UTC - Background

Uncle Tom's Cabin has been assigned to countless high school and college students to read, study, and write about. The book tells the tale of Tom - an honest, hardworking, Christian slave - and his struggles with white slaveholders. I was recently appointed the task of reading this classic, along with some background material, and will soon have to write several essays on it. Harriet Beecher Stowe broke the traditional boundaries for women writers in the nineteenth century. Women didn't write about political subjects and they tended to use male pen-names. Her literature was not flawless but her ability to write in several forms of dialect excused her poor grammar. The south was repulsed by the accusations Stowe inferred. Southerners feared the utterly appalling truth about their system of governing slaves, so much so that they punished the inquisitive. The book was banned and anyone who possessed it was arrested. Despite the prohibitions in the South, Uncle Tom's Cabin gained extreme popularity in the northern US and throughout England. Stowe's tale of the abuses of slaveholders became the bestselling book of the nineteenth century, second only to the Bible. Impressive. To be continued...

What on earth?

Can you guess what this is a picture of? It's very hard to be sure. Make your best guess. The answer will be revealed in the near future.

What to Do With Kids

I have three siblings: Matt, Rachel, and Sam. They're seven, five, and three respectively. I get the chance to watch them every other Friday when my parents go out on a date. But I never know what to do with them. We usually watch a movie, have dinner, and play with LEGO's. But the kids are starting to get bored. I don't have money to buy new toys for them and we've exhausted our stash of kid-friendly movies. If any of my readers has an idea of what keeps kids quietly occupied, I'd be grateful if you shared.

A Year in the Life

At the urging of a few friends, I will resume my postings. School, work, and household responsibilities have consumed my time over the last few months. It has been a little more than a year since I began this blog. I think I'll share a few things that have happened in my life over the last twelve months that were unexpected:

1. I learned how to sing opera (which is very difficult and I in no way claim to have mastered this).
2. I got my first job. A temporary, holiday job but I earned a few bucks.
3. I started driving.
4. I changed my major...twice. I went from genetic research to accounting to genetic engineering.
5. My sister was added to the cast of a play at my school. Considering she's five, that's a pretty big achievement.
6. I actually got sick and had to miss school for a few days.
7. I've gone up to complete strangers and discussed spiritual things. It's awesome to show someone his sin in the mirror of God's law and to see conviction just fall on his heart.
8. I've started learning basic defense from a friend. Evildoers... Beware!

The next year is going to be very interesting. I think. Some things I have to look forward to:

1. Taking an internet course on HTML (HyperText Markup Language).
2. Taking drama class again!
3. Volunteering at Grace to You -the most awesomest coolest place to serve ever.
4. Losing ten pounds. It WILL happen!
5. Decorating my room. I'm going with an asian theme. If you have any suggestions, I'm open.

Maybe the next year will allow more time for blogging. I will try to make a point to post at least once a month. Like I've said before, this is not a very regular blog.

BEWARE!!!

I've got my eye on you!!!