Leave Your Mark on the Arts

I am very sorry for not posting in a while. But, please enjoy these assortment of paintings for the "Leave your Mark on the Arts" theme.

Pablo Picasso:

Claude Monet:

Leonardo da Vinci:

This Is Halloween

Enjoy!

Old Hollow's Eve

Ahhh....what is it about Halloween that we all love? Is it the feeling of being scared, of fear of the Headless Horsemen? Is it that we love the one night we get to be someone other than ourselves! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love to tell spooky stories, and later on as we approach Halloween, I would be happy to share some stories with you!

Please visit this site for up coming events of Halloween:

http://www.crawldog.com/ghostmission/

Harvest Moon

I don't know if any of you have heard of the Harvest Moon game series, but I have been playing them since the Winter of 2006. I currently have Harvest Moon DS, Harvest Moon: Rune Factory, and Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town(a girl version, thank God).

In Harvest Moon DS, you start out as a young, man, (sorry girls...I wish I could be a girl) and your father has just died. You inherit his rundown farm and all of it's content. Your job is to make the farm successful by any means possible. You can own chickens, cows, ducks, and grow crops to make money. These games are definitely like virtual reality. You can marry a local girl of Forget Me Not Valley, or enter in monthly festivals. No matter what you're doing in Harvest Moon, you'll never be bored. A farm game may not sound fun, but you'll never know how great it is if you don't play it...

In Harvest Moon: Rune Factory, you again starr again as a boy, but that won't hold anyone back. Your two jobs are to 1. Make your farm one of the best and 2. Figure out who you were. The boy you starr as, suffered from amnesia, making it all the more exciting. Rune Factory is a Fantasy Harvest Moon, making it even more fun! You travel to mysterious caves, and fight in combat with some pretty stubborn monsters. You can capture them and have them work on your farm. But, like most Harvest Moon games, you can marry, and have one infant.

In Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town, you can finally be a girl! You have some repetitive characters from Harvest Moon DS, but also some added fun with new characters introduced. The only problem I have with this game is that the time seems to pass by very slow. About ten seconds in reality, it ten minutes in this Harvest Moon game. Overall, you get to raise cows, chicken, and even a horse, like Harvest Moon DS. Once more, you can marry, this time, a boy, and have one infant.

Overall, Harvest Moon games can teach you skill, while you are having fun at the same time! Enjoy them!

...

Ahhh...the few pleasures in life...

The Beginning of One, The End of Another

It's almost the end of the year. Many are excited for Summer, I can't deny that I have been counting the minutes. But, when have you thought, I mean really thought, about it? When a new year starts, you'll be in a different grade, possibly a different school, and much more different things.

You are leaving behind one thing, and starting a new thing. The beginning of one, the end of another. In a way, it's kind of sad. Maybe I should go to Never Land and go with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys! Come one, I bet you wish you could go to Never Land at some point! Leaving memories can really be sad.

I don't know if any of you are like this, but I don't adjust to change easily at all. I don't have the mentality to adapt! It's really hard for me to get used to something. Give me a year, and I still don't like it. But there are so many great things that happened to me, it's hard to say goodbye to them.

That's why, we truly need to appreciate the moment, because we don't know how much time we have. We don't know how long we will be blessed. It's going to be hard for me to move on, but I guess, like is about change and taking risks. Life was made to live it! We should all live it the best way that we can.

Stress

As many students know, finals are coming up. For middle schoolers, well, at my school, they are called the EOG's (end of grade testing). I am up to here (imagine me raising my hand) in studying, homework, projects, etc.

I always thought the end of the year was supposed to be easier. In elementary school, the end of the year was the easiest by far. Middle school is WAY different. I am sure many of us have figured that out by now. I just want it all to be over, so this weight can be lifted off my chest!

Good luck to anyone who is studying for finals, EOG's, and what not!

Sleepless

Well, I was trying to get an afternoon nap, after having one sleepless night. It started when people the home owners association hired came. They were mowing the lawns. In a failed act to block that noise, I put on some calming William Ackerman music.
Many people would think that this would help! Nope! Well, a little later, they FINALLY LEFT. This is something that would happen in movies! Obviously, after you mow a lawn, you must blow away all the excess grass. So, they had leaf blowers, and they were blowing all the grass away. I could hear them all the way around the sub division.
They must have been doing that for at least half an hour. Having turned off the music already, I thought they were finally done, so I turned on the music again. I hope this makes you laugh so hard, you fly off your seat. The waste industries people come. They have this giant truck, that makes noise you can hear 50 miles away! I stood ten more minutes of this. I finally gave up. That was some nap! Then, I came down here and wrote this post!

People, if you ever try to take an afternoon nap, be aware of garbage days, mowing days, and blower days!

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus in action! This is also one of the favorite ones I took!

In color, Multicolor Rocks

This is one of my favorites!

Sea Shell

Another one of my photos...

Black & White

I took this picture in my back yard, and I added special affects. How do you like it? Please leave a comment!

Prejudice

Have you ever had prejudice towards someone? Prejudice is a dangerous thing because it can cause us to make assumptions of other people before truly getting to know them. We may assume they are something, but they truly aren't. The real question is, how do you get to know the person behind the curtain?

I am sure many of you have heard of the book Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen. Some may have read it, some may not. But, I think there is one main point in the story. The moral, if you may. It is the most important thing that ever reading pride and prejudice could teach you. Perhaps Elizabeth Bennet had too much prejudice towards Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy had too much pride. In the end, everything works out. Perhaps they both needed to let go of a few things before they could finally become one.

Maybe we won't ever truly know someone. Every person is different. Human beings are difficult and complex things. We all have different personalities, different minds, different, opinions and much, much more. The thing is, we shouldn't judge people by what we see on the outside. We should judge them by what's in their hearts. That is what is truly important. How stupid is it not to be someones friend just because they aren't popular, or they buy this brand of clothes, or they have glasses? You are having prejudice towards that person because of what you are observing on the outside. But, we must all search for what truly matters on the inside. Perhaps we all need to let go of a little pride and prejudice.

Remember?

Has there ever been a point in your life when you wished that you had more than you already have? Come on, you know that you have at least one point in your life. Sometimes, we don't even realize how lucky we are to be alive.

There are two types of people in the world. There are the people that want more no matter what they already have. There are also people that are happy with little things. Remember when you were a kid, and you would be excited by just getting a new toy? Remember? Little kids are so easy to make happy. They are innocent and pure, and even the littlest things can please them in the most miraculous way.

We should all stop thinking about what we don't have, and what we do have. As I say, you don't know what you have until you don't have it. So, think about that. Think about what you already have the next time you want a new cell phone, car, or anything material. Remember what it was like when you were little.

Summer and Realization

Summer is now almost here...

I can hardly believe that almost a year has gone by. We spend our lives complaining about the single moment, but we don't know how precious it is until we actually loose it. Sometimes we need to loose things in order to realize how important something is.

For example, we don't know how important our dog may be to us, until we loose it. What can it take for us to realize that we are very lucky. Not all of us are as lucky as some of us. The next time you don't pay attention to something, think about what your life would be like without it. Would it be different or the same?

Sometimes, we need to realize all the things that we have, and be thankful for it. For all we know, it could be gone tomorrow. I think we should treasure things, because they may never be anything like it again. Treat something like you'll never see it again. Appreciate what you have, and be thankful that you have it...

Rainy Day

It is another rainy day. Rain is so beautiful. Whenever it rains, I open my window and I love to hear the sound of the rain. It's just so peaceful in it's own way. It's like mother nature's tears. Each drop is just as special as the next.

Sometimes people don't appreciate things as much because they are so ordinary. Of course, rain is a normal thing. But, I think we should all be thankful for it. If it weren't for rain, we would probably be in a permanent drought. It's so important to our daily lives. The next time you see rain, you should stop and be thankful for it, no matter how ordinary it is.

Beyond the Image

Lately, I have been thinking of seeing beyond the image. I have always been interested in analyzing people, and seeing who they truly are on the inside. People may see you as someone who is funny, or smart, but at home you're just a quiet person who doesn't seek attention. Or, it could be the exact opposite.

We can never really know one person too well. People are complex and mysterious creatures. But, it is obvious that the world would be boring if we knew everything! I think that more people should try and see others beyond what they see. People may accuse you of being something you're not when they don't even know you.

Even with shy people, if you are nice, they might open up. Everyone has living, beating hearts. We all deserve to feel like we belong. It is always good to see people in a way that other people wouldn't even think of seeing them!

Paintings

Cosmic Reality

Breaths of the Earth

The Dream

Composition with Guitars II

The Soul of a Woman

If you like these paintings and you want to see much more, you can go to my Mom's website. http://mlinardatou.googlepages.com/index.html

Paintings from the Heart

There are many artists out there. My Mom, Maria Linardatou, is one of those very talented artists. She definitely paints from the heart. Making most of her paintings abstract, you have to look carefully to find the true meaning. Painting has always been her passion and she loves doing it. You can view some of her artwork on her website linked above, or you can see some of her paintings in the post above this. Please enjoy!

Another Beginning

Here we are again, with another beginning. As we all know, March brings the beginning of spring. The time where the flowers start blooming, and people frolic through the fields! Just kidding! We don't live in the 1930s. Of course, people can still frolic in the fields, and there is nothing wrong with picking flowers!

But, the year has gone by so fast! I can't believe it! It seemed like yesterday that I woke up to the beginning of a new year. Time really flies. It seems as though when you're not paying attention, it goes by quickly. But, when you are in class, you are just itching for the bell to ring. Of course, it seems like and eternity until it rings. That can be really annoying. It applies to the same concept of loosing things when you need them!

It is so aggravating when I am looking for something, and I can't find it. I know I have seen it before, but now that I want it, guess what?-it's gone! Sometimes life operates in funny ways. But, one day, I am sure we will all benefit from some of those funny ways. Believe it or not...most of the things that happen in our lives happen for a reason...

The Phantom of the Opera

I haven't seen this wonderful movie for a while(even though I own it). Somehow I was re-visited by it when I was looking for some good inspiration. By far, The Phantom of the Opera is the best, dramatical, and suspenseful movie out there.

You can listen to some of it's songs on YouTube. I hope that you will love the songs as much as I love them, and I highly reccomend the movie and the book! Enjoy

In Our Nature

Sometimes I wonder if people see themselves the way other people see them. Can they see that they have a high pitched, loud and annoying voice? Do they see their flaws? No one is perfect, but I wonder how people would change if they knew what other people thought about them. Would they stop wearing their favorite color because someone said it looks bad on them? Would they stop playing a sport if it was not popular?

Many people today don't realize the mistakes they made. If you videotaped them saying something horrible, would they realize what they have done? I don't know. Many people have done things that are so inconsiderate, I wonder how they fall asleep not feeling guilty. Some people never realize who they are in the eyes of other people. They never think, "Well, they might have lied to me because they are scared to come to me with the truth." People are not perfect, and they make mistakes. You need to learn to forgive people like you would forgive yourself. It is in our nature to sometimes think we are perfect or better than everyone else. But, I think once in a while, we should see ourselves the way other people do.

People are Funny!!!

Whenever someone tries to insult me or make me feel bad, I am laughing inside my head. They are reluctant to notice that many people aren't bothered by comments like that. People that try to make you feel bad about yourself are insecure. Whenever someone tries to insult me or hurt me in any way, I am not offended. I feel sorry for that person. They are truly the ones who are insecure, and they have to make other people feel bad to make themselves feel better. It's the same thing with popular people. Why do you think they are in the spotlight?-for attention of course! They need the spotlight to make them feel better about themselves.

People think they have gotten me down, but I am still standing with my feet firmly to the ground. It takes more than an insecure person with cheesy comments to get me down. If you believe in yourself, and you are confident, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. If you don't let insecure people get to you, then they won't. If it does get to you, you are only giving them power they don't deserve. Power over you. I feel sorry for insecure people because they are not happy with who they are. Also, it seems the only way for them to make themselves feel better seems to be that they have to make other people feel bad too.

Overall, don't let insecure people get to you. They have no right to have power over you!