It's beginning to look a lot like...

Winter. This was my view as I headed out to the parking lot:

While the weather may look depressing, it's a sign that the end is near.
For most of the year, I've been associating snow and winter with birth. I'd think about how I'll have to haul baby to school in the snow or how I'll have to bundle baby up so he won't be too cold.  I'd think about how I might be giving birth over the holidays. And now, there's just 7 weeks left to go! So I welcome the snow as a sign of the times.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Blog Improvement

Since I started customizing certain aspects of my blog yesterday, I found I couldn't stop! So, in case you didn't notice the most recent changes, here's what I did:

• Removed the pages tab underneath my header and transferred the links to various parts of my blog
• I added an "about me" photo with a brief blurb, thanks to tips from this post: http://designyourownblog.com/blog-design/blog-sidebar-profile-photos-bios/
• Bonus: My shortened bio is also linked to my Mormon.org profile!
• I added a definition of rhetorical, in the hopes of explaining more what the title of my blog means
• I added social media links, thanks to this post: http://www.carrieloves.com/2012/03/free-social-media-icons-for-bloggers/
• I expanded my blog list

I've been wanting to make a lot of these changes for a while, but never had the time to research how. While they may seem trivial to you, they mean a lot to me.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

New Favicon

Today I changed the favicon for my blog! For those who don't know, a favicon is the little icon next to a webpage name in your browser's tabs section. For example:

See? I used to have the blogger symbol next to "Rhetorical Rebekah."
Now, it's a little thought bubble.

I went through several icons before settling on the thought bubble- the main problem being that pictures look a lot different when they've been shrunk to a minuscule size. Basically, only symbols or letters are recognizable, so if you want to create your own favicon, know that you probably shouldn't pick an actual photo.

This took a LONG time to figure out, but I was able to do it thanks to the following websites:

• http://designyourownblog.com/blog-design/tutorial-how-to-create-blog-favicon/
• http://www.picmonkey.com/
• http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/favicon/

If you don't see my new favicon when you pull up my blog, you may have to clear your browser's image cache.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Pepero Day

Need another excuse to eat candy now that Halloween has passed? Introducing Pepero Day!

Peperos are long thin cookies that are usually dipped in chocolate (or may have chocolate inside). However, they can be coated in other flavors, like strawberry or peanut.

According to Wikipedia: Pepero Day is an observance in South Korea similar to Valentine's Day, but held on November 11. The original purpose of the Pepero Day was to exchange peperos with each other in hopes of becoming taller and thinner. The current purpose is to exchange peperos to show affection for friends and loved-ones.

Naturally, Matt and I will be celebrating. You can find Pepero at any Asian market and you can find the Japanese version, Pocky, at various grocery stores (don't ask me which ones- I just know I've seen them). 

Rhetorically, 

Rebekah

Veteran's Day

So this is technically tomorrow, but I thought I'd write about it today. When I was a child, I remember having to do a report on Veteran's day by interviewing a veteran. At the time, the only one that I knew was my great-grandpa Jim. He was in the navy for 31 years, and was stationed on various submarines during WW2. Although I don't have a copy of the interview I did with him when I was in elementary school (which is probably a good thing) I do have a story from a more recent interview I conducted when I visited their home in 2012.

Grandpa Jim said that his scariest experience in the navy happened before the U.S. had taken Guam. He was on war patrol in a submarine, attempting a pilot rescue. They were within 500 yards from land and shore batteries had spotted them and opened fire. The pilot had been shot down and when the submarine went to rescue him, the pilot wouldn't throw the loop of his line over the periscope. The submarine was in a dangerous position, and they had to swing in and out several times to avoid getting shot by the border patrol. It took three tries to save the pilot. The captain of the submarine was furious at the pilot for not cooperating with the rescue. As it turned out, the pilot had a cut hand and a broken wrist.

Serving in the military requires great sacrifice. I'm especially grateful for my family members who have served/ are serving in the military, including a great grandfather, two uncles, and a brother-in-law.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Ferdinand Columbus

Someday I will write a book about Ferdinand Columbus. I have started it many times, but I keep on hitting the same roadblock: voice. I know I should just buck up and write the first draft, and fine tune the voice later, but I hate thinking of writing something only to completely rewrite it. I also struggle wanting to make the story historically accurate without having to do years of research.

Luckily, some of the work has already been done for me: Ferdinand wrote a biography about his father, Christopher Columbus, and much of the information I need comes from there.

The trick is how to portray Ferdinand's story in a way that children can relate to. Should I do a picture book? Or a young chapter book? I definitely don't want it to turn into a series, which kind of rules out explaining things through a modern kid's eyes through time travel. Which leaves me with a more historically accurate option, but nonetheless difficult. Should I write in the way they spoke back then, or try to put things in more modern terms? How many characters should I make up and how many should I use that actually existed? Do I completely gloss over the fact that Indians were treated horribly? So many choices...

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Color Me Mine

This post is brought to you by Color Me Mine, a craft store where you can pick a ceramic piece, paint it, and the store will glaze/fire it for you. We had seen the store at the Riverwoods and finally decided to give it a try. Little did we know they were having a date night special with 2 for 1 studio fees! Instead of doing a kitchen item (such as a plate or mug) we'd chose to do something for the nursery. Behold, our dinosaur bank: 

We had so much fun going out for an actual date night! We'll get the finished product next Thursday, and the colors are supposed to be much more vibrant. 

Rhetorically,

Rebekah