Journal-Gratitude & Blessings
November 1, 1980
Dear Journal,
Sixth grade is okay. Not great. I do not like Mrs. Morris. I do not think she likes me either and she says I get too chatty. That’s not very fair. I get all A’s on my projects and work, and I don’t think she likes smart kids very much. I love Mr. Bishop and of course Miss Kessler and Mr. O’Donnell. He is such a funny guy. He calls me the Jawbone Canyon Kid. I love that! I wore Sassoon jeans and heels on the first day of school. My hair was styled feathered. I don’t know if I miss summer, or not. Sort of. I’ve been in the new school year since September. I do like seeing my friends, and being able to go to the library and check out new books almost every day. I read a LOT of books! There are too many to name, so please don’t ask me to list them. I do not like math, even though they put me in advanced math again. You know what? I am in all advanced classes. Why don’t they just let me skip a grade?
Seriously, a tortoise?
I tried out for cheer and made the team. I am not very good, and Carmen has to help me. They don’t take the cheerleaders on the bus, so unless someone’s mom wants to drive us, we don’t get to go to any away games. That’s so lame. I am pretty shy so cheer is hard for me. It’s hard to be loud when you are shy. Plus the mascot is a tortoise. Who want that to be their mascot? Talk about lame. It’s the worst mascot ever. The worst mascot in the entire world!
Halloween
For Halloween I wore the full dress my mom made for me for square dancing, with a poufy petticoat underneath. I also put my hair in piggy tails with ribbons and wore bobby socks and shiny black shoes. Guess what I was? Yes! I was a little girl. I had so much fun. My dad took me and John and Joy and we went Trick or Treating in town. Joy got to be very messy with chocolate all over her face. I think she was a bunny, but she lost her ears. John was a cowboy. I also had a class party at school and that was so fun! We even got pizza! I love pizza so much! The only time I ever get to eat it is at other people’s houses or at parties. Maybe my mom doesn’t like pizza? Or maybe it’s too expensive?
Journal, can you believe that I am almost 13? I will be a real teen-ager soon! It’s so exciting! I am so excited, that I am almost like Pinocchio when he got to be a real boy! Maybe I will do more fun things!
Things I am thankful for
The 27th is Thanksgiving, and at church we were asked to think about all the things we were grateful for. I am grateful for lots and lots of stuff, and people, and blessings. I’m pretty much thankful for everything, but they want us to write down specific things. So I am thankful for my family including my parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. My clothes and my shoes are cute and I’m grateful for them, and my dad’s job that pays for everything. I am thankful for the church and my testimony. I am thankful for teachers at church and teachers at school, and all the teachers that I have had in the past. There is a lot of them, but each one touched my life in some way small or large.
I am thankful for the Prophet President Spencer W. Kimball. I am grateful for all of the church leaders in my Ward, Stake and the World. I am thankful for education, and that I get to go to school to learn. Even though I might whine about it, I am thankful. I am thankful for all my friends, even those I don’t see any more because I have moved so many times. Friends are important. I really think they are valuable to me in my life. I’m thankful that my parents have a car to take me to places and to church. I am thankful for my toys and my pony Ginger and all the games we have. I am thankful for my talents, and I hope to discover some buried ones someday.
My talents
I had started the talent of playing the violin before we moved here. But some mean kids broke into my violin and broke the bridge and the e-tuner. I was so sad. That violin belonged to my great grandfather, and I felt pretty special to be allowed to learn how to play it! Now it looks sad, broken and forlorn in its case.
Another talent I have is public speaking. That’s so funny because I can be pretty shy in real life. But I like to do the Lion’s Club Speech Contests and I am really good at the Impromptu Speech. Most everybody hates that one. You are given a topic and then like only 5 minutes to think of what to talk about and you have to talk about that topic for at least 5 minutes. Most of the time I make the audience laugh. I like that part a lot. Sometimes I get done and can’t remember what I said! But I have so far always gotten first place and blue ribbons for that.
I’m getting pretty good at sewing, but I used to be terrible. I can follow a pattern if it is a simple one, and I don’t have to pick out my work as much as I used to. Making doll clothes is fun and I mostly sew for my doll named Mandy.
I like to draw and do art stuff and am told I’m really good at it. Except Mrs. Morris, who always has to say something mean to me about my work in Art class? My favorite things to draw are unicorns and horses, and next people’s faces. Not to sound mean, but I think landscapes are kind of boring to draw.
I can hold my breath a very long time
I am a really good swimmer and can hold my breath for over 2 minutes. That’s longer than anyone in my family except my mom. I think she is part mermaid! Lena can hold her breath a long time too, but if we are swimming around under water I will always beat her. If we are just sitting under water, she might win sometimes.
So about cooking: I like cooking, and my favorite thing to make is pancakes. I think that might someday become a talent for me. I hope so. Man can’t live on pancakes alone!
One thing is, I’m a fast runner and the fastest girl in 6th grade. One other girl in the country is almost as fast, so I have to work hard to beat her. Her name is Vanessa. There is a new girl named Missy and she is pretty fast too. So my times for the mile keep getting better. The boys always are faster than me. Harvey tries to run with me but his legs are so long, it makes him nuts. He is very tall though, over 6 feet tall. No hard feelings, Harvey my friend. Run on ahead!
I also like to go camping, and being in acting or skits. Plays are fun, and I have been in a lot of them. I think acting is a talent for me. When I am on stage I am a different person and my shyness goes away. Even when I sing it goes away, and I am still a 1st Soprano. I hope I don’t ever grow out of it. I like singing the really high notes, and Miss Kessler says I have a beautiful voice and pretty tone. Oh, I love Miss. Kessler!
I want another talent to be inventing things, but I haven’t invented anything yet. Fixing stuff and making stuff is fun, so maybe someday I will invent something useful.
I love to write stuff!
Oh man, I can’t forget writing! I love to write. Could you tell? Haha… journal humor. My hand gets tired and my letters get big and loopy but I love to write stories, songs and stuff, and I have a lot of Pen Pals. Some are friends and some are family members. I get more mail than anyone in my family. Except daddy, but his mail is mostly bills and not from real people.
Another thing I love about Thanksgiving is that we eat a lot of yummy food, and we also seem to be happy. Nobody seems to get crabby and we are all getting along with no quarrels and stuff. Maybe that is like a family miracle! Hopefully this year will be the same!
I am thinking about my Christmas list, and I am already making stuff for each family member. I like doing that. It’s hard work, but if you love somebody, then hard work is worth it, right?
Love,
Cynthia