Popping in here to wish Cor a very happy birthday! It's good to see a post of yours again - I need to come in here and catch up. Anyhoo, I hope your day is fantastic! *wishes she could attend the official party*

Let's see.... what have I been up to? Mm. Not much. I'm getting the End-Of-School Fever, though. Summer is so close!

*comes into square, whistling*

"Wow, this is a busy time of year for a lot of people! I can't wait 'till it all settles down, for a smell another Overdome Wars battle on the air as soon as it does..."

I started reading FotR. There were parts I had forgotten about, from in Hobbiton. I love reading about hobbits!!

*looks at Cor, wondering if he's going to give everyone at his party a present*

Oh, wait, you mean only hobbits do that?? JK

*is really not crazy!*

Lu

@Elanor: Oh that sounds like so much fun! How was your trip??

@Cor: A very very happy birthday to you!! (for the 3rd time.)

Hello everyone!
*yawns* I'm very tired, having returned from my trip last night, and though I just got up, I'm still so sleepy! Anyway - how is everyone in the square doing?
*waves to Lucy* Hello!

So...read any good books lately? Heard any good jokes? Watch any good movies?

Let me see . . I'm in the middle of The Three Musketeers, but other than that I've just been reading really boring history books. Not many good jokes, lol, at least not intentional one's. Just when we were talking about The Little Prince, and how it was actually written in the Sahara desert, and Betsie said "Well, you know it wasn't actually fiction!". And . . I watched Pride and Prejudice (the new one) with Betsie and Destined.
*waves to Star*

*waves to her sisters and dear friends* How are you all?

Hey sister! *hugs* I'm fine, how are you?
*waves to Cor* Happy Birthday (did I miss it? ). I hope it was great!!

@Elanor: Oh that sounds like so much fun! How was your trip??

It was amazing - as always. The concert was wonderful, seeing my brothers was wonderful, hanging around and watching and talking with their friends was amazing. I loved it!!

*bursts in singing, Let It Snow*

Is it May or late October? I can't tell from looking outside. The windchill's about 27F/-2C and it's cloudy and blustery. And was that a snowflake I just saw go by?

Sounds like a great day to catch up on last weekend's new Doctor Who episode, right after lunch.

Here's a slightly-belated happy birthday wish to you, Cor! It was fun reading your birthday post.

*Waves to all the SquareOnions and raids the chocolate tree on the way out*

Hello, Squaries! Looks like the Square finally picked up.
I only have one more week of school left until summer break! So I'm really excited about that.
The other day I bought a kalimba on a whim. It's a really neat little African piano, and it makes a really, really beautiful sound. Here's a video if any of you are interested. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XD02oMHC5E
Alrightay, ketchup time!

*waves back to Poggy* Howdy! Doing great, what about yourself?

I'm doing really great, thanks Ben! God has been really working in my life lately, and has been drawing me closer to Himself.

I was asking God (before the letdown) if it was His will or not if I went and I said if it is Your will then leave the door open but if not then close it, and He closed it so I guess this is not my time and I'm looking forward to whatever He has in store for me. He is working all for my good so I'm trusting Him with that

That's great you're trusting Him.

It would be fun to try surfing, and wakeboarding, what beach do you usually go to?

Yeah, I'm going to go try out surfing next week hopefully. I usually go to a Florida beach. I don't really want to say the exact beach I go to.
Do you go to the beach often?

Yes, and the good wouldn't seem as good if it wasn't surrounded by bad. That's great, it's always exciting to finish up school - I'm looking forward to it myself!

Very true, very true.
Awesome! When does your summer break start?

Poggy, what is wakeboarding exactly? I'm quite ignorant about watersports in general. But good luck with learning to surf. It sounds like it's probably really cool...

Wakeboarding is where you have this board that is basically a snowboard, and you hold onto a pull thing that is pulled either by a boat or mechanical pull thingy. Yeah, I'm bad at explaining. Here's a picture to illustrate what I'm trying to say. http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/02119/a%20wakeboarder.jpg It's really fun once you get used to it.

I think you'd like FMA: Brotherhood. I haven't seen Avatar, so I can't say how well they compare, but I've noticed that fans of one are often fans of the other.

Yeah, I'll definitely have to check it out once I get the time!

.... actually even though you've been on NW longer than me, i don't think i've met you before, pogginfan, and Benjamin

Well, I wasn't in the Square for a couple months there, so that's probably why you've never met me. Anyways, it's nice to meet you! You can call me Poggy if you like.

*waves to Cor and Vern* Hullo, how are you two? Happy belated birthday, Cor!!

So...read any good books lately

*waves hands* Oh! Oh! I have! Right now I'm reading And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. It's a really, really great mystery. I'm enjoying it. What about you? Read any good books/watched any good movies/listened to any good music?

Well, I suppose that's it then. Have a lovely day, Square ones!

*Cor enters the Square for a few minutes*

Mortereve all! Well, my birthday was a resounding success! The full celebration only took place on Saturday night, but it was nice family affair. Roast beef sandwiches, homemade chocolate mocha cake with cream icing, presents, a live concert by Mr. Fogerty and miss Swift (thanks to Vern ) and then..... a viewing of HTTYD!!!

It was a good birthday.

And thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday!! Now for some minor catchup:

@ Rose. Well, twas thanks to your prodding that got me in here. Anyway, lovely to see you around here as well. Yeah, we both need to come by more often... Hopefully we can with summer coming up.

@ Susan. Sooo, are you trying to take the place of Jo? Wishing me "happy birthday" in as many places as possible? Anyway, Thanks! (for the third time)

@ Ela. *waves back* Yes, I'm afraid you did. It was on Saturday and it was very nice. A small birthday, but still good.

@ Gazer. Eh, slightly-belated is better than none. Somehow that sounds like it should be a Hobbit quote or saying.

Have fun watching Doctor Who! I still need to see that show....
--------------------------

And now I must be off! Talk with ya'll later!

*Cor exits the Square*

No posts in 5 days? What is happening to this place? Yesterday was my birthday, and just now as I was just now replying to some lovely PMs I received, I thought I'd drop by ... I had to scroll halfway down the page to find the Square! I'd like to stick around and help remedy this problem, but I have to go study for finals! I'm hoping that I shall be about somewhat more regularly after this week. 'Til then, I just wanted to let you all know that I love and miss you!

*enters the quiet, and empty square* Hellooooooooooo in here!

No posts in 5 days? What is happening to this place?

I have to agree with lysander - this is getting out of hand. Come in, and bring your friends and relatives - lets get this place going!!!
(Oh, and happy belated birthday, lys! )

Is it May or late October? I can't tell from looking outside.

I've been asking myself that question quite a lot - but finally I can answer. The sun is out, the dandelions in bloom, and it's supposed to get to 80+ today - finally!! Hurrah for shorts, flip flops and t-shirts!!

Awesome! When does your summer break start?

I'm not sure when exactly, whenever I get done with all my school. That should be by the end of May, if I'm diligent enough . . But I am kind of enjoying it - my math has suddenly become very easy, and I only have one more science test (does anyone else here hate science horrifically?).
Are you finished now?

@ Ela. *waves back* Yes, I'm afraid you did. It was on Saturday and it was very nice. A small birthday, but still good.

Well, I do bet your pardon! I'm glad you had a good day, though! Here's to many more!!
*goes off to watch the Haven't Met You Yet music video for the millionth time today*

Good evening all,

I feel like I've just come from a paintball war or something. I've really just come from painting my brothers' bedroom--a beautiful sky blue color! I am so envious of them right now. Our bedroom was originally the guest bedroom, so it's this neutral peachy color. Not very interesting.

Most of you are probably scratching your heads right about now wondering, "who is Ruby Gamgee?" Well, if you haven't met me yet (and I do see several new/unfamiliar users on here), my name is Ruby Gamgee. I am a hobbit. And I typically go by the nicknames Ruby or Dani.

I used to come on here quite regularly and maybe someday in the future I'll make that a habit again, perhaps when we get our home internet up and running again. By the way, my family is going on an internet fast this summer. We cancelled our internet and probably won't be getting anymore service until the fall. That doesn't mean we're completely without means of the internet. I still make it to the library to make posts like this one. But that is just a heads up.

I am not ignoring you all because I no longer love you. I love you all very much and the Square and the entire forum...but recently things just have been insanely crazy around our house.

I think in my last post I mentioned my brother being sick. Well, you may or may not have heard the news, but he was sent to Arkansas Childrens' Hospital about a week ago after the doctors discovered he had lost twenty or so pounds in a month and was way under the minimum weight for his age. I think my family took it really well. It definitely was not as traumatic as when he first was sent to Arkansas years ago. This time we were much more prepared and my little brother especially took it like a trooper. I think the fact that many of us are mature teenagers/adults helps. The last time my brother was sent to the hospital, we all had to stay at friends' homes, we were too young to take care of ourselves.

As much as we loved staying with our friends, it sort of added to the chaos of everything and the trauma. It's no fun being away from home when your brothers in the hospital. And I have to say it's been wonderful staying here with my brothers and sisters. I'm amazed at how supportive and helpful they've all been. And what's even more overwhelming is the ammount of support that we've recieved from friends and members of our church. Everyone's been so loving, offering their prayers, meals, time, etc...

My brother will be in the hospital for at least another week. Please be praying for him and my family. It's hard on my parents having to drive back and forth and its' hard on us not having our parents at home. We miss them and our little brother.

You also can be praying for me this weekend. My Irish Dance class is giving their spring semester performance. I am so excited and a little nervous. We're trying a lot of new dances and mixing up the program like we never have before...it should be a lot of fun, like it always is!

As to the rest of school...choir finished with our spring concert on the 5th. It was the same day my brother was admitted to the hospital, so my mom had to leave right after the performance. Despite the stress of it all, we sounded great and my mom played amazingly!! We sang her arrangment of Scarborough Fair for the first time, which was the most exciting part of it all! My mom loves writing music and she was not expecting our choir directors to accept her music so readily.

So...that is a brief update on my life. I may or may not post a longer version of that on my blog later... we'll see.

God bless!

Welcome back to Town Square, RubyGamgee! It's always nice to have a fellow hobbit around.

By the way, is there a Ruby Gamgee in the LOTR books? It sounds familiar.

And I will definitely pray for your brother!

~

I got my braces off yesterday, after wearing them for four years. Now I have a retainer. Still getting used to that.

How is everyone? It's so uncommonly quiet in here lately...

~Riella

Riella, I think Ruby is one of Sam's daughters.

I haven't felt up to posting in here lately, strangely. *shrugs*

So how is everyone? I am managing.

Lu

Hello all! I have a short little announcement to make. First of all
THIS IS ONLY FOR MEMBERS! IF YOU ARE A MOD PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT LOOK AT THIS. *takes a big breath* get the idea?
.
Anyway. I trust to the kindness of the mods not to look at that. And if you are not a mod, then please DO look at it.

That got my attention! (No, I didn't read the spoilered area).

I've returned from a week visiting my brother and his family about 4 hours north of here...imagine, no internet. The weather was generally pleasant, not too hot (though there was some frost in the mornings). We spent a lot of time outside, hiking in nearby parks, enjoying the north shore of Lake Superior, and building camfires in the backyard. The night sky was clear only once, but we did get to see the big bright full moon.

Good Mortereve everyone! It has been a very long time since I last visited the Square; I've missed everybody.

Well, summer has officially started for me. Finals week was last week and I graduated with my Associates degree ( ). I'm taking classes this summer (macro and microeconomics), but I have three weeks to sleep in so I'm happy. And then I'll be transferring to a university this fall. I'm excited.

I don't know if I'll attempt a catchup post or not, but I had to reply to this:

I got my braces off yesterday, after wearing them for four years. Now I have a retainer. Still getting used to that.

Yay! Congratulations! I had braces for five years, so I know how that goes. Do you have to wear the retainer all the time, or just at night? I don't remember how long I had to wear mine during the day...By the way, "Shade of the Poplar Trees" looks very interesting. I'm thinking about joining but I haven't decided yet.

Ta-ta for now!