But what were my highlights of the year?

• The heritage fair was fun becuase I did a project on my Other Nanny (Great Grandmother)’s family and her life. I wrote a book that was in the form of a journal that my Other Nanny’s older sister Veronica wrote. I never knew a lot about her family, but it became a lot more important to me when something happened…
• Our juggling routines for PE! We created a rountine in groups and we got a laugh out of it. (Don’t ask).  
• That very special day when Sophie and I decided we were going to make a show. We were watching an episode of Miley and Mandy show on my iPod, and we decided we are going to make random movies of funny randomness.
• When we went to Hornby it was really fun and I really want to do everything again! I liked High Ropes the best even though I was scared to death of it!

These are the highlights of my year!

• Ever since grade 4 my mom has always told me I am a great writer. I have published a book, but it’s not in stores. I have about 13 different notebooks with random pages of random writing that I haven’t finished. The computer downstairs in my house has been 50% filled up with 20-page pieces of writing that I haven’t finished or worked on in months. The reason for this is when I get a new idea I write it down so I don’t forget it. I want to be an author.
• I think a lawyer would be pretty awesome to be, though a trial lawyer isn’t really my thing. I’d rather be the partnering lawyer to Sophie, who would be the trial lawyer. But a lawyer would be kind of boring. You wouldn’t really have enough freedom to do what you want to do because you’d be working all the time.

What would you want to be, and why?

Photo Credits: Pencils and Moleskins04 by Paul Worthington

Post inspired by: Chelsea

My favorite image that I took with Sophie, using MotionSequence is of Sophie’s battery charger:

I like it because it looks really neat and I like the border size on it. The photo was taken at a great angle so it looks bigger than it actually is. I think that the borders are a little big, but they still look good.

Creating the image was quite easy. Sophie had the little webcam, I was in control of the computer. She put the camera at the right angle, and I chose a grid size and border size. I pressed teh ‘H’ button ont eh keyboard to hide the contol panel at the top of my screen, where the buttons were that I could change the grid and border size, and a lot of other things that helped to make an image visually applealing. I hit the space bar-to take the photo.

Thank you to Josh and Francesca for taking the time to teach us all about Arts Umbrella and The Glocal Project!

I was also reading a book called “The Alchemyst”. That is about two ordinary teenagers who discover they have magical powers. I have read the second book, “The Magician”, too. It is when they must be trained and have proper control over their powers. The third book, “The Sorceress” is also our this month, and my friend Avery has it reserved from the Library when it comes out, so both of us can read it.

I am really, really, REALLY excited! These are some of the best books ever, or best series ever, I should say. The third and fourth books of The Faerie Path series are coming out soon as well. And, but the  same author, Frewin Jones, another series called “The Warrior Princess” is supposed to be good too.

Where did I get all these books? My friend Avery of course! Can I wait to read all of them…?

I’m pretty sure you can guess that. I’m so excited!

Important people in the courtroom:

• The Judge: The Judge listens to everything that is said in the trial. If there is no Jury, the Judge makes the final decision by believing the Crown Prosecutor who tries to prove that the accused is guilty. If the Judge decides that the accused is guilty, he/she will sentence the accused to a punishment of their choice. The Judge is also in charge of everything and everyone in the courtroom. He/she makes sure that all the court’s rules are followed, and everyone is doing their job.
• Court Clerk: The court clerk prepares the court’s schedule and helps out the Judge. They call the court to order and why the accused is accused. He/she will ask all the witnesses to swear that they will tell the truth and this is done by giving an oath or promising. If a witness is Christian, they have the choice to place their hand on a Bible or another Religious books.
• Crown Prosecutor: The Crown Prosecutor is like a lawyer for a province/territory. The Crown Prosecutor is not the lawyer for the victim, though he/she may be working on the same side as them. He/she will ask the victim and witnesses questions to prove to the Judge that the accused is guilty. Asking questions is called giving evidence.
• The Accused: The accused has been charged for committing a crime. He/she has the right to not have to testify and has the right to hear what the witnesses say about the case during the trial.

What do you see in a courtroom?

• Public Benches: These benches are for the public because every court is open to the public. However, in some cases, the Judge will make an announcement saying that the trial will be closed so no other people can be in and watch the trial .
• Prisoner’s Box: If the accused is in jail at the time of the trial, he/she will sit in the Prisoners box. If he/she is not in custody, they have the choice to sit in the box or near the defence lawyer.
• Canadian Flag: The Canadian flag is the representative of our government, law, courts and community.
• Canadian Coat of Arms: Much like the flag of Canada, in many courtrooms there is a Canadian Coat of Arms. This too represents the law and courts and communities of Canada.
• Witness Stand: The witnesses are called to the stand by the Crown Prosecutor to give evidence. If you are a victim of a crime, you are a witness and will be called to the stand. In some cases, the witnesses will be asked to stand outside of the courtrom, and when your name is called by the court clerk, you can come inside to the witness stand.
• Closed Circut TV: If you are under 18 and the Judge allows it, you may be able to be in a different room and the people in the courtroom at the time of the trial will see you on a TV screen so you do not have to be inside the courtroom.

What jobs in the courtroom would I like (or not like) to have? Why (or why not)?

• Defence Lawyer: The lawyer for the accused. I would liek to be the defence ;lawyer because you do not have to tell the Crown Prosecutor anything about your client’s case, but you can question the witnesses after the Crown Prosecutor has done asking theirs. I would also like to be teh defence lawyer because once I was meeting my Granny’s friend and she said I would be a good lawyer so that is another reason. It would also be fun!
• The Judge: No way! Too much pressure if there is no jury. I would have to make the desicion-if the accused is guilty-all by myself! If there was a jury, how would I be able to tell what kind of punishment to place on someone? Way too much pressure for me!
• Court Reporter: The court reporter writes or types dawn whatever is said in the courtroom. He/she must keep up and make sure that everything that was said is recorded. I would not liek this job because there would be too much pressure to finish recording everything or even keeping up adn getting it all down.

What jobs in the courtroom would YOU like (or not like) to have? Why (or why not)?

What makes the process fair?

I think that the process in the trial is fair because first of all, the accused is allowed to hear what all the witnesses say, and the Judge makes a fair decision based on logical evidence. The press is not allowed to reveal names of anyone who is part of the trial that is under the age of 18. I think that fairness is important and trials in a Canadian court are fair. 

Photo credit: Canadian flag by Arnoud Boekhoorn

January 15, 2004.

I am in the hospital. This freak keeps coming in and out of the room. His goggles are sooooo 1970! Well, it’s too bad that I’m here. You want to know why? Huh? Do ya? Okay.

Well, I was making cookies for my angry little sister (who was mad because… okay that’s another story) and she demanded chocolate chip cookies. Well, my older brother (who has been arrested many times, but you don’t need to know that) came into the house because he ran away from jail and shoved me in the freezer for no good reason.

I must stop writing.

I am cold.

Too cold…

Okay. I have regained my strength to continue my tragic story.

Well, my sister called the ambulance and didn’t think to get me out of the freezer! I am glad for the ambulance though. Real glad.

Oh yes, and my brother is back in jail. I think they need to put him in solitary confinement.

April 1, 2006.

I have been taken away by the poison control people. Yes, poison control. My older brother has escaped from jail again (I am guessing they didn’t put him in solitary confinement…) although he did not cause this tragic accident. My mom has this special shelf of toxic cleaners, and my sister was looking for the best April fool’s joke ever. I just know she looked there.

My little sister always puts my cereal and grape juice on the table in the morning and I’m guessing she used the toxic carpet cleaner.

The poison control person keeps peering over at me to see if I am okay.

Geez! I’m okay! Gosh, I wasn’t that poisoned…

Okay maybe I was.

Now my sister is in jail too.

(This story was based on this picture: My View by Heather)

Photo credits-S o u n d s by unlimited

 Anita Palmer, just a ‘normal fifteen-year-old’, goes on a school trip to Hampton Court. When she’s there, she meets a boy named Evan Thomas.

When all of the students go back to school in London, England, the end-of-term play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ brings Evan and Anita even closer. Anita played Juliet, and it was obvious who was going to play Romeo: Evan.

On the evening of her sweet sixteen, Evan surprises her with a boat ride. He becomes serious and tells her that he has something important to tell her. She wonders, but is lost without thought on the boat ride. Suddenly a dark figure emerges from the forest and Evan yells “No, he’ll find you! He’ll take you away from me!” and CRASH!!!!!!!

They crash into a post.

Later that night Anita thinks she is in a dream when a dark figure comes to her hospital ward and tells her to follow him. She dicovers that she has been lost for five hundred years in the mortal world, and that she is really Princess Tania of the immortal world of Faerie. With her return, the dark-clouded and saddened realm fo Faerie rejoyces and turns magical again.

Anita is not sure if she is Tania or not, of if this is real, but her six sisters, Rathina, Zara, Sancha, Cordeila, Hopie, and Eden help her to believe that this is real, not a dream.  

The other two books are out already and I really, really, really, really, REALLY (!!!!) want to read them. Just in case you’ve finished this one and want to read the others…

      And the fourth book is coming in May…

-My appreciation of nature