Comparing and Contrasting Pollyanna and Veruca Salt

Today while I was picking up the office I came across a little file of some papers I had written for school over the years. I thought you might get a kick out of this one. I remember I had just mentioned that I had finished both books when I was told I needed to have a paper about a character from each book in by lunch time. This just goes to show how spontaneous my mother is on writing assignments! ;)

Comparing and Contrasting Pollyanna and Veruca Salt

This is an essay comparing and contrasting Pollyanna, a character from Eleanor H. Porter's fiction novel Pollyana, and Veruca Salt, from the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory written by Roald Dahl.

Pollyanna Whittier is a fun-loving, orphaned, ten-year-old girl who lives with her strict aunt Polly. Pollyanna always tries to make the best of every situation and encourages others to do the same. She loves making new friends and taking in all sorts of creatures who don't have any place to stay, much to her dismay, into Aunt Polly's mansion.

Veruca Salt is a rich, spoiled brat who "needs a good spanking". She was the second winner of Mr. Willy Wonka's precious five golden tickets. And, as you can guess, got it purely from whining and screaming her father's ear off (just like she gets everything else).

Here are some of the similarities of Pollyanna and Veruca Salt. Veruca and Pollyanna both live in wealthy households; Pollyanna was adopted into the money and Veruca was simply born raking in the bucks. Bother girls have lovely, blond hair and are somewhat curious.

Though there are very few comparisons between Veruca and Pollyanna, there are many contrasts. First of all, Pollyanna is much more well behaved. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Veruca's "Daddy" tells the newspaper that Veruca "would lie for hours on the floor, kicking and yelling in the most disturbing way" when he would come home from work with no Golden Ticket. But when Pollyanna doesn't get something she wants, or has to do something she doesn't want to do, she doesn't throw a fit screaming and kicking on the floor. For instance, when Pollyanna found she didn't have any "looking glass" in her bedroom, she tried to make the best of things and figured that she can look at her freckles. Also, Veruca always wants everything she sees. Pollyanna is much better behaved than that. Thirdly, Pollyanna and Veruca each live in different time periods. You can tell because in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mike Teavee, another Golden Ticket finder, watches television. In the early 1900's, the setting of the book Pollyanna, there were no TVs invented yet.

As of closing, my favorite book was probably Charlie and the Chocolate factory; I think it was more exciting. But my favorite character was NOT Veruca Salt, it was Pollyanna! I love all of her Innocent, hilarious ideas. :)

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Okay, so I realize I wasn't the greatest thirteen year old writer on the planet, but it was fun to look back on and remember my ideas on those two books... for the love of reading.

How To Make Your Own Herbal Tea

I love tea. I could go through the boxed tea section at the store for at least a quarter of an hour looking at this tea and that tea, matching up kinds that would taste good together, noticing one I know one of my pen-pals would love... But although I love the convenience of popping a tea bag or two into a mug with a drip of honey for an easy and soothing drink, I still have wondered what it would be like to make my own tea. I never looked into it because I thought it would be too hard and complicated, but this lady makes it look easy, showing you step by step what to do.

If you'd like to see how to make yogurt, start at the beginning of this video. If you would rather just watch the tea tutorial, skip to 8:55.

Tea making part two.

Anybody up for some pineapple coconut tea? Yum!

Got a Cold? Try Some Natural Ways To Fight It!

Sadly enough I have become one of the many people that've come down with a common cold this summer. It's kind of funny, because it seems like a lot of friends I've been emailing and chatting with on the Internet have a cold too. Guess I caught the bug off he web. (HAHAHA ahahaha...ha ha.....ahem.)

Anyway, I decided to look up some ways I can help my body fight this thing off, and here's what I found in an article off of Associated Content. It recommended all the things I've heard to do and backed them up with reasonable, well, reasons. And yes, they do work (I know from personal experience).

1. Sleep! Your body right now is in overdrive fighting off the cold and you will need extra rest. More so than normal. That extra added rest will give you a quicker recovery time. You'll be tired anyway from the cold so why not sleep?

2. Drink plenty of fluids. These fluids can include soup, water, juice (for that vitamin c we all need) or tea. No dairy here like milk. This can increase the thickness of your mucus and you do not want that. Keep glass of water always next to your bed. You will need to replenish those fluids that are lost and keep your body constantly hydrated.

3. Eat foods that are spicy! This is my personal favorite and I don't need a cold as an excuse to eat them. What does this do? This forces out the mucus which is a good thing.

4. Now this falls under the fluids category but in particular you should drink ginger tea. I'm not a big fan of it but it does work. It will calm that itchy and scratchy throat that has you up at all hours of the night which can be a nightmare to deal with. It will also help to clear out your nose. Ah relief! You can actually breathe, maybe not smell yet but that will come back in due time, I promise.

5. Eat garlic. Chop up a couple of cloves and put it in your food. If you don't like garlic, you can always take a capsule. It helps to clear things up, gets rid of fluids and is antiviral along with antibacterial. Not bad huh?

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I know we have garlic and spices (which I'll put into tonight's dinner), and I think we have some ginger tea waaaay back on our tea shelf, so it looks like I'm well on my way to getting better. Sleep is of course a welcome thing too! And besides, whoever said that DayQuil was the only thing that could help ya feel better?

Wanted: Ideas For Encouraging Our Sisters In Christ

When many parents think of Girl Scouts, they imagine young girls in uniform
selling Thin Mints and Tagalong cookies – not learning about stone labyrinths,
world peace, global warming, yoga, avatars, smudging incense, Zen gardens and
feminist, communist and lesbian role models.
But that's exactly what many of
2.7 million Girl Scouts will learn about with a new curriculum called "Journeys"
released last year.
Read the rest of the article here.

How sad that this huge program with 10 million girls and adults globally is putting out this sort of propaganda! How many parents enroll their daughters in Girl Scouts, thinking that they will be learning good, wholesome life skills, then, most likely, unknowingly expose their daughters to these things?

Okay, so we realize that there is a problem. Not only with Girl Scouts, but with many worldly programs put out for girls. Let's think of some ways that we as young ladies can encourage other ladies in doing godly things, lifting each other up in the Lord, and looking to the role-models He has given us.

Here are a couple of my ideas. If you would like to comment with yours, I'd love to post them here!

- Start up a pen-palship with your friend, sending back and forth a few paragraphs on different inspirational godly ladies each month, focusing in on one godly character trait for a long period of time. Honestly tell how your last few months have been, and keep each other accountable.

- Of course every girl needs a pick-me-up now and then. Put together a small box of treats, whether treats to eat or treats for the feet, it will be sure to put a smile on her face! Tuck in a little appropriately decorated note telling them how special they are. Here is a list of encouraging Bible verses you could add in.

- Start up a group for younger girls, taking advantage of the way they look up to you, directing them to the Lord's way of life. (A great program to use is Bright Lights, which I have used successfully in the past and am currently looking into using for a group for girls I will be starting.)

- Start a Keeper's At Home Group. ~Mrs. Carrie

- "If you know any Missionaries, I really suggest starting to write them...they really enjoy that and it can be an encouragement to them when they are so far from home...we have made SO MANY NEW FRIENDS by doing that." ~Mrs. Carrie

- "reach out to neighbor girls...with the permission of your parents of course." ~Mrs. Carrie

Anyone else have thoughts they'd like to share?

Thoughtfully,

"Enemies List" Denied

"The white house is asking to be informed about people who are speaking out about health care. Guess we don't dare disagree with the government now? Casual conversation even? This is straight from the White House blog:

"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."

Go here to view the article." Thank you to Mother Dear for her post I borrowed. :)

Now, go here to check out the White House's response. Very interesting, I must say. Whatever happened to answering questions directly?

I Promise

I really love this song by Jaci Velasquez, put out when she was sixteen years old on her album "Heavenly Place". Last night I was listening to it as I was falling asleep, and I felt such a peace knowing that God has my life in His hands, that all I have to do is trust in Him and follow His Word, and HIS wonderful plan will unfold.

~ Lord, You know my heart

And all my desires
And the secret things I'll never tell

Lord, You know them well

Though I may be young

I see and understand

That at times like sheep we go astray

And things get out of hand

Chorus:

So I promise to be true to You

To live my life in purity

As unto You

Waiting for the day

When I hear You say

Here is the one I have created

Just for you

Until then, O Lord

I will be content

Knowing that true love

Will come someday

It will only come from You

‘Cause I have seen the suffering

That loneliness can cause

When we choose to give our love away

Without a righteous cause

Chorus

So I promise to be true to you

To live my life in purity

As unto You

Waiting for the day

When I hear You say

Here is the one I have created

Just for you ~

Alive, Well And Goin' Goin' Goin'

Busy, gotta go. Bye!

Easy Homemade Hamburger Patties

There is just something about a homemade burger, wouldn't you say? My full-to-bursting stomach definitely agrees. Tonight my whole family raved about the hamburgers for dinner, so of course I'm looking forward to using this recipe again.

2 lbs. hamburger

2 tsp. seasoning salt

2 tsp. Worshtishire sauce

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 eggs

Mix all together, mold into about 10 patty shapes and grill. Don't forget adding your fresh-from-the-garden veggies, and even, if you want to go really far, your delicious homemade buns.