Get ready for some ranting.

I saw this list list of things you want to tell a teenage girl. Some of them were wise and others were annoying, oh but nothing compares to the first one. That one really made me mad. I was going to write a really long comment but instead I am writing a blog post about why this statement really got under my skin.

“1. If you choose to wear shirts that show off your boobs, you will attract boys. To be more specific, you will attract the kind of boys that like to look down girls’ shirts. If you want to date a guy who likes to look at other girls’ boobs and chase skirts, then great job; keep it up. If you don’t want to date a guy who ogles at the breasts of other women, then maybe you should stop offering your own breasts up for the ogling. All attention is not equal. You think you want attention, but you don’t. You want respect. All attention is not equal.”

Here is my issue. Everyone is always telling girls that they need to dress more modestly to protect themselves, protect men and a load of other reasons, believe me I have heard them all.

My issue is that this post is telling women they have to change to be respected instead of say "hey guys those breasts are attached to a real person who deserves to have the respect given to a human being," no instead we tell girls all the things they have to to to protect themselves. That is not going to solve the problem. 
Here is a news flash people. How you dress will not change how much you are cat called and how much guys will stare at you. I was wearing a very modest outfit(short-ish skirt with leggings, shirt with tank under, and a sweater) I was outside at school studying psych when a bunch of guys came and started making a lot of racket and running around. There was another girl I didn’t know not far from where I was sitting. These guys started calling us pretty girls and beautiful girls(not in a way that felt very complimentary), once swore at us about interrupting our study time. Now I was not dressed to ask for attention I was dress in a way that I think the above statement would say require respect, but was I respected. No. Why? Because these guys did not see me as a person to respect and how I dressed was not going to change that.

So here is my idea we tell people that women and girls are people who deserve respect for being a human being with thoughts, feelings, and intelligence, not to mention they are made in the image of God as well. How they dress is irrelevant to how much respect you get. Period. To paraphrase Dr. Seuss a person is a person no matter what they wear.

I have been in the very extreme modest camp. It does not sound like they are objectifying women but they are. They are just doing more subtlety. You have to cover yourself because your body is such a sexual thing that men cannot control their actions or thoughts around you so you must change for them. Really? Guys are humans they are people. Why do people not get upset when a guy goes around without a shirt on it can be just as dangerous for a woman’s mind in that situation. So why are women forced to change how they dress to protect a man’s thoughts but men are not forced to change to protect a woman’s? I call double standard.
I am so angry at our culture and society right now. I think I will go write about Frozen or something happy. Thanks for reading my rant. I would love to hear your thoughts about this.

Love
~Elizabeth
oh P.S. Click this picture to check out an interesting article about modesty and objectification and the connection between the two.

Doctor Who Tag Question 7 & 8

Day 7 - Favorite companions

Martha Jones was the first that I really felt was a true favorite. She was smart. Very smart! She was not the kind of girl who would need someone to come running to save her all the time. She could save herself just as well too. 

I like Amy for similar reason that I like Martha. Amy is a strong inspirational Heroine who doesn't always need to be saved. She is also a red head and Scottish which give her a fierce personality. She is also clever. She may not have the IQ of Martha but she is definitely smart. I was unsure of her when she first came but by the end of her first season I liked her. 

Honestly, who could not love Rory. He is sweet, polite, nice, and very loyal. I like him because he is not the typical macho guy hero for men. He is smart and uses his brain. A bit like the Doctor in that sense. He does not need a gun to defeat his enemies. My sisters and I all agree that Rory is Awesome. 

Day 8 - Least favorite companions

I don't really have a least favorite. I feel that this is unfair, but I do have companions who I feel are not quite well just. I don't know. They just have not completely won me over. 

I go back and forth with Donna. On the one had her personality annoys me, but I know part of her personality is a front to protect herself from being hurt. I also find it interesting that she was truly the Doctor's best friend because she was never really interested in him romantically. She is pretty much like his sister. She also has a soft heart. However her personality makes it very difficult to like her. That is why she falls under least favorite. 

I realize what an extreme shocker it is to see Rose under the "least favorite" category. I honestly feel that her character is a bit overrated. She really is not the cleverest companion compared to the others. Not that she is stupid or dumb. I also feel she is at times a bit self centered. Like when the Doctor first regenerated. She was not worried about him. She was worried about herself. She also gave up on him really fast. While I understand how difficult it must have been. I think she was a bit mellow dramatic about it. I like Rose I just do not like her quite as much as Martha, Amy, and Rory. 

PS. I am not sure River qualifies as a companion but is she was She would definitely fall under the favorite category. 

Pretty People: Taylor Swift

This a post series I just about people who I think look pretty, lovely, or beautiful. That is all there is to it.

So for this post I am doing Taylor Swift, who I think is very lovely.

I must ask who doesn't like Taylor Swift's Hair? I love how curly it is. :)

One other thing is that I really like her eyes. They are the first thing you notice about her. 

The poofiness of the dress. (is that how you spell that word? Is it even a word?)

I ador this dress. It is so Medieval Tudor looking. 

I have not yet decided if I like the strait hair and bangs. look she is doing lately. I do like her happy yellow dress. :)

That is all I have for now. I hope you all are having a lovely week. 

I do apologies for my lack of posting. I am in really in the grove with doing school and my blogging is just not taking priority right now. I will be so happy when highschool is over! :)

Blessings

~Elizabeth 

On The 6th Day of Christmas

I will share pictures of what we wore for Christmas. My sisters and I all got dressed fancy and did our hair. It was alot of fun. 

We all look really weird in this picture. I don't know why. I think I was trying not to laugh at what someone had said.

You can't really see my whole outfit here maybe another day I will get a picture of the whole things. It was really really pretty. I think it is one of my favorite Christmas outfits. :)

Merry Christmas!!
~Elizabeth

Day 27 — Your favorite Martyrs

St. Stephanie 

And also the Russian Royal family.

Day 25 — Your favorite tumblr Orthodox bloggers

My favorite Orthodox Tumblr Bloggers are..
Simply Orthodox
Orthopraxis

And since this post is for blogger I will post my favorite Blogger Orthodox blogger.
The Morning Offering

Day 20 — Your favorite Father of the Church

St. John Chrysostom. I always enjoy his quotes, and he was very good at expressing himself.

Day 17 — Your favorite Priest/Metropolitan

Father John at our Parish is my favorite Priest. He is always helpful with answering questions, and is very understanding. He is always able to give advise about how to apply our religion to our everyday lives. He is very good at listening too.

Day 15 — Your favorite Orthodox celebrity

Probably Tom Hanks. I didn't even know that he was Orthodox until after my family became Orthodox. We were all a little surprised.

Day 14 — Your favorite Orthodox elder/eldress

I do not really have a favorite elder of eldress. Though Elder Paisios of Mount Athos has made a great impression on me.

Day 07 — Your favorite pilgrimage destination

Being in America I feel that we don't have nearly as many pilgrimage destinations as those who live in countries that have had Orthodoxy for much longer. But I do have a favorite pilgrimage destination, even though I don't have a lot to chose from, and I have not been to nearly as many as  I would like. It is All Merciful Saviour Orthodox Monastery. It is is such a lovely location, and the monks there are so friendly and easy to talk to.

Anne Boleyn

When I came across this on Tumblr. It brought up all the controversial feelings that I have about Anne Boleyn. The person who I saw post this strongly disagreed with what the picture said. It was interesting to see what she said. I have decided to do a post to vent all of the conflicting feelings, thoughts, and ideas that come up when Anne Boleyn's name in mentioned.

This could get a little crazy so please bear with me as I muddle my way through this.

I do agree with the picture that I am really sick of hearing how good and wonderful Anne Boleyn was. I sometimes feel that some people forget the fact that Henry divorced Katherine of Argon to marry her. It just seems like forget some significant parts of her life. They also seem to ignore his reasons for marrying her. I will list the ones that I have so far come up with from all that I have read.

1) He wanted a son. Katherine was not giving him a son, and he believed that Mary would not do a good enough job, because she was a girl.(let us ignore the fact that her reign was pretty bad, but things might have been different if her father had not divorced her mother and had all those marriages). It is interest that of his three children it was his daughter Elizabeth who ruled the best.

2) He wanted Anne. She was pretty, cocky, and different from Katherine. He was tired of Katherine. It is really very sad how unfaithful he was to Katherine, and Anne I am sure. I really can't thing of any other reason he would want Anne, she came from a nobody family, and she had no money really.

Those are the two that always seem to come up. Not many, but very important..

One more thing I would like to just clear up. I have read many many time about how Anne was so great for the reformation in England. Even when I was a Protestant I would laugh to myself at the idea. Sure because of Anne major changes happened to the church in England, but I really really don't think Anne cared about what Church was in England. She wanted to marry Henry and the Catholic Church would not let them get married. Henry reforming the Church and to her advantage because it made it so that Henry could pass his own divorce, and marry her. I have always wondered what people would think of her if Henry had not broken with the Catholic Church, but still married her. We would probably all still feel sorry for her since she might still have gotten her head chopped off.

While Anne did do many things for people( I am sure she did as it would have been good for her to do so when she was so politically unstable), and she was extremely intelligent and clever, she was very well educated, and I don't think she would have made her way up to being Queen of England otherwise. She is not the what some people portray her to be, or want to think of her. I admire her intelligence and bravery when she was going to her death. I was very into Tudor history, and I still am, I often want character to be better than they are, but I need to be truthful. I am sorry it I offend anyone with this post, but I needed to get it out.

Blessing
~Elizabeth

Helen Keller

Helen Keller is one of my heroes. I have always admired her ever since I was 9, when I read a biography of her. I was fascinated with her story. It moved me very much. Later I listened to an audio book of her autobiography The Story of my Life. The whole idea of being blind and deaf was horrifying to me. To not be able to see or hear was unthinkable for me, unlivable even. Yet there was Helen Keller who over came that. Her story moves me, even now it can bring tears to my eyes. She overcame her difficulties, and even excelled. It amazes me.

Along with Helen comes Anne Sullivan, who made it possible for Helen to be who she was, one cannot talk about Helen without mentioning Anne Sullivan, Helen's mentor, teacher, and interpreter.



In her Biography Helen talks about how she could not see or hear, how this effected her education, and the way she thought. Because she could not not hear words or see them, she had not words to use to think. She had no way to express her self or make her self understood. She had her own limited sign language, but as she got older and what went on in her head became more complicated, she needed more to communicate. But she had no way of communicating to the outside world. She was on an isolated island where she could not reach others and they could not reach her. I cannot imagine how difficult that must be, how hard. I would be horrifying I do not know how I could live, without being able to communicate to others! I would probably become as frustrated and angry as she did.

But then came Anne Sullivan, and Helen's life changed forever. It must have been so hard for Anne, trying to reach Helen and yet unable to reach her. There must have been days when she wanted to give up, but she didn't.

The moments when Helen first put together W A T E R as with the liquid flower through her hands must have been truly amazing. For Helen the world was now opened up, and where there was once darkness now there was light. She could now tell others what was going on in her head. The realization that there was more out there than she could possibly know, that she could reach the outside. It is truly overwhelming to think about.

I have often wondered if Helen Keller understood that verse "those who have walked in darkness have seen a great light." Or she at least would have understood it more deeply than some having walked in darkness herself.

Every time I read her story or think about it I am always struck with it. It continues to amaze me in new ways each time. There are few stories in the world as amazing as hers.

Helen Keller quotes:

"Although the world is full of suffering, is is also full of overcoming it."

"As selfishness and complaint pervert the mind, so love with its joy clears and sharpens the vision."


"Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light."


"It is wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky. Behind me and before me is God and I have no fears."


"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood."


"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble."


"Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness."


"Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same."


Blessings
~Elizabeth

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!! I hope you all are having a lovely day! We have had a very strange March I will say that much. I woke up this morning to find it snowing. It didn't stay though thankfully!

Anyway to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day on my blog I am going to put up a bunch of Irish songs, as I have a great fondness for Celtic Music. :)




First in line is Loreena Mckennitt's version of Star of the County Down. I like to up beat happy sound of the song, it is fun to listen too.



Here is another happy song. I really love this songs up beat feel, it is a fun sort of party song as well. :)



I love Meav's voice, and this song is simply lovely. It does not have a lot of excess instruments, mostly her beautiful voice.



This is a song on Orla Fallon's latest album. I love her voice it is sweet and gentle. This song always makes we wish I could dance! :)

Well that is all for now I hope you all have a lovely day and enjoy pretending you Irish! :)
Blessings
~Elizabeth

Author Profile: Charlotte Bronte

Author Profile

Name Charlotte Bronte

Birth Date April 21, 1816 Place Thornton, Yorkshire, North England

Death Date March 31, 1855 Place Haworth, Yorkshire, North England

Best-Known Works: Jane Eyre, & Villette

Charlotte Bronte was born on April 1^st 1816 at the Thornton Yorkshire in the North of England. Her Parents were Patrick and Maria Bronte, she also had two older sisters, Maria and Elizabeth. Her mother died of cancer in1820. She attended Cowan Bridge School with her sisters Maria, Elizabeth, and Emily. They left the school when Maria and Elizabeth became sick with tuberculosis and died. After this they were taught from home by their father, and aunt, Elizabeth. The four children left often played together, and they made up all kinds of fantastic adventures for their imaginary characters. Latter they wrote these stories down; this prepared them for their latter writing. Charlotte became a governess for a time, but grew homesick. She and her sisters, Emily and Anne, published a book of poems. It sold only two copies. Latter in 1847 she published Jane Eyre under the name of Currer Bell. It was met with instant success. She latter would publish the books Shirley, and Villette. She married Arthur Bell Nickolas in 1854, they were only married for a few months. She died on March 31^st of 1855.

One of the things that Charlotte uses from personal experience in Jane Eyre is the boarding school. Charlotte went to Cowan Bridge School. Her experience there is the basis for Lowood school in Jane Eyre. Charlotte’s sister Marie was the basis for her Character of Helen in Jane Eyre. Charlotte also went to school in Brussels, she used this experience as the basis for her novel Villentte. The two men that Lucy Snowe falls in love with are based on two men that Charlotte Bronte knew and was in love with her self.

The poet, Robert Southy, was one of Charlotte’s role models, and effected her writing. She addresses what he said to her in Jane Eyre. William Thackeray, another poet, is also one of Charlotte’s inspirations. She also read many books this would have affected her writing as well.

Much of Jane Eyre takes place in the country side which is where Charlotte Bronte grew up. There is very much the feel of a Yorkshire moor throughout the book, although where to book takes place exactly is kept hidden from the reader. You only know that it is the country.