2011 Resolutions

I've always kind of found new year's resolutions to be pretty pointless. Most new year's days, when I was younger I would always assure my parents that my new year's resolution was to keep my room tidy. It was usually a half hearted promise which I kept for a month of two and then forgot about as the year stretched on. But as I've grown as a person I've found that I can be proactive about resolutions. I can make plans and then follow through with them. I feel as if I've spent too many years of my life, not exactly wasting my time but telling myself or other people all these "grand plans" for life and yet never actually doing anything towards achieving them. Anyway, as well as becoming more proactive, I've also developed a love for lists. *Awkward Pause*

Anyway, the point is that on the eve of 2011 I wrote a list of my new year's resolutions which I do intent to keep or at least try to the best of my abilities to keep. Actually, some of them are more goals than resolutions but you get my drift. I wasn't intending to post this list on my blog initially but  someone suggested that I do and I kind of want to make up for my last post which I feel is a bit weak, kind of vague and confusing so here goes...

My List of resolutions and Goals for 2011 

1. Learn to knit
2. Read at least 25 books that I HAVEN'T already read
3. Have another reread of all my Harry Potter books, in order
4. Post at least one of my Harry Potter spoof songs on my YouTube channel ;)
5. Make better videos and only post ones that I am genuinely proud of 
6. Start editing my NaNoWriMo novel 
7. Start writing my new story in the summer
8. Get a summer job
9. Exercise more
10. Achieve at least two A*s in my GCSEs 
11. Don't forget people's birthdays 
12. Record more of my ideas on paper
13. Stop disregarding my hair
14. Make a pecan pie
15. Take more artistic photographs
16. Do BEDA (Blog every day in August) 
17. Give up sweets and chocolate for lent
18. Make a better Project For Awesome video 

Sorry if that list bored you. I plan to write a blog at the end of 2011 letting you know how my resolutions went. I'm planning to incorporate my 25 book goal in to the YouTube project I'm going to be involved in this year, WritersOnTheWall, which should be fun because I'll be able to involve more people in this challenge, of sorts.  I may also blog about any books which make a particular impression on me, if I get time so watch out for that. Oh, also, if this post was a little too sensible and you want something a little more stupid regarding new year's resolutions then check out my video. 

"Purpose" Problems

The other day, Christmas Eve in fact, I was walking to the shops in the snow with my dad and he asked me "What is the purpose of your blog" to which I replied "I don't actually know". 

When I started it up I obviously did it for a reason which was because it looked like fun and it seemed like a good way to practice writing as it's one thing writing at home or for an essay to publishing it on the internet where potentially anyone can see it. So, basically, I thought it seemed a logical step for me to take to develop my writing skills. However, I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking when I chose the title for my blog; FreyaFlobster's Funky Thoughts.

Sure, FreyaFlobster is my youtube name and I basically added "funky" to the title because I liked the alliteration. But now I'm faced with the challenge of writing some posts which actually contain "funky thoughts". I mean I do think of funky things frequently, anyone who has the misfortune to be a part of my R.S group knows only to well. My friends and I make up the rather controversial table where we voice open discussions about how the potential risk of OIL leaks may increase when more than two people live in the same house and whether criminals should either be made infertile or have the word "criminal" tattooed on their forehead instead of the proceeder currently enforced. But this is the problem; I always think of awesome things to blog about at the wrong times, for example when I don't have internet access or any time to write.

OK, I've gone off on a tangent now. What I really want to talk about, hence the title, is purpose and whether or not we really do things for the purpose we think we are. I know this sounds like a religious type debate concerning whether or not fate exists but it is not. I mean that when we decide to do something for a specific reason or maybe for several are we REALLY doing it for that reason/those reasons. It is true, I think, that sometimes we, as people, don't really know what's going on in our brains. Do we really know why we do things and what we want and what we need? Simple decisions we make could be fueled by underlying feelings of frustration, longing or even love and hatred that we don't even know are there. Or we do but not to the extent that they manipulate a lot of our decisions. I'm struggling to come up with an example which isn't too predictable or mundane *sigh*.

So, purpose, purpose, purpose. After I finish writing this post I'm going to contemplate doing my maths homework. But why? Because my teacher told me to? Because I don't want to get in to trouble? Because I want to learn? Because that is what is expected of me? because I don't want to let my parents down? Because I think it will benefit me in the long term? To be perfectly honest I don't know.

P.S. If anyone, due to some crazy impulse, actually read this post don't worry if you don't understand it and think it's a lode of rubbish. You're probably right!!

December Thoughts and Feelings

When it comes down to it December has to be my favorite month of the entire year; it's my birthday on the 12th and of course Christmas, the most wonderful, heartwarming, if a little commercialized, celebration. I love getting all the family together and it's just so cosy, happy and beautiful. You also get the sense of everyone thinking kinder thoughts of everyone, making exceptions because of that Christmas spirit. I have a few random things on my mind but none of them are "big" enough to spend an entire post on so I'm going to sprinkle this one with them, like Marcus Wareing would sprinkle vegetables. Readers, that was your queue to laugh...whatever.

My good friend, Matt has finally finished reading The Hunger Games recently which has provided me another person to have in depth talks with about this series that I am obsessed with! I'm now pushing him to read Catching Fire (the sequel) although the copies in our library have been decimated which is odd because only a few weeks ago there were at least two on the shelves.The librarian informed us they were currently the most requested books in the library, which is a good thing and a bad thing. I've mentioned in one of my youtube videos that I want everyone to read the Hunger Games series as it portrays such an important message about our world and society, in fact it is incredible for that aspect. But, on the other hand, it's nice to have something which not everyone knows about, it makes it slightly more special to just be able to share it with your friends. Anyhow, it has been interesting hearing Matt's predictions as it brings back my own theories that I had came up with upon finishing Hunger Games and subsequently Catching Fire. In fact, I wrote a blog post containing some, as well as a whole um...five A4 pages in my notepad. I'm cool. One thing that did amaze me though was how effectively Suzanne Collins portrayed the character of Gale, despite the fact that you don't spend as much time with him, as a reader, in the first two books (moreso The Hunger Games) but anyhow, his attitude and the decisions he made and the actions that followed when it "came down to it" in Mockingjay were just as I had predicted from the sense I had got of his character from the first two books. The phrase I like to associate with Gale and that I have many times before is; he is extremely passionate but this makes him slightly blinded. Obviously, there are quotes in Mockingjay, narrated by Katniss, which are a lot more interesting and metaphorical, however this phrase is a rather simplified version, I think which doesn't give away too much for people who have not read Mockingjay. 

Another thing which is on my mind is the approaching 2011. It feels as if it was just a few days ago that I was sitting on my sofa waiting for the new year, at midnight. Sometimes it's hard to get excited about the new year but I really am looking forward to what the future holds because it can hold whatever I want it to. I'm a firm believer that you make your own fate and that you only get opportunities if you find opportunities and take them... that wasn't very eloquent. You understand what I mean, right? I'm looking forward to leaving school, my school production (nice order, Freya), doing more blogs and youtube videos, writing a lot more and I'm excited about the experience of getting involved in a collaboration channel called WritersOnTheWall which unites "WriMos" (National Novel Writing Month participants). Anyway, even though I'm embracing the new year, when it comes I will feel as if I've achieved a lot this year and I also feel like I've developed a lot as a person too. I've discovered this year that if you are determined you can do pretty much anything you put your mind to and that it is always better to do something than to sit around, twiddling your thumbs, and coming up with hundreds of superficial reasons why you shouldn't go ahead with the thing. I have also discovered some super music, astoundingly good books, lovely people and that you should never try to conceal your personality or act like someone your not, because at the end of the day where will it get you? I' very proud of some things I have achieved this year too, winning NaNoWriMo is definitely one as well as doing well in most of my subjects at school and taking part in extra things like the school production, youtube projects and guess what else? a social life. 

OK, I would love to ramble on but I seriously wouldn't want to bore my blog readers. Too late you say? Ah well, I'm off to prepare for my fancy dress party in which I shall be dressing up as the epic LUNA LOVEGOOD; one of my favourite characters of all time. Oh, and I'm excited because my mum's baking and decorating a cake for my birthday which I have my suspicions is a Harry Potter cake... Oh, Harry Potter, how you have shaped my life in to a magical kingdom. Crap, did I just say that. Oh, that reminds me I cried myself to sleep last night after mistakenly listening to "Leaving Hogwarts" from the Philosopher's Stone soundtrack. The score speaks belonging, freindship and warmth as well as sadness and it's beautiful. 

Bye Everyone, have wonderful Decembers