eyes from her reflection. “Tell you what, Felicity. Just tell everyone that I felt sick and went home.”

“Alana, you can’t cut class!” Felicity was horrified. Alana was one of the best students in their school.

“I’m not cutting class! I just have more important things to do.” Alana leaned against the mirror and sighed with pleasure.

“But Alana—”

“Here, Felicity, you try it on.” Alana turned away from the mirror and removed the necklace. She was careful not to look in the mirror—she knew she couldn’t bear the sight of her own ugliness without the necklace.

“That old thing? Are you sure?”

“Just try it, Felicity! You wouldn’t believe how amazing it is.”

“Um, okay...” Felicity looked at her own reflection. She looked just like she always did: pretty enough, with long brown hair in a ponytail, glasses, and dark brown eyes. “Well, here goes nothing.” Felicity took a deep breath and put on the necklace.

Alana watched Felicity. For a moment, her friend just stared at her own reflection, not moving a muscle. Then, in one motion, she yanked off the necklace and flung it across the room.

“What are you doing?!” Alana shrieked. She dove for the necklace.

“Don’t touch it!” Felicity yelled.

Alana paid her no heed, scooping the necklace off the floor and checking it for damage. “Why would you do that?” she shouted at her friend.

Felicity walked briskly over to Alana with her hand held out. “Give it to me,” she said firmly.

“What, so you can throw it again? No!”

“That thing is dangerous, Alana.”

“It’s just a necklace!”

Felicity stared at her in disbelief. “Couldn’t you feel it draining you?” She shuddered. “It was horrible. It was like it was taking my very identity. We need to get rid of it.”

Alana shook her head. “No. I’m keeping it.”

“I won’t let you!”

Just then, the bell rang.

“Come on,” said Felicity. “We have to get to class.”

As Alana got to her feet, Felicity made a sudden rush at her and grabbed the necklace. Shoving it in her backpack, she exited the bathroom at a run.

Alana narrowed her eyes. “Fine. But it’s my necklace, Felicity Hendrix, and I’ll get it back if it kills me.”

Alana and Felicity didn’t speak to each other the rest of the day. 

But as they were getting on the bus, Alana tapped Felicity on the shoulder. “Look, Felicity, no hard feelings about the necklace, okay?”

“Okay.” Felicity was relieved. “Could you feel—”

Alana cut her off. “I don’t even want to talk about it. Let’s just pretend it never happened, okay?”

All the way home, the girls chattered and laughed just like normal, both of them straining to pretend that the necklace didn’t exist.

“Hey, Felicity,” Alana said as they got close to Felicity’s stop. “Could I look in your backpack just for a minute? I think I left my headband with you.”

“Sure.” Felicity handed Alana the backpack, forgetting about the necklace still stored in the bottom.

Alana dug through the pack.

“Hurry up,” Felicity said anxiously. “This is my stop.”

“Got it!” Alana pulled something from the pack. Felicity didn’t even look at it, just grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder as she ran down the aisle. “Bye, Alana!” she called over her shoulder.

“Bye Felicity!” Alana called. 

“And thank you,” she added under her breath, clutching the stolen necklace close.

“I’m home, Mom!” Alana called.

“Anything interesting happen at school?” Alana’s mother came out of the kitchen, dusting her hands on her apron.

“I found this.” Alana showed her mom the necklace.

Her mother studied it. “It’s quite beat up. But that’s a pretty narcissus on it!”

“Narcissus?”

“That flower. It was named after Narcissus from the Greek myths. He was an incredibly handsome man who was so vain, he fell in love with his own reflection and wasted away—”

“That’s nice!” Alana didn’t bother to listen to what her mother was saying.
“I’m going to be in my room, but I have a ton of homework so please don’t bother me!”

Alana took the steps two at a time and locked her door.

She took her fanciest dress from her closet and put it on. Then she pulled her chair up to her full-length mirror and sat down. Finally. Peace and quiet.

Alana put on the necklace.

Having said hello to her mother, played with her baby sister, and done her chores, Felicity made her way upstairs, apple in hand. She could do a little bit of her homework before dinner.

Felicity had managed to put the strange necklace out of her mind, but now, in solitude, she couldn’t help but remember it. What had happened in that dusty bathroom? There was something supernatural about the necklace, Felicity knew. She had wrapped it up in cloth before putting it in her backpack—

“I put it in my backpack!” Felicity dropped her apple and started digging through her backpack. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! It’s not in here! I have to get to Alana’s right away!”

Felicity dashed downstairs. “Mom I have to go to Alana’s house right now!”

“Are you okay?” Her mom sounded concerned.

“I’m fine, but Alana might not be! I’ll be right back—hopefully.” Felicity dashed out the door, jumped on her bike and pedaled top speed all the way to Alana’s house.

Felicity burst in Alana’s front door without knocking. “Hi Mrs. Chambers!” she called to Alana’s mom. “Where’s Alana?”

“Well, hi, Felicity!” Mrs. Chambers smiled. “Do you want some cookies or something?”

“No, thanks. Is Alana in her room?”

“Yes, I think so. She’s been in there since she came home, almost two hours ago. Is everything okay?”

Felicity felt a dark chill run up her spine. Had Alana been wearing the necklace that whole time?

Without stopping to answer Mrs. Chambers’ question, Felicity dashed up the stairs and tried to open Alana’s door, but her friend’s room was locked.

Felicity pounded on the door. “Alana? Alana, I know you’re in there! It’s Felicity! Let me in right now!”

For a moment, there was no answer. Felicity could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Was she too late? God, help me!

Then Alana’s dreamy giggle floated out to Felicity. “Hello, dear!”

“Alana!” For a moment, Felicity was relieved. Then: “Alana, you let me in right now!”

“No, I’d rather not. I’m too beautiful, you see. I might make you jealous!” Alana let out a high, shrill laugh that gave Felicity chills.

She struggled to keep her voice under control. “Really? I can’t believe that! Let me see!”

“Nope!” said Alana teasingly.

“Oh, please, Alana dear?” Felicity wheedled. “Just a quick peek?”

“Well...” Alana seemed to consider. “Okay!” She flung open the door and Felicity quickly jumped inside.

Felicity stared at her friend. Alana was wearing her best dress: a gorgeous, sparkly turquoise-and-silver mini-dress. She was also wearing her sparkly high-heeled shoes and silver earrings. Her hair had been elegantly done up and fastened. She was wearing a ton of makeup and the necklace.

She was beautiful, it couldn’t be denied—but also somehow wrong. She just didn’t look like Alana.

“Aren’t I gorgeous?” Alana trilled.

“Lovely.” Felicity struggled to keep her voice level. “Just like you always look.”

Alana giggled again. “Don’t lie to me, darling! Why, I was ugly, positively hideous before today!”

“Oh? And what happened today?” Felicity moved a step closer to Alana. What would happen if she just reached out and grabbed the necklace? She didn’t want to spook Alana and get thrown out of the room, but every minute that she wore the necklace, Alana’s identity, her personality, her very self was being sucked into the necklace and its deadly beauty.

“I found this.” Alana looked down and lovingly stroked the crystal narcissus with one finger. “And now... I’m beautiful!” Alana spun across the room and leaned against her full length mirror. She sighed with pleasure. “Oh, darling, this is the best day I have ever had!”

Something occurred to Felicity then, something that sent chills down her spin. “Alana, what’s my name?”

The girl laughed, not taking her eyes from her reflection. “Don’t be silly, dear! It’s...” Alana’s eyes clouded over a little. She seemed confused. “I’m sorry... have we met before?”

Felicity’s heart was pounding. “What is your name?”

Alana considered for a moment. She half turned from the mirror. “Why, it’s... it’s...” Then the girl shrugged and turned back to the mirror. “It doesn’t really matter. Nothing really matters. Being beautiful can do that to you, you know what I mean? Oh, I forgot. No one knows what I mean! Because no one is as beautiful as me!” The girl threw back her head and laughed with delight.

Felicity stood frozen in the middle of the room. For just a moment, she was jealous of Alana. What would be like to be that beautiful? Felicity swayed on the spot. Maybe, Alana would let her try on the necklace... just for a moment...

Felicity shook her head hard. “NO!” she blurted aloud.

The girl didn’t even seem to hear her. “Perhaps you should come back another time, darling... as understandable as it is that you want to bask in my glow, I would rather be alone right now.”

Felicity didn’t hesitate. She crossed the distance to Alana’s side and grabbed the necklace with both hands. Then she tugged as hard as she could.

The necklace didn’t come off. But Felicity could feel its power pulsing under her hands. She wanted the necklace. She wanted all that it offered: beauty, popularity, power. She wanted the love and adoration the necklace could give her. For the first time, Felicity could see the necklace as Alana saw it. 

It was beautiful.

Then she heard a voice.  A quiet voice, from the depths of her heart. You don’t need it to be beautiful, Felicity. You are beautiful, because you are My child. All that you need, you already have.

Felicity was filled with a tremendous calm. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Jesus.

She let go of the necklace.

The girl at the mirror didn’t even seem to have noticed that Felicity was tugging on her necklace. She was still smiling at her reflection.

Felicity grabbed her arms and yanked, pulling the girl to her feet.

“Hey!” The girl tottered on her high heels.

Felicity pushed her up against the wall. The time for subtlety was past. “You listen to me right now, Alana Chambers!” Felicity practically shouted in her face. “Listen to me! You don’t need the necklace to be beautiful!

“Yes, I do.” The girl said it as if it was absolute fact.

“No. You. Don’t! You are beautiful just the way you are, just the way God made you!”

The girl blinked. The cloudy look in her eyes faded just a little. “What did you say my name was?”

“Alana. Alana Chambers. Alana, my best, best friend.”

The girl cocked her head to the side. “Alana means beautiful.”

“Yes, it does, but it means more than that! It means Beautiful, Beloved Child. You are beloved, Alana Chambers. Beloved by your family, beloved by me, and beloved by God. No one cares how you look.”

The girl’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t lie to me. Everyone cares!”

“Some people care, that’s true,” Felicity amended. “But they don’t matter! They don’t even deserve to look at you! We don’t care. The ones who love you don’t care.”

“Yes they do.” Alana’s voice was very tiny and quiet. “They must care... they must care... right?”

“Wrong,” Felicity said firmly. Then her voice became gentler. “Just take it off, Alana. Just take it off.”

Alana looked at Felicity, her eyes brimming with tears. Somewhere, deep inside, she felt something stirring. She wanted to take the necklace off but... she couldn’t. How could she loose this beauty? For the last two hours, she had been something special. How could she just go back?

“Felicity?” she whispered. “I don’t know what to do.”  

“Take off the necklace,” Felicity said gently.

But I can’t! Alana cried silently. I can’t do it! I’m not strong enough!

I Am.

What?  Alana had heard the voice rather than felt it.

You are not strong enough, My child, but I am. Take the necklace off. Everything will be all right.

“Okay,” Alana whispered. Slowly, tremblingly, she lifted her hands to her neck and unfastened the clasp.

The necklace fell. It tumbled the distance from Alana’s neck to the floor, until it hit the carpet.

It lay there, between Alana and Felicity, looking, for all the world, like a cheap, unassuming, rhinestone necklace.

Alana blinked. “Felicity?”

“Alana?” Felicity could scarcely believe it. “Are you... are you...”

“Something... I just...The necklace, it was—Oh Felicity!” Alana burst into tears.

Thank you, Jesus! Felicity thought as Alana sobbed on her shoulder. Everything is going to be alright!

“Girls?” Alana’s mother called up the stairs. “Are you okay up there?”

“We’re fine!” Felicity called down. “Perfect, in fact!” She realized with a start that from when she had mounted the stairs until now was only two or three minutes. It felt like a lifetime.

“What—what should we do with it?” Alana hiccupped.

“Well, I suppose we should—“ Felicity’s voice stuttered to a halt. “Where is it?”

The girls both got down on their knees and searched the room, but the necklace was no where to be found.

Felicity sat back on her haunches. “I don’t see where it could have gone.”

“Well, I’m glad,” Alana said firmly. She was still a little pale and shaken from her ordeal, but her voice had lost its tremor. “I don’t ever want to see it again!”

“I feel the same way,” said Felicity. “Oh, Alana, I’m so glad you’re alright!”

“I wouldn’t be, if it hadn’t been for you,” Alana said gratefully. “Only... something happened there at the end, right before I took the necklace off. I heard a voice. It wasn’t you, I’m sure—this came from inside me, but not inside me at the same time. Do you think... do you think it could have been God?”

Felicity smiled. “I’m sure of it. Tell you what, why don’t you come with me to youth group later tonight?”

“I’d love to. Only, maybe I’d better change out of these ridiculous shoes.”

Felicity laughed. Alana joined in.

And as Alana laughed, her head thrown back, practically snorting with laughter, she wasn’t thinking at all about how she looked.

And she had never looked so beautiful.

My Family at a Baseball Game

 (Before we begin... THIS IS A JOKE, PEOPLE!!!! Please don't take it seriously! Thank you.)

Last night, my family decided to go see the Iowa Cubs, who are our local AAA team, play. 
I am no great sports buff, but the concessions at ballparks are some of my favorites, and it was better than sitting around at home, so I agreed to go.
As the night wore on, I noticed that each member of my family has very different things that they enjoy, prioritize, pay attention to, and comment on.
Now, I'm no mind reader, but I know my family well enough that I can guess what they were thinking throughout the night. Here are my observations inning by inning. 

On the way to the ballpark:
Dad: Will you kids be quiet back there? I'm trying to find the park!
Mom: Are they going to be this noisy and unsettled during our twelve-hour drive next week?! We've only been driving for an hour and you're already bouncing off the walls!
Hannah (13): All right, got my sunglasses, purse, wallet, book, notebook-- Wait, where's my pencil? I need my pencil! You don't want me to be bored, do you? Oh, wait, there it is. I'm all set.
Josh (11): I hope the Cubs win! Maybe I can catch a ball. Hey, where are we sitting? Can we get seats along the first base line? What do you guys think? Look, I have this park map right here.
Nate (8): I wonder if Mom and Dad will buy me a hotdog.


Inning One:
Dad: Alright, kids, you each get $10 to spend plus any of your own money.
Mom: Oh, I forgot to get a scorecard. Oh well.
Hannah: Wait-- what just happened? I missed it! Everyone's yelling-- what's going on?
Josh: WHOA! Did you see that catch? They should call that third-baseman up to the the majors!
Nate: Mmm... Pizza.

Inning Two:
Dad: Inning Two and we've already spent $20 on food...
Mom: No, Nate, you can't jump up and down on the seats.
Josh: CUBS SCORE!!!!
Nate: There's an "s" on my pizza box. Wonder what it stands for? Scrumptious? Surprising?

Inning Three: 
Mom: Hannah, stop dancing, the people behind us are staring at you.
Hannah: Hey, Josh, if we dance to the music, we can get on the JumboTron!
Josh: Aw, come on! That left-fielder should have let it go foul! Now the Zephyr who was on third scored!
Nate: Surprisingly Scrumptious Special Sausage!

Inning Four:
Dad: Nate, stop jumping around and just watch the game.
Hannah: I think I'll read for a while...
Nate: *Gasp* Where did that girl down there get Dippin' Dots???????


Inning Five:
Hannah: Excuse me? Cotton Candy man? Um, excuse me?
Mom: Hannah, you're not supposed to be so polite. (Well, that's something I don't say every day.)
Josh: *Gasp* The Zephyrs scored! Now the score is tied!
Nate: Mom? Can I have some Dippin' Dots?


Inning Six:
Josh: He bobbled the ball! That's the difference between minor league baseball and major league baseball. No major league player would have missed that catch. 
Hannah: Finally saw something happen! One man was running, and another man tried to catch the ball, but then he started juggling... what on earth?
Nate: I'd pay for the Dippin' Dots myself, you know.


Inning Seven:
Mom: Fine, Nathaniel! You can have your ice cream thing.
Hannah: *Sigh* I finished my book. Now what am I supposed to do?
Josh: GO CUBS!!!!!!! They're winning!
Nate: Finally got my Dippin' Dots! Persistence really does pay off!

Inning Eight:

Josh: If the cubs can just hold the Zephyrs off for another half-inning, the Cubs will win! I can't remember the last time I was at a baseball game where the team I was rooting for won! 

Dad: Come on, Cubs!

Hannah: Will everyone quiet down, already? I can't hear my iPod!
Nate: These are the best Dippin' Dots I've ever eaten.

Inning Nine:
Dad: How did the smallest person spend the most on food?
Mom: *Yawn* Time to go.
Hannah: Wow! He hit that ball really far! WoooHoooo! Wait, why am I the only one cheering?
Josh: I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!! That Zephyr guy have to hit a three-run homer! Now the Cubs are down by two! Am I never going to get to go to a baseball game where the team I'm rooting for actually wins?
Nate: Can we go home yet?

The Way Home:
Mom: Ah... peace and quiet at last!
Hannah: Zzzzzzzz.....
Josh: Zzzzzzzz.....
Nate: Zzzzzzzz..... 
Dad: $2 tickets... $50 snacks... Priceless memories....