I am proud to say that I now have a brand new white MacBook! I just got it two days ago, so I am still learning about Mac, having never used it before. I put iWork on the laptop which I hope that I will use and enjoy. Tonight I starting to put Mac Os X on it, which is going to take 3 1/2 hours just for disc 1! Before I started uploading the operating system, I uploaded some pictures that I took today, and checked them out in iPhoto. I was really pleased with how easily I could flip through the photos and adjust the lighting and contrast. This summer I am planning to sell jewelry through the internet, so I will use my laptop because of the photo program and web features. I currently connect to the internet using a verizon wireless USB card when away from home, but I can use my PC's wireless internet when working at home. I like the Pages program, but I'm not sure how I will print documents out. I originally thought I could save it on a flash drive and print it out on my PC's printer, but I am not sure that will work. Hopefully it will! I looked at the Keynote program, and I was pleased to see all of the different slideshow backgrounds you could choose from! I am anxious for the operating system to finish uploading, because I haven't had much time to explore everything yet since I had been busy with completing my registration and establishing my internet connection. Today I also figured out how to make my computer more secure by making it so you had to type your password before you could enter the computer. I also disabled the guest user. Anyway, I will continue to post my findings after I learn more about my MacBook, and if anyone has any tips, I would be thrilled to read them! I mentioned earlier that I would be selling jewelry through the internet this summer. It will probably be through eBay, and I may create a website or a new blog to advertise the jewelry as well, complete with pics, measurements, and descriptions. If anyone is interested, please check back for updates!
I have recently begun researching Apple computers. I have two PCs in my home as of now, and they are just so much trouble! Fifty percent of the time I go on the computer, the internet is down or it freezes up, or is just slow! I heard from a friend who currently owns an Apple computer and a MacBook that Apple is really easy to use, and has no viruses. She said she likes it a lot, and it is especially good for graphics; she and her husband compose music on their Apple. With only two PCs, my family of four has to take turns using the computers. I would like a laptop of my own with only my stuff on it, for only me to use in my room. If I needed to print something out, I would save it on my flash drive and print it out on one of the PCs' printers. (would this work, taking a written document from an apple and printing it out on a PC?). I've only heard good things about Apple so far, and their software sure looks cool! I'm thinking about taking a trip to my local Apple store for more info. On my list of pros and cons, under pros I have easy to use, no viruses, less trouble! Under cons I have only that I don't know how to use it yet, but I think that won't be too hard. To any Apple users out there, I would appreciate your comments! If you have any suggestions please leave them, I could really use some help! Thank you! ~Clarinda. 
I recently rented this movie from blockbuster, and it was excellent! I am a Jane Austen fan myself, so I decided to give this film a try. I was expecting just a typical movie with some people in a book club reading Jane Austen novels, but this actually had a very good story to it. The movie is based on the book by Karen Joy Fowler, and the director/screenwriter Robin Swicord adapted it into a film. Each character is based on a character from one of Jane Austen's novels, and as they read the books, they work their way through their real life problems. The Jane Austen Book Club is a wonderful romantic comedy that everyone will enjoy.
Ever read any of Carl Hiaasen's books? I have read his two books for children, Hoot and Flush. These books are about kids who fight to help save the environment in their hometowns. Both of these stories take place in Florida, and the main characters are boys around 12 years old. Hiaasen has added much humor into the stories, and the plot thickens with every page you turn! When I read Flush a couple weeks ago, it was so gripping that I finished it in one weekend! Now grant it, the books are not long, just regular kid-sized chapter books, but I don't usually finish them so quickly! Hoot and Flush are great for kids to read on their own, but parents will definitely enjoy reading with their kids! I highly recommend these books to all ages! Find them in your local bookstore, or online. Enjoy! http://www.carlhiaasen.com/
My family and I just got a Nintendo Wii. It came in the mail yesterday, and we spent most of the night playing with it. If you already have a Wii, you know how awesome it is, but for those of you who don't, it really is an extremely fun activity, especially when you're playing with two or more people. There are all different kinds of games, including Wii sports, Mario, Wii play, and Smarty Pants (trivia). As of now we only have the regular Wii sports, but coming in the mail soon is a Winter sports game we ordered last night. Anyone have that one? In the regular sports game there is baseball, bowling, boxing, tennis, and golf. I really like the boxing, bowling, baseball, and golf. The golf course looks really great on our Samsung LCD television, and the boxing involves the most exercise. Also in the sports games, you can create yourself, family, and friends to use while you play. I want to make lots more people, so we can have a whole Wii city! Anyone interested in purchasing a Wii should definitely go for it. I've never owned any video games, but the Nintendo Wii seems like it would be a lot more fun to me. I still hardly know much about the Wii, so if any more knowledgeable people out there have a comment, please leave one here! Thanks, Clarinda.
These are some photos I took last September on the grounds of a museum. I found a lot of new plants there that were very interesting.
Frank Peretti is one of my all-time favorite authors. He is a Christian novelist who writes fiction books about people and the forces of good and evil. Peretti's books are very compelling, and once you get into the story, you can't put the book down until you've finished! I really enjoyed This Present Darkness, Piercing the Darkness, The Oath, Monster, The Visitation, and Hangman's Curse. Frank Peretti lives in the Pacific Northwest with his family. Learn more about Frank Peretti at his official website, http://www.frankperetti.com/
Have you ever wanted to read the whole Bible, but could never find the time? Well, here is a helpful alternative which spaces out your reading time for you. It's called The One Year Bible by New Living Translation. The translation is easy to read, and there are many different versions you can buy. I currently own the Women's Bible, which I am reading now. The ideal time to start is the beginning of the year, because when you open up your Bible, there is a fifteen minute section to read each day, starting with January 1st. In each section, there is an excerpt from the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. By reading the designated section each day, by the end of the year, you will have read the whole Bible! I haven't accomplished this yet, but I started on January 1st, 2008 and have kept up so far. Find out more about The One Year Bible at http://newlivingtranslation.com/05discoverthenlt/categorydetails.asp?id=devotional/
Jason Mraz is one of my favorite musical artists. I started listening to his music six years ago, when his first album came out in 2002. Like Sondre Lerche from my last post, he also writes his own music and lyrics. He mixes rap and pop into a nice style of music that is fun to listen to. He is very talented with words and rhyming, which is something I really like to hear in music. He has two major albums, which are 'Waiting for My Rocket to Come', and 'MR. A-Z' (get it? spells Mraz; cool, right!?) You may have heard one of his hit songs on the radio, such as 'Curbside Prophet', 'Wordplay', or 'Geek in the Pink'. You can view music videos of 'Wordplay' and 'Geek in the Pink' on You Tube. Learn more about Jason Mraz at his official site, http://www.jasonmraz.com/
Sondre Lerche is an amazing up-and-coming musical artist from Norway. He is 25 years old, and an incredible guitarist. He is actually the one who created the music for the movie in my last post, Dan in Real Life. I saw him in concert in November 2007, and it was awesome. He played songs from the Dan in Real Life soundtrack, as well as from some of his other albums. Two of my favorite songs of his include 'Modern Nature' and 'To Be Surprised'. Learn more about Sondre Lerche at his website, http://www.sondrelerche.com/
Ever seen the movie Dan in Real Life, which was released in October 2007? It's about a guy named Dan Burns (played by Steve Carell), a newspaper advice columnist who has three girls. His wife died a couple years back, and he is struggling with raising his daughters. Dan is trying hard to be a good father, but it is sometimes hard for him and his daughters to understand each other. The family takes a vacation for one weekend every year up to his parent's house. On this year's trip while at a bookstore, he meets a woman named Marie (played by Juliette Binoche), who is looking for a book. Dan doesn't admit to her that he does not work at the store until he already convinced her to buy several books. He says he'll make it up to her by buying her lunch, and they have a long conversation about their lives, until Marie gets a phone call and has to leave. Back at the house, Dan again meets Marie, who is actually his brother's new girlfriend. Dan falls for Marie, and the story unravels as Dan debates hurting his brother (played by Dane Cook), or watching him with Marie. Along the way, he deals with his teenage daughter's involvement with a boy, and with the loss of his wife.
