The Agent Files, sticky oranges, my wantings, and a question

Dear Readers,

I'm proud to tell you that my friends and I (Piano Bookworm, Hadassah) have finished the first The Agent Files and are working on the second one, which seems to be going better than the first one. (Very Hobbitish. And funny........ if you haven't read the book or watched the movie The Hobbit you might want to do so......)

Anyway, does anybody else get irked when they're eating an orange and their hands get all sticky? Even when they've washed them?! I know that's kind of random, but I just ate an orange...... =P

Sometimes I wish that I could be like other bloggers. I wouldn't show a picture of myself (of course) but I wish I could at least give an age-range, kind of what I look like, my first name, and then use like "I live in Xxxxx". (You kind of get the picture.) But I don't. Oh well. =P

I was wondering.... should my next post be Abigail Jane Applegate, the Patriot spy, or Jessie Bender, the hilarious Ohioan? Please tell me. :)

Love,
Katrina

P.S. Don't forget to enter the design contest!! It ends the first of February. :)

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE BABY!

Dear Readers,

This is Jessie.

And I've to come to say that.....

.......I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL SUMMER!!!!!

Mostly because of that fact that then I'll never have to see Maya again.

Until school starts back up.

Ugh.

And more baby news--we found out that it's a little boy, and my parents decided that his name's going to be William. Then they decided we'll call him Willie while he's really little, and then when he's starting to talk we'll call him Will. Interesting.

Anyway, so the old room down the hall that used to house all of our old junk is now being converted into a baby room. We've got it all painted, and now Mom's always driving us around to Good Wills and such getting all of these baby supplies.

And, you'll be proud to know, I've kind of come to accept it.

And now I'm actually kind of excited!!

I mean, a little baby brother?! SWEET!

I'm actually really, really, really excited. (And it's not only because Mom says she's going to actually teach me how to change the baby and that she'll probably be doing it most of the time.) And now I'm going to have the sibling that I kind of (secretly) always wanted. And then I can be like all of those girls who walk around the park, carrying their little sibling...

Aww. That's so cute. :)

I JUST CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!

Love,
Jessie

Magazine Update!

Dear Readers,

GUESS WHAT?!?! I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT A STORY OF MINE IN THE MAGAZINE!!!!!! GAH!!!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!! (Yesterday I was jumping up and down and screaming. If you can imagine that..... that's kind of what I did when I thought I was going to get to be an extra in a movie...... =P)

The story I've decided to put in is actually Connie (Rubberboot Girl). So I've had to pull the story off the blogs that they're on because it's being published. Sorry! I hope you guys understand. Soon, hopefully, I'll have the link to the magazine's website so that maybe you guys could subscribe!!!! That would be really awesome. :)

I'll keep you updated.

Love,
Katrina

I might have a story in a magazine...?

Dear Readers,

Guess what?! I might be (might be) having a continuing story in a magazine! (like again and again) (and a real magazine) (by a really awesome person I know) Anyway, we haven't figured out everything out, but I'm pretty sure it's all going to work out. :) I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!! I really love the lady who's going to be doing the magazine. I just can't wait!!

The editor of Connie has told me that they have gotten to the end (I believe) of chapter eight, and when they start editing again they can get to chapter nine. Like I said, they're thorough. I'll make sure to keep you updated, and if/when I get Connie published/agreed-to-be-published I'll make sure to let all of you know!!!!! :)

So, did you guys like the new Abigail? Well? (Well, I did!! =D)

I'll tell you guys more about the magazine later.

(I'm also probably going to have an add for it. And a place where you can subscribe. And of course a link to the magazine's website.)

As for now, I'll be seeing you later....

Love,
Katrina

Design Entry

I decided to enter a design contest (I know, like first, right?!) for Britt.

Spy--Chapter 1

My name is Abigail Jane Applegate, and I was ten years old when the British started taxing us horribly. And it's not fair. Mother has refused to buy tea anymore. Instead, we drink coffee, which isn't quite the same, but it has to do. It comes from our friend's plantation. And if coffee was taxed, then we'd go to water. I know it. My parents do not like the British. They would do anything to oppose them.

Last night, my father came home, his hat in his hands. I was just telling Betsey to get her hands off the table and Priscilla to stop trying to pull off little chunks of bread from the bread plate when the door burst open.

Mother, who'd just been bringing out a pot of stew, nearly fell over in surprise as Father burst into the house, a happy smile on his face. By the scared look on my mother's face, I knew that she had thought that my father was one of the British.

"Oh, Beth, you won't believe it!" he cried merrily.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"I just got news from... some friends of mine that something wonderful has happened," Father told her. He glanced over at us and then said, "Abigail, please get your sisters into your room, please. Thank you."

I sighed. "Come along, Betsey, Priscilla."

The girls bounded out of the room with me on their heels. They started up the stairs to their room, glad that they'd gotten out of hearing of the conversation that they, no doubt, thought was boring beyond belief. And me? I stayed behind, moving towards the door into the dining room again, pressing my ear to crack to ear my father's words.

"...and the Sons of Liberty have gone and dumped tea in the harbor!" Father was whispering excitedly. "The British are furious. It's got to be war!"

"I wouldn't be so sure," answered Mother.

"But don't you see?" Father whispered. "We've shown that we don't need the British, or their tea! Soon every man will be raising their arms against England!" His voice had risen into a happy cry.

"Lower your voice, William," Mother warned. "These walls have ears." She stared right through the crack where I was listening. "Abigail, please come in."

I sighed and opened the door. Mother was frowning but Father was smiling.

"Abigail, my lass," started Father, "you're about to witness something amazing in American history. Did you know that?"

"Yes," I whispered. "I do."

He smiled. "Are you ready?"

"I'm not quite sure," I answered truthfully. And I wasn't.

***

Five years later

1778

I hurried through the streets of New York, my eyes trained to the ground before me. Clutched in my hand, hidden under my shawl, was an important message that I needed to get to my father as soon as possible. 

I glanced up ahead and saw several British soldiers marching towards me. I glanced around and saw a woman peeking out of one of the doors.

"Girl," she whispered.

I quickly came over and slipped inside the house just as the soldiers turned down the street. Panting, I leaned against the wall, waiting for the soldiers to pass. I glanced over at the woman and saw her staring at me, her eyes scared.

When the sounds of the soldiers' stomping feet had left, she whispered, "Is it urgent?"

I nodded. "Thank you so much. May God bless you."

I quickly left the woman's house and continued down the street. I spotted the old stable, with the sounds of a blacksmith's hammer inside, and quickly went in. My father's apprentice, Nathan, was there, pounding away.

"Where's Father?" I queried.

He got the meaning. "He's in the back room."

My skirts swept around my legs as I walked over the old hay and came to the big wooden door in the back of the stable. I knocked three times and then kicked the door. It promptly opened. My father's worried face melted into relief when he saw me.

"I didn't think you'd make it with all of the soldiers marching around," he whispered. "Thank goodness you're alright."

My hand came out of my shawl. "Here's the message."

He nodded. "Thank you, Abigail. You're a true Patriot."

No. I was a spy.

A very short letter from Jessie and a message from Storyteller.err.Katrina

Dear Readers,

This is Jessie, and I just got back to my own beautiful house in Dayton, Ohio, and away from the farm. PHEW! I'm glad to be back.

Bye!

P.S.From.Storyteller.err.Katrina. OK, just to say, Abigail Jane Applegate WILL be coming back, but she's very different. Everything's that happened before... it's zilch. So, we're starting over! Clean slate! Whoohoo!! Keep a lookout for it. ;)