-Autumn Mott
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Letters
So yeah, I took a long break from blogging. But the truth was, that I needed the time usually spent on either of my blogs to be spent growing my relationship with God. While I knew He was with me, I still felt distant. But one day as I was writing a letter in my notebook (yes, I write letters to people that they will never see) I decided to try writing one to God. To my surprise, I filled the entire page. Woah. It felt good to put down in words what was floating around in my heart/brain. (<--- yeah, I know, they're connected...) So then I wrote another letter the next day, then a few days after that, and before I knew it, I had a habit formed. 2 months later - yesterday - I sat down and reread them. It was so cool to see how God had changed my life in those past weeks. There were letters where whole sentences were written in CAPS, others where teardrop stains wrinkled the page. But then there were letters of joy and happiness. In just 2 months my life had been flipped upside down. But it was for the better. My relationship with God grew in ways I never thought possible. I found comfort reading the Psalms and Proverbs. When I found a verse that I loved, I would write in in my notebook, then ask God how it applied to my life. Over time I was shown the answers.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Sisters
I'm a sister. I'm not a twin. But there a times when I could swear Hannah and I are twins.
Example:
**Mom calls; Hannah and I each pick up a phone.**
Mom: Hi! How's it going."
Hannah and I: Good.
Mom: Anything happening?
Us: Not much.
Mom: Well, I'm gonna be home soon.
Us: Cool.
Us: Woah. We're saying the same things!
Hannah: That's weird.
Me: That's kinda weird.
Mom: ".........."
Or the days we walk out of our rooms wearing the same shirt.
Or when we're the only people to raise our hands when a question's asked, then we both say the exact same thing at the same time.
People think we're weird.
They're right.
<3 ya Hannah!
-Autumn Mott
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Claustrophobia
-Autumn Mott
Monday, January 30, 2012
Ayuh, the Northern New England Accent in a Nutshell.
Found this as I was going through my email:
Ayuh, the Northern New England Accent in a Nutshell.
By Mike Szelog
As a very basic overview of the New England accent (northern New England), you’ll note a few things — we don’t seem to have the letter "r"— it’s usually replaced as though the word was spelled with an "a-h". (This, by the way, happens only at the ends of syllables, not at the beginning).
So it’s "pahk", not "park". If the word ends in "r" itself, typically preceded by an "e", "i" or "o" we generally insert a "y" sound in the case of "e" and "i" and a "w" sound in the case of "o" before that final "ah".
So, it's "theyah" (not "there"), "deeyah" ( not "deer") and "doh-wah" (not "door").
The combination "er" at the end of a syllable represents a very unique sound that is very difficult to describe; it's best described as a sound very similar to the German letter "รถ" or the French "eu".
If, however, you listen closely, you’ll notice we put "r" on the ends of words that end in "a"— now it ain't New Hampshire (say "sheer") or New Hampshire (say "shire"), what it is, is N’Hampshah.
Our capital city is not Concord, but rather Concord (KON-k'd). The country I live in is Americar — it lies to the north of Cubar. Our southern most state in the continental US is, of course, Floridar. This "ar" by the way, is pronounced as if written "er".
The "ing" endings on words tend to be dropped in favor of "in," so it's speakin' not speaking.
The intonation, I find, is also rather unique. Some will say it’s as flat as a pancake with the exception of a phrase ending slur (whatever that may be). Though that form is correct, what I tend to hear more of is the distinct sing-song type quality of the intonation. It’s quite possible that this may be a remnant of the so-called Irish lilt and the Scottish burr from earlier times when most New Englanders were from these two countries along with, of course, the English.
It’s generally difficult, unless you’re trained in the field, to tell if someone is from Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont — we all tend to sound alike in the tri-state area. The accent of the Maine coast is very similar to the accent of the deep New Hampshire woods.
Massachusetts, however, has a slightly different variety of the New England accent — I dare say, it’s partially influenced by the typical New York accent. People from Connecticut and Rhode Island, though located in what is geographically New England, do not speak with a New England accent — it’s actually more of a New York accent.
Ayuh and Wicked
I feel I have to address what may be the two most quintessential words in the Northern New England repertoire. They are, of course, "ayuh" and "wicked."
Now, it really irks us when you get these people "from away," like down to New Jersey, who try and imitate these words and their uses. It just don’t work!!
The word "ayuh" -- though it may seem at first to have a positive connotation -- may in fact be used both positively and negatively. It has extremely subtle undertones which, if you’re not native, you can never hope to master. Only a native New Englander can discern exactly how the speaker intends it by the subtleties of intonation. Something which confuses people from away some wicked.
The other word "wicked" — in addition to its normal meaning of bad/evil (same meaning as in other parts of the English speaking world) in New England has an added attraction. It is essentially an intensifier and may be used, like "ayuh," in a positive or a negative way or even a fairly neutral matter-of-fact way—again, depending on the situation at hand. To complicate matters even more, the word that “wicked” intensifies is frequently omitted!
Here’s an example of the use of "ayuh" and "wicked" (written in a wicked thick/broad New England accent…something like you’d hear in the backwoods of New Hampshire):
"Hey, John! Heard Chestah an' Vern went up to Berlin (that’s BER-lin) this pahst week ta do some huntin', snow and all!"
"Ayuh, said they had a wicked hahd time gettin' up there with the snow, but the huntin' was wicked good. 'Course that blizzahd they had the lahst night theyah was a wicked pissah, ayuh! Guess they couldn't get that Joe-Jeezly cah of Chestah’s stahted the next mornin' thought they’d have to go the bahn and get that John Deeyah tractah goin' and ride it all the way back to Franconiar!"
“Ayuh, but it was worth the trip—heard they got a moose and a couple a wicked crunchahs."
As you can see, the use of "ayuh" and "wicked" varies here. A "crunchah," by the way, is a wicked big deer.
The spelling above is a bit misleading as it doesn't represent the full flavor of the accent. You have to hear it to fully appreciate it.
Ayuh, so, there we have it, folks—the New England accent in a nutshell.
By Mike Szelog
As a very basic overview of the New England accent (northern New England), you’ll note a few things — we don’t seem to have the letter "r"— it’s usually replaced as though the word was spelled with an "a-h". (This, by the way, happens only at the ends of syllables, not at the beginning).
So it’s "pahk", not "park". If the word ends in "r" itself, typically preceded by an "e", "i" or "o" we generally insert a "y" sound in the case of "e" and "i" and a "w" sound in the case of "o" before that final "ah".
So, it's "theyah" (not "there"), "deeyah" ( not "deer") and "doh-wah" (not "door").
The combination "er" at the end of a syllable represents a very unique sound that is very difficult to describe; it's best described as a sound very similar to the German letter "รถ" or the French "eu".
If, however, you listen closely, you’ll notice we put "r" on the ends of words that end in "a"— now it ain't New Hampshire (say "sheer") or New Hampshire (say "shire"), what it is, is N’Hampshah.
Our capital city is not Concord, but rather Concord (KON-k'd). The country I live in is Americar — it lies to the north of Cubar. Our southern most state in the continental US is, of course, Floridar. This "ar" by the way, is pronounced as if written "er".
The "ing" endings on words tend to be dropped in favor of "in," so it's speakin' not speaking.
The intonation, I find, is also rather unique. Some will say it’s as flat as a pancake with the exception of a phrase ending slur (whatever that may be). Though that form is correct, what I tend to hear more of is the distinct sing-song type quality of the intonation. It’s quite possible that this may be a remnant of the so-called Irish lilt and the Scottish burr from earlier times when most New Englanders were from these two countries along with, of course, the English.
It’s generally difficult, unless you’re trained in the field, to tell if someone is from Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont — we all tend to sound alike in the tri-state area. The accent of the Maine coast is very similar to the accent of the deep New Hampshire woods.
Massachusetts, however, has a slightly different variety of the New England accent — I dare say, it’s partially influenced by the typical New York accent. People from Connecticut and Rhode Island, though located in what is geographically New England, do not speak with a New England accent — it’s actually more of a New York accent.
Ayuh and Wicked
I feel I have to address what may be the two most quintessential words in the Northern New England repertoire. They are, of course, "ayuh" and "wicked."
Now, it really irks us when you get these people "from away," like down to New Jersey, who try and imitate these words and their uses. It just don’t work!!
The word "ayuh" -- though it may seem at first to have a positive connotation -- may in fact be used both positively and negatively. It has extremely subtle undertones which, if you’re not native, you can never hope to master. Only a native New Englander can discern exactly how the speaker intends it by the subtleties of intonation. Something which confuses people from away some wicked.
The other word "wicked" — in addition to its normal meaning of bad/evil (same meaning as in other parts of the English speaking world) in New England has an added attraction. It is essentially an intensifier and may be used, like "ayuh," in a positive or a negative way or even a fairly neutral matter-of-fact way—again, depending on the situation at hand. To complicate matters even more, the word that “wicked” intensifies is frequently omitted!
Here’s an example of the use of "ayuh" and "wicked" (written in a wicked thick/broad New England accent…something like you’d hear in the backwoods of New Hampshire):
"Hey, John! Heard Chestah an' Vern went up to Berlin (that’s BER-lin) this pahst week ta do some huntin', snow and all!"
"Ayuh, said they had a wicked hahd time gettin' up there with the snow, but the huntin' was wicked good. 'Course that blizzahd they had the lahst night theyah was a wicked pissah, ayuh! Guess they couldn't get that Joe-Jeezly cah of Chestah’s stahted the next mornin' thought they’d have to go the bahn and get that John Deeyah tractah goin' and ride it all the way back to Franconiar!"
“Ayuh, but it was worth the trip—heard they got a moose and a couple a wicked crunchahs."
As you can see, the use of "ayuh" and "wicked" varies here. A "crunchah," by the way, is a wicked big deer.
The spelling above is a bit misleading as it doesn't represent the full flavor of the accent. You have to hear it to fully appreciate it.
Ayuh, so, there we have it, folks—the New England accent in a nutshell.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Well, maybe...
Dad: "How many children do they have?"
Me: "Ummmm hold on, let me check my iPod of knowledge..."
**A few seconds later**
Me: "2 girls, 3 boys."
Dad: That's only 5 kids, I thought they had six."
Me: " Oh, sorry. It's 3 girls, 4 boys."
Dad: "That's seven."
Me: "Oh yah.... Okay, I got it: 2 girls, 4 boys."
Lijah: "Autumn, you've been doing to much Spanish."
Me: "Sure."
You gotta love little kids. :D
-Autumn Mott
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Here I AM
Why do I cry myself to sleep each night,
Wond'ring if You see me,
Why do I sing a thousand thoughtless tunes,
Wond'ring if You hear me,
Cause nothing in this world seems right,
I need Your love to guide me,
I need Your arms to pull me close,
And whisper in my ear,
Here I AM,
Let me wipe away your tears,
Here I AM,
Give me all your pain and fears,
Never will I leave you,
Nor forsake you,
I will be by your side,
Here I AM,
Why do I know my heart is beating,
But I feel empty inside,
Why do I look behind my shoulder,
Though I have nothing to hide,
My grip on life is fading,
I'm falling away from You,
Reach out Your hand and hold me,
I need Your help to get me through,
Here I AM,
Let me wipe away your tears,
Here I AM,
Give me all your pain and fears,
Never will I leave you,
Nor forsake you,
I will be by your side,
Here I AM,
The darkness may surround you,
You feel lost and all alone,
Don't worry now, forget your fears,
I'll be there to guide you home,
Here I AM,
I have wiped away your tears,
Here I AM,
I've taken all your pain and fears,
Never will I leave you,
Nor forsake you,
I am right by your side,
Here I AM...
1.24.12 - Autumn Mott
(Just in case you're wondering, this is not how I'm feeling right now; this just popped in my head. Hope you enjoyed.)
Wond'ring if You see me,
Why do I sing a thousand thoughtless tunes,
Wond'ring if You hear me,
Cause nothing in this world seems right,
I need Your love to guide me,
I need Your arms to pull me close,
And whisper in my ear,
Here I AM,
Let me wipe away your tears,
Here I AM,
Give me all your pain and fears,
Never will I leave you,
Nor forsake you,
I will be by your side,
Here I AM,
Why do I know my heart is beating,
But I feel empty inside,
Why do I look behind my shoulder,
Though I have nothing to hide,
My grip on life is fading,
I'm falling away from You,
Reach out Your hand and hold me,
I need Your help to get me through,
Here I AM,
Let me wipe away your tears,
Here I AM,
Give me all your pain and fears,
Never will I leave you,
Nor forsake you,
I will be by your side,
Here I AM,
The darkness may surround you,
You feel lost and all alone,
Don't worry now, forget your fears,
I'll be there to guide you home,
Here I AM,
I have wiped away your tears,
Here I AM,
I've taken all your pain and fears,
Never will I leave you,
Nor forsake you,
I am right by your side,
Here I AM...
1.24.12 - Autumn Mott
(Just in case you're wondering, this is not how I'm feeling right now; this just popped in my head. Hope you enjoyed.)
Sunday, January 15, 2012
I told you so!
Remember how your parents would warn you not to run with scissors, not to touch the super glue, not to play with knifes (my parents failed on that one), or not to pull Legos apart with your teeth? Well, Lijah learned that the hard way...
I was in my room reading my science book, when I heard screams, feet pounding down the stairs, and Hannah started yelling for mom. Rushing out to see what had happened, I was confronted by Hannah holding Lijah in her arms. Looking closer, I saw blood in his mouth. I added to the cry for help. (I'm not meant to be anything medical...) Mom rushed up from the her office, trying to figure out what when wrong. Turns out, Lijah had attempted to pull two Legos apart with his teeth.
I was in my room reading my science book, when I heard screams, feet pounding down the stairs, and Hannah started yelling for mom. Rushing out to see what had happened, I was confronted by Hannah holding Lijah in her arms. Looking closer, I saw blood in his mouth. I added to the cry for help. (I'm not meant to be anything medical...) Mom rushed up from the her office, trying to figure out what when wrong. Turns out, Lijah had attempted to pull two Legos apart with his teeth.
Uggg.
45 minutes later, Mom had gotten Lijah okay with the fact that he probably would lose a tooth. Then Hannah needed reassuring... I think she took the incident worse then Lijah had. We're pretty sure the tooth's a goner. It's turning black and very loose.
Anyways, after everything was said and done, Mom had that "I told you so" look on her face. I have to admit, she and Dad were correct on that point. I don't think Lijah will ever bite a Lego again...
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