Spring Favorites // 2017 + A Ghost Story

A rather random list of my favorite things from this Spring. Enjoy.

: WWI History :
If you follow me on Goodreads, you might have seen a couple of WWI books here and there, and that's because I have been looking for a couple of good books to help one of my siblings understand WWI better. I think I already mentioned my recent interest in this particular subject, but let's just say I'm thoroughly enjoying myself.

But I feel like I'm a little short on movies. Does anyone know any good WWI movies besides War Horse, Testament of Youth, and All Quiet on the Western Front? I feel like there are a million World War TWO movies, but One? Where are they?

: Movies, etc. : 
Sully [2016]  (REALLY good 5 out of 5 stars {I was thinking of doing a whole post review on this one because I enjoyed it so much... Would you all enjoy a review post for a change?)
The Case for Christ [2017] (ALSO REALLY GOOD 5/5 stars)
Duck Dynasty Season 10 [2015-16] (Hilarious, as usual 4/5 stars)
Call the Midwife Season 6 Christmas special [2016]  (so enjoyable because it's been awhile since I've seen this show 4/5 stars)
All Quiet on the Western Front [1930] (SO SAD but also really good 4/5 stars)
Loving [2016] (kind of slow and unsatisfying, but it had a few good parts 1/5 stars)

: Studio C :
Going back and watching some of my favorite sketches has filled up quite a few of my evenings lately. Might I suggest a few favorites?

Middle School Kid Ruins the News

The Janitor: Gym Jocks

Boy Band Breakup

A Kindergarten Fight for Love

Weighty Matters

Foreign Exchange

State of Mind

Welcome Back Song

Man of Interest

: Learning :
To drive! :D You guys, I am so close to getting my car and my license, I can almost taste it (that sounds kind of weird, actually).

: Trying to write :

My story... which needs a better name... and a better opening scene... and a better ending... and more subplots... and more goals... and better conflict... and.... and... yeah. 

You get the idea. 

: Making :
This necklace. I wanted to make a necklace that goes with all of my grey outfits, so.

: Loving :
1.Starbucks S'mores frappe
2.My dogs because I bathed them both yesterday and now they are so CLEAN AND SOFT AND CLEAN.
3.This teddy bear I found at Hobby Lobby the other day and I just had to bring him home.
He's my little friend now.

Say hello to Patrick, my little friend.

4. And in the makeup category: I am loving these few palettes that I found at Sephora on clearance! They were like $30, but I got them both for half off. :) I love the cool tones in the Vintage Filter one.
Sephora collection colorful eyeshadow filter palettes

: Reading : 

Crazy Love

Rachel's Tears

Good Call

A Woman's Strength

The Last of the Doughboys

The Reluctant Midwife

Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood
The Bible (mostly Acts)

o

: Listening :
Tauren Wells: Hills and Valleys. I was pretty excited the other day when I heard this song on the NON-CHRISTIAN radio at my job.
Hollyn: In Awe. I have to say I'm not a huge fan of Hollyn (although, dare I say, a lot of teenage girls are) but even so, I simply adore this song.

I know ya'll are tired of hearing about the Adam Young Scores on my blog, but three of the songs (not whole scores, just specific songs/tracks) I have been especially enjoying lately:
o

I don't know, I just find it helpful to listen to these when I'm writing (which isn't very often these days, sadly).

But I haven't only been listening to music. It's been raining a lot lately (at least where I live), and I love to listen to the rain and thunderstorms.

I often wonder if God created rain just specifically to make me happy. 

 I went into work the other day and it was POURING rain, and on my way inside my feet got all wet and when I went in you could really hear the rain loudly inside and I just had the biggest smile on my face and one of my coworkers just looked at me like I was insane because of my big grin and my feet were slushing with water but I didn't care because it was raining so hard and I was so happy. 

Thanks be to God.

YEEESSSSHHHH

Don't get me wrong, my heart goes out to the people who's yards are under water right now, or who have floodwater in their basements. :(
That's never fun.
But anyways. Let's wrap this up, shall we?

Photo credit: ME. Feel free to pin. :)

: So those are a few of my favorite things this Spring!!! :
I realize that Spring isn't over yet, so, the question is, why am I posting this NOW, instead of when Spring is actually over on June 20th? Well, April is my favorite month, you see. (pretty sure I've mentioned that before on the Blog) And even though Spring still has a month or two left (technically), it pretty much ends for me after April is over. I don't know, that's just the way it is for me. *shrug*
At this point, I'm ready for Summer! 

Also, I promised you a Ghost Story written in the title of this post, So here it is:
*****

A Ghost Story That Took Way More Words Than I Thought I Needed, Yet I Have Presented It Here For Your Enjoyment 
*****
The past couple of days, I have noticed a strange occurrence every time I go up my stairs. When I get to the top, I can hear something like a muffled whisper of jumbled words just behind me. The first couple of times I heard it, I assumed it was just some noise created from me bounding up the stairs. Or perhaps I was brushing against the brooms hanging up next to the steps, and that was making the strange, brushing, voice-like sound.
So I didn't think too much of it.

But I kept hearing them every time I went upstairs. 

One day, I heard it all too clearly, and the noise that I assumed was just that- noise - became some thing more than that. Spoken words in recognizable English, directly behind me. It happened after I was in the basement tending to some laundry. I finished up, and headed upstairs. When I got to the top of the landing, clearer than ever, I heard it unmistakably: the whisper.

"Look. They're gone."

 Startled, I spun around, expecting to see someone, or something there. But no one. Not a soul. I went back downstairs to have a look around. 

There wasn't a thing. 

The idea that I might be hallucinating crossed my mind. Similar things have happened before with my all-too-vivid imagination. 

I called to my sister to help me uncover the source of the sound. I had her stand at the top of the landing, and I went up and down the stairs several times, in hopes that the action would trigger whatever (or whoever) was making the noise. 

But I tried going up and down several times, with no results or conclusions whatsoever. No brushing against brooms, no bounding up the stairs, none of it worked.
My sister thought I was crazy.
Maybe I was.
But I know I heard that whisper!
 I decided to take a little break from the problem, and went about my day. But ever so often my mind would wander to the mysterious voice I undoubtedly heard clearly on the stairwell.
45 minutes later, it was time to do laundry again. I went downstairs and took care of it.
When I began to ascend the stairs, I told myself I would listen really closely so there would be no doubt about what I heard.
I got to the top of the landing and paused....
At first, nothing.
But then, out of the breathless silence, came the phrase, in a loud whisper from behind me that chilled my blood.

"Look. They're gone."

What. On. Earth.
Who in the heck is down there?  
What is?
I called my sister again, this time in near panic. I begged her to help me try to find the whisper once more. Reluctantly, she joined me as I went up and down the stairs countless times once again.
My heart pounded. What could this possibly be about?

Finally, I figured it out.  
*
*
*
Tune in next week to hear the chilling conclusion of this blood-curdling account!

(No, you didn't think I would tell you the entire thing NOW, did you? And let you spoil it for yourself by peeking at the ending? Hehe, you're silly)

*
 *

BYE
-Amaris