"Valentine's Day!" aka "Discount Chocolate Eve!"

So it's Valentine's Day. Desperation Day. The National Celebration of Love. Or, as I like to call it, Discount Chocolate Eve. (FYI, I did write this on V-Day but forgot to post it until now. Fail.)

Once again the year finds me alone. Still missing my better half, the Romeo to my Juliet, the Rhett to my Scarlet (or Link?), the Pepper to my Salt, the Peanut Butter to my Jelly, the Mustard to my Ketchup, the Prince Charming to my Damsel in Distress, the Punch-line to my Joke.

"But how could that be?!" you cry out. "You are so witty and charming and beautiful!" (Ahem. Say it.SAY IT.)

The real truth to the matter, in all honesty, is that it really doesn't bother me. Many of my friends who find themselves single on this holiday are heartbroken, sobbing as they watch romantic comedies and eating Nutella straight from the jar. "WHY?" they wail, "I am destined to be forever alone!"

When I woke up this morning though, the first thought in my head was "It's snowing!" followed by "Where did these socks come from that i'm wearing? I've never seen them before..." and then, somewhere in the back of my head, "Isn't today Valentine's Day? More sweets for me!" I've never really had that panic of being single before, the fear of becoming a crazy old cat lady in the wilderness. I mean, c'mon. Obviously I will be either an old fish lady or an old hedgehog lady. Get real, people.

All joking aside, I really have never panicked about not having a boyfriend. I guess since I've never outright tried to pursue dating that I don't feel like I've failed or am missing out on anything. Maybe when I'm a bit older I'll be more regretful with a lonely Valentine's Day. But which is worse? Having a boyfriend who doesn't do anything to express his love on Valentine's Day or to be single and still have a mystery future to look forward to? Plus asking someone out just to not be alone on Febuary 14th seems unfair to all involved. 

Speaking of expressing love, I really feel sorry for guys sometimes. They are expected to pull out all the stops and wine and dine the special girl in their life at any cost. Expectations can be so high that there is no way to meet them. On the other hand, though, they don't get out of not doing anything. Just because a guy can't buy a hot air balloon or take his wife on a trip to Paris doesn't mean he shouldn't ignore the holiday completely. If you are with the right girl who doesn't expect diamonds and caviar than any effort, even just buying her favorite flowers or taking her out to eat at a place she likes, is appreciated and sweet. Sometimes it really is the thought that counts.

For all you single ladies (and gents), here is a list to remind you of the perks of being single on V-Day:

-Sleeping in.
-Sweat pants and pjs are your new best friends.
-Comb? Razor? Shampoo? What are these things you speak of?
-Less people to buy gifts for, more money!
-Too bad I don't have to share all my chocolate with someone else. TOO BAD.

And for everyone who has found their special someone (always makes them sound like a ring of keys or an overdue library book), here is a list of pros:

- Those ooey-gooey butterflies in your stomach are going to be working overtime.
- Surprises and Sweet Gestures.
-Getting cards from someone other than family members.

So I guess what I'm saying is I'm not joining the "I'm single and proud and crying on the inside" women's parade or the "Oh honey-boo I LUV U 4-EVA'!" gang. I'm perfectly happy spending the day expressing my love to my family and friends and chocolate. Oh, and in the arms of my one true love: my scarlet snuggie.

And wearing my bunnie hat.

Love and Other Forms of Chocolate,

-Hannah
(Maybe I went overboard on the gifs this time...)

Would You Like A Scone With That?

I have never washed that many dishes in one day in my entire life. Not even on Thanksgiving. And certainly never that many tea pots. And tea cups. And tea strainers. And tea spoons.

(In. AWE.)

Let me explain. Earlier this week I was unexpectedly offered a job at the London Tea Room in the city (literally right around the corner from the awesome City Museum). Its this lovely tea room run by a British family who just so happens to know us through homeschooling and when Steph-Jimmer, Laurel-Jimmer, and several other Jimmers were filming for our school film, "Pride and Parody". 

I'd visited the Tea Room several times in the past and just loved the atmosphere and, of course, the tea and goodies. A few years ago I wrote a story for literature class about a quirky place called Cafe Character. When I walked into the tea room for the first time it was a bit like walking into my own story. 

Needless to say, I was ecstatic about the offer. 

"Whaaaaaat?"

Details like schedule and the long commute had to be worked out of course but at 11:00 a.m. sharp I was in the door and ready to go.

(source: The Star-Crossed Blogger)

Now don't get me wrong: Its hard work. Especially with the unusually large crowd of crumpet-starved people and the back to back high tea reservations we were all running. Or at least a dignified jog. Between washing dishes, busing tables, more dishes, replenishing tea pots and cups and silverware, and a few more dishes I didn't stop moving for 6 hours (and I probably should have taken my break a little earlier). Lets just say that when I got home that night my feet were not very happy with me. At all.

So yeah, my feet wanted to run away to a convent without me. And I'm glad its only once a week. But the truth is I really enjoyed doing it. My co-workers are fun and really patient with the newbie, my boss is the best (and British! Everything sounds better with a British accent), the pay is good, and I get to drink tea on the job and bring home leftover baked goodies. For me, personally, this is the best first job ever. Not so 'glamorous' as Wallmart or Price Chopper (my runner-up options)...but I think I'm good right where I am. You might even say that its my cup of tea. (Punderlicious, eh?)

Maybe even as cheesy as this. But I doubt it. 

Jam 'n' Crumpets,
-Hannah

"The Hiding Place", aka, "The Book You Must Read NOW"

I just finished reading (and theres no denying it, sniffling) Corrie ten Boom's book "The Hiding Place". I literally began to read and didn't stop until I had turned the final page of revelations. Well, that's a lie. I did get some hot chocolate. But still.

Corrie ten Boom

If you haven't read this book, You. Need. To. Right now. After you finish reading this blog. It is simply amazing and definitely now on my list of top 5 books ever. I'm usually a person who avoids war, horror, and depression in book genres and movies but this is the exception.Yes, unspeakable things transpired in this book and it paints the bloody picture of what it was like to live in the times where Hitler is on your radio and concentration camps are an everyday horror. It also is one of the most inspiring and hope-filled books I have ever read. To live at the lowest condition of humanity and to praise God...not many people could do that.

The secret room

For me I have to say that my perspective on life has shifted from page 1 to the back cover. It really begins to put what is "unfair" in perspective. The trifling, everyday nuisances don't seem like that big of a deal. The Bible looks different, too. The Bible seems like a cheaply produced book you can find anywhere. Bookstore, libraries, even seedy motel rooms. To Corrie and the other women at her prison and concentration camp, it was priceless. To think that the same words that I might skim before I go back to reading my action adventure novel or go to bed with little thought or insight are the same words that a group of people, barely human, risked their lives to smuggle and spread? I think I'm going to put a little more thought into what I read tonight.

Jesus is Victor,

-Hannah

Signs the World is in the Handbasket

Humanity, I am disappointed in you. The constant stream of news about wars, violence, hunger, desperation, and death was bad enough. The day that I realized just how creepy the telletubies were (despite their awesome toaster), it was sad. But has the process of the degradation of the world finally reached the point where I'm on my running route passing a string of middle school buses, smile, and get multiple birds and other obscene hand gestures from the kids? Two days in a row? SERIOUSLY? The thought that comforts me is that I ever pass a school bus of 9th graders again I'm going to beam, point at me, make a Justin Beiber heart with my hands, then point at them and wink. Try and dodge them flying cooties, buster. Thats right, you can't run away because you are wearing your jeans at your knees with the boxers hanging out. HAHA!

Really though, i'm pretty sad with humanity. For example, the other day at Zumba. Me lovely friend M'-Jimmer and I had just suited up and were stretching to get ready for some salsa when one of the younger girls in our class turned to her friend, sighed, and said, "Gosh, I HATE my legs. They are SO fat. I wish I had yours." From a 90 something pound girl who is maybe even under the suggested weight. Of course this one comment sparked several rounds of the "Fat Game". It has to be played with 2+ people and the person who wins is the person who gets the most attention for complaining about how she is a size 2. What is wrong with you, people? Go eat some fries!

Another small but still irritating thing is the Unspoken Teenage Girl Dress Code. Did I miss a universal memo? Was I absent that day in Do Or Die Class? Am I the only one who sees this? I'm starting to think that i'm in some weird, alternate universe where they clone all the teenage girls after one person with not that great of a style sense. I'm the last person to be lecturing on what to or not to wear (hello, pink zebra print rain boots and floral skirt in Winter), but it is sad to see a group of 16 girls walking down the street and every last one is wearing the exact same thing: Uggs, leggings and shorty shorts or sweatpants, a sweatshirt from their high school, hair pulled up in a pony tail and a neon headband. Everywhere. Is there no originality anymore?

Of course there are some huge, world effecting concerns. Things like the fact that every day 115, 000 unborn babies are being murdered daily worldwide or that there are children starving in Africa. Small indicators too, though. Like the fact that Jersey Shore exists.

But there is a bright side to every handbasket. Especially if there is a tropical fruit assortment or perhaps some ugly cupcakes (muffins). Like that every day more and more people are exposed to Kpop, new Doctor Who episodes are being released, and more devices to kill lady bugs invented. (I really hate those things). And no matter how bad things get, I'll always have God, my family, and my friends. And chocolate. Especially chocolate.

Pineapple,

-Hannah

30 Weird Things I Love

Everyone has those weird little things they love. The sound of cellophane, the smell of toothpaste, looking at the clock and it is 11:11 o' clock. Well, these are mine.

Recently i've noticed a lot of people writing blog posts about things they hate/pet peeves. I could easily write about that, but one of my pet peeves is the word pet peeves. It sounds so weird. Like when an irate person is saying, "Oh, I hate it when my neighbor takes bathes in his pool! It's my pet pee!"

So, for that reason and that if I think about the things that annoy me i'm going to be a persnickety old man for the rest of the day, i'm going to list the most random little things I really like. Caution: Some are pretty weird.

Starting with....

1. Dipping things into the pool of melted wax when a candle is burning. 

2. Playing with the little sticky tabs that come on junk mail.

3. The smell of gasoline.

4. Taking off my socks after a long day before going to bed.

5. Digging really deep holes in our freshly tilled garden in the summer then sitting in them and reading so that all you can see from ground level is my head.

6. Licking the spoon after making a dessert, any dessert. 

7.Standing forever in a hot shower on a freezing winter day and NEVER wanting to get out.

8.Walking through a store and trying every sample from every little old lady.

9. Finding a soulbook. Like a soulmate, only literary. 

10. The smell of mothballs.

12. Spinning in grocery store isles like a little kid. Those floors are just so perfect for sliding!

12. Raw cookie dough.

13.Lip-syncing the lyrics in the mirror and pretending thats me singing. 

14. Finding money in my pockets or old purses.

15. When I swim at the bottom of a pool I like to sit and hear the silence.
16. Running machines with a built-in t.v.
17. Laughing so uncontrollably that tears run down my face and my abs hurt. (My imaginary abs, that is.)
18. Wearing heels around my room for no reason at random. Like in my pjs.
19. Dipping animal crackers into my apple juice.
20. Rubbing Elmer's glue on the palms of my hands, waiting for it to dry, and then peeling it off.
21. Putting my whole face into a mug of tea or coffee and just breathing in.
22. Inside jokes with myself.
23. Pointing out the right answer when the teacher got it wrong and feeling like Albert Einstein.
24. Asian boys with British accents.
25. Slipping into my PJs after wearing formal clothes.
26. Filling in circles.
27. Cracking open a book and smelling the pages.
28. You! Wait...that means you're weird. Cutesy gesture just backfired...
29. That moment when you're talking with someone and you find something in common and its like you've met a long lost friend.
30.  Washing the turkey at thanksgiving then holding its arms and making it dance with wild abandon over the sink. You must try it.

What are some of the weird things YOU love?

Till' Homework Do Us Part,
-Hannah 

Things I Don't Know About (aka Sports)

Google Images. Like Every other picture unless I specify.

I looked over my blog this week and realized that I write about a lot of the same stuff over and over. I write a lot about food (its just that good), dancing, math, trips I promise to write about eventually (but never do because I'd never stop), sleep (or lack there-of), and everything is splattered in lolcatz and gifs. I think I might have a slight fascination...

Anyway, things are gonna change around here. Today i'm going to write only about things I don't know about, breaking one of the time-tested rules of literature. Well, literary rules can go hide under the sofa and read Wooster and Jeeves until i'm done.

So...things I don't know about. This could take awhile.

-Football
Albert Pujols plays football, right? Or-wait. Nevermind.
Football is one of the more interesting sports. People being tackled, dog piled, and occasionally breaking a femur. What I want to know is who's idea it was to dress the players in skin-tight spandex and padded shirts? They have one a sadistic stylist.
See http://hannah-hoo.blogspot.com/2011/02/wheres-etrade-baby.html

-Baseball

I do have experience with baseball! Well, if dancing on the field during Global Day of Prayer counts. Baseball has got to be the slowest game known to man besides snail racing and competitive paint drying. However, the last baseball game I went to was not a complete bust. I got ice-cold coke, a hot dog, and finishe Fantastic Spiderman, Volume 1. Besides that I vaguely remember that the cardinals were playing a blue team. You can guess who won. (Sorry, Matt and all people who love that all-american past time. Go here for a buddy:http://hometowndiscount.blogspot.com/)

-Golf
WHY? What makes people want to watch as people hit a little white ball with a little silver stick into a little green hole. Golf does, however, make excellent TV to watch when you need a good nap.

Honestly, the only reason i'd watch golf is this guy.

-Tennis
David Tate is the only person who has ever made tennis sound interesting, I have to say. So that elevates it to being more interesting than baseball, less interesting than football. At least people occasionally get pelted with a furry green ball. Now that's entertaining.

(Ok, lets just assume for the moment i'm virtually clueless about everything sports-related. But I do like soccer.)

-Being enrolled in real, honest-to-badness public school. Sure, i've seen the movies and read the books about the pop facade of High School, but i've never actually experienced it for myself. The few times I have stepped into a public school (for testing, contests, etc.) everyone seems to be sleepwalking.And texting.

-Having Short Hair
Correction, I did have short hair when I was about 6. Then I watched the Disney princess movies and had the idea that princesses have long hair firmly stuck into my little cranium. Now its waist-length and I don't know if I could ever just snip-snap  it all off. Plus it really would come in handy as a scarf, an aid for tower-climbing princes, and for strangling attackers. Or anyone who tries to cut it.

-Being in a romantic relationship
The closest thing i've had to a boyfriend is Peter Pan when I was 10. Like every relationship, we had our problems. Him being fictional was the tie-breaker. Honestly, i'd like to wait for romance until college. I don't want to give away little pieces of my heart to short-term boyfriends to only meet my future husband and bestow him with swiss-cheese affection. Not to say that dating in high school isn't right for everyone, its just what I choose. I know i'm not ready, at least at this moment in time, to deal with someone else's emotions as well as my own. Someday, some lucky guy.

-The Simpsons
Yup, i'm in that 10% minority that hasn't seen an episode of the Simpsons. Just a clip or commercial here or there.

-Twilight (Books and Movies)
...and i'm also the minority that hasn't seen/read Twilight. Unattractive, undead, pale, sparkly vampire dudes just aren't my cup of tea. Nor guys who can't keep their shirt on and have excessive hair issues, though shapeshifters are much more pulchy than bloodsuckers. Probably the real reason I haven't read/watched the series is i'm too easily hooked on "doomed romance" cliff-hanger series.

(I'm really in a lot of minorities, huh? But, still human. Probably. ;)

-Politics
This is like the floor of a movie theater: a sticky subject and something I don't usually stay on for too long if I can help it. I know the basics: Total government control: bad.This guy is the good guy, you want him to win the election. This guy is the bad guy, you don't want him to win. They will challenge each other to a traditional duel with swords to become president of the united states. See? I know everything I need to about our government.

-Being an only child
Oh, that fabled childhood of the chosen few. Still, I wouldn't trade my siblings for the world (unless it comes with chocolate rivers and cotton candy clouds). My years of being a older sister/default mother have trained me well. I can change a diaper in my sleep, repair stuffed animals with super glue and paper clips, and carry multiple children at once. Being a mister (fake mother/sister) has given me a love of children, the skills to care for my own children in the future, and the resolve to put off having said children for a long time. Oh, the day when I can open a pack of gum- no, anything, and a chorus of voices don't call out: "CAN I HAVE ONE, TOOOOOO?"

Those are just a few of the things I don't know about. Looking back at the list, I sound far too stereo-typical homeschooler. If I had a nobel prize and constantly wore floor-length jean skirts it would complete the picture. Honestly, people, i'm not that strange! Now, where did I put my new gene-splicing make-your-own clone kit?

Jellyfish is the new black,
-Hannah

Pride and Parody

Earlier this school year my friend and Bestie Steph approached me about writing a screenplay for a short film. The idea was to fulfill the 50 extra credit hours we each needed and have fun with the whole experience. At first I tried tossing around some different short ideas: A Love Story about Condiments, King Henry and his Wives, etc. In the end I wrote a whopping screenplay called "Pride and Parody" (a parody of Pride and Prejudice). With Steph's dad (a pro in the cinema world) we filmed, acted, decorated, and planned our student film. On absolutely no budget and at the mercy of blackmail and volunteers we have filmed enough to make a trailer. The rest of the movie will be hopefully filmed and ready to sell at the end of this summer. Oh, and the trailer was put together primarily by my friend Kevin. So, without further ado, the trailer:

G'Night,

-Hannah

Film Friday!

Friday at my house is Movie Night: a time to unwind and start off the weekend with a fun flick. So, I thought, why not share the cinematic goodness? Every Friday (if  I remember) i'll try to post a random vid(s) that I watched this past week and found entertaining and will share it/them with you, my lovely readers! If you have a suggestion for next Friday's vid, want to share one of your favorites in a link, or show your support leave a comment below.
So, for my first Film Friday, a little spice:



And a portal to very possibly my favorite Youtube vlogger in the world:



(Be warned, some of his videos are absolutely lovely and cute. Occasionally he will make a...not so cute/not so family friendly one. There are some real gems, though!)

So there you have it: our very first Film Friday! Check back next Friday for more, nyaa!
Bad Wolf,
-Hannah

The Secret of Mr.Darcy

Becoming Darcy

By Hannah Musick

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single girl in possession of her right mind must be in want of Mr. Darcy.” ~Sarah Arthur.

Fitzwilliam Darcy, a fictional character in Jane Austen’s masterpiece Pride and Prejudice, is every woman’s dream guy. Sweet, gorgeous, a perfect gentleman with 10,000 a year and deluxe regency era mansion; the list goes on and on. However, as much as Mr. Darcy is unanimously adored by women, it leaves men wondering how a woman could love a man with a first name like Fitzwilliam. And have you seen his pants?

If you are one of those guys, this message is for you. I’m going to help you unlock some of the reasons why women are so in love with Mr. Darcy, and use this knowledge to make them fall in love with you.

Finding Your Elizabeth

“Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her (Elizabeth) to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticize. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.” ~Pride and Prejudice

Your “Lizzie” could be anyone, from the girl you’ve had a crush since Kindergarten to the shy girl that sits next to you on the bus. It could even be someone you fight with all the time. Darcy never expected that he would fall in love with his Lizzie, so keep your eyes open for the unexpected. Love is surprising.

How do you meet girls? In Mr. Darcy’s century, balls and dinner parties were the best way to meet pretty women. Dances, parties, and school are a few options for the modern day man. Don’t be shy; ask someone to dance or have your friends introduce you. Remember that one of the best ways to make an impression on someone, in any time period, is to dance with them.

Becoming Mr. Darcy

Don’t worry, donning a tight regency era suit, sideburns, and codpiece are not necessary for becoming Mr. Darcy. Becoming Mr. Darcy doesn’t mean losing you; it is uncovering hidden potential. Wearing clean, flattering clothes is a definite yes, however. Work a little on your personal hygiene: brush your teeth, cut your hair, use your deodorant, and whatever you do, don’t try to grow facial hair in high school. Just don’t. It isn’t mature, it isn’t attractive, and it isn’t pleasant.

How do you treat girls? I don’t mean that cute, flirtatious blond in Chemistry either, I mean all women, including your mom. Are you a gentleman? Do you open doors, pull out chairs, show kindness towards, and honor all the girls you know? More than good looks, chivalry is appealing to women. We want to be treated with the same courtesy Mr. Darcy treated Elizabeth Bennett:

“Elizabeth honored him for such feelings, and thought him handsomer than ever before…”

Don’t Be a Wickham

“A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment.”~Mr. Darcy

Being the “bad guy” isn’t an easy definition to pin down. Even if you have the best intentions, you can still go too far in flirtation. Illustrated in the quote above, it is easy to raise a woman’s expectations and disappoint her with what you consider meaningless flirtation. Don’t say something you don’t mean.

“My good opinion once lost, is lost forever.” ~Mr. Darcy

Uh-oh, you messed up. Maybe it was an accident; you didn’t mean it; you want to say sorry. Regardless, your Lizzie has lost her good opinion of you.

Don’t give up hope just yet. Darcy said the above quote about his true love, Lizzie Bennett, after they first met. If Darcy could correct Lizzie’s prejudice, you can do the same. Some chocolate wouldn’t hurt, either.

Communication!

“It is your turn to say something now, Mr. Darcy. I talked about the dance, and you ought to make some kind of remark on the size of the room, or the number of couples.” ~Lizzie

I cannot stress the need for communication enough. One of the root problems in relationships is communication. Girls and Guys are built differently, we want different things. You may comment on your bad day at work. Your girlfriend/fiancée/wife will want to know why you had a bad day, what happened, and how you feel. Girls are big on talking about their feelings and emotions. Talking about your emotions may seem silly and unnecessary, but the communication will strengthen and deepen your relationship.

Love the Girl, Love the Family

“Such squeamish youths as cannot bear to be connected with a little absurdity are not worth a regret.”~Mr. Bennett, Lizzie’s Father

When entering any relationship, her family is going to have a huge impact. If you don’t appear to be the gentleman anyone would want for their daughter or sister, then you will have some huge roadblocks ahead on the road of love; possibly some nail strips and false bridges depending on the nature of the family as well.

Additionally, if you skipped the section above (“Finding Your Elizabeth”, then the way to know your love interest on a deeper level is to meet her family. Keep in mind that these are the people who have trained her since infancy, and how she treats her father will reflect on how she treats her husband.

Sweet Nothings

The rule for sweet nothings: No sweet nothings. Cliché pick-up lines, disposable promises, and pretty lies aren’t what girls want to hear. Don’t preplan compliments; let them be spontaneous and sincere:

“Unfortunately an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased. “ ~Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth

If you really want to impress your girl, try going for a toned down version of this:

“In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how much I ardently admire and love you.” ~ Mr. Darcy

Cussing is the blatant opposite of a sweet nothing. Just say no. It doesn’t matter if your language is in fun or anger, cussing is a taboo. It isn’t attractive and it isn’t manly, and you never hear Mr. Darcy yelling expletives at Wickham. Sure, Darcy may use some long words no one understands from time to time but they sure aren’t cuss words.

If You Like It, Why Don’t You Put A Ring On It?

“…expressing his hope that it would now be rewarded by her acceptance of his hand (in marriage).” ~Pride and Prejudice

Congratulations! You have learned the skills necessary to woo and keep your girl in truest Darcy fashion. The next and imperative step: Marry her!

“A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment.”~Mr.Darcy

While the causal dating of the 21^st Century may seem light hearted and safe, we can all learn a lesson from the 18^th Century as well: Don’t enter a relationship without one day intending to marry. Whether dating or courting, toying with a girl’s heart is never acceptable.

“The power of doing anything with quickness is always prized much by the possessor, and often without any attention to the imperfection of the performance.” ~Pride and Prejudice

The above quote is as true when applied to love as any other worthwhile pursuit. Chastity until marriage is a practice that has sadly lost value since the times of Pride and Prejudice and should be revived again. Choosing to “wait” until you are married is just another way to show how much you love and honor your Lizzie.

“With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.”

Now that you have the secrets of Mr. Darcy under your belt, you have the potential to wield great power. The knowledge you have received is not to be used lightly, it is to be used in serious romantic matters. Still unsure of when to and when not to use Darcy’s relationship rules? Try consulting either Pride and Prejudice or the ultimate relationship manual: the Bible.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8a and 13

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

...and the greatest of these is Love."

Today, I am preocupied with love.

No, not my love life, just the general subject of love. Think about it. Love, it appears, is the most powerful of all emotions. Love is the subject of everyother song on the radio. Millions of books are written on love. Teenagers seem desperate for their true love, grandmothers reminice over past love. It sparks other emotions. God, in the bible, says this about love:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." God's love is far more infinite than our understanding: enough to speak everything into being just for us, who gave both his only son and his life just for us, was motivated by love? Yes, that certainly puts love up there in the list of top emotions.

So tell me what you think: Is love the most powerful emotion? Or a different emotion? Comment and let me know.

Buttercups,

~Hannah Hoo

(I love The Princess Bride! )