Bethjoy.com

That is a picture that was taken at the Massatt house in California. It was taken around the time when the very last scene of the Massatt Movie was being filmed. I was very tired that day, it was a long movie. We recorded a little over thirty-seven minutes of footage over a several hour long period of time. The final edit of the movie was 11:44 long… without credits. Longest movie I’ve made yet:)

But this time I have good reason to be. I have just returned from making a movie in California. I like saying that:) Though perhaps it’s more of a short film but it’s the longest movie I’ve made being a eleven minutes and forty-four seconds long WITHOUT credits! I went to visit my cousins the Massatts and it was there that we made our annual movie. This was the second movie I’d made with them.

However, before seeing the Massatts I went with my family to Las Vegas where we were exhibitors at the convention. The highlight of my stay in Las Vegas was going to the F.A.O Shwartz toy store, and that, other than the Embassy suites we stayed in, is probably the only place I would recommend going in Las Vegas. However, as the places to get to both of those places are not places I would recommend going I would advise staying out of Las Vegas period. Anyway, the security lines in the airport leaving Las Vegas are very long and tedious.

I had a fun time at F.A.O Shwartz though. I got a three headed dragon puppet, a white mouse puppet, a sweet adorable little white kitten stuffed animal, and a doll. The doll was on sale and I like her though not as much as my other purchases. I was rather extravagent there, $60.00 that came in with me did not go out with me… But that, other than a dollar coloring book, was all I spent in Vegas so I probably did better than most people who go there.

My brother Andrew had a good time looking at the cars and actually saw a car that there is only one of in the United States as well as a lot of other rare and fancy cars. He regretted forgetting to bring his glasses with him.

So, what else have I been doing? I have not completely been wasting my time despite moments of depression(had a pretty serious one earlier today) when I feel like I’m not doing anything or getting anywhere. Despite not finishing much in my writing I’ve started a few stories and added additional information to several. I’m hoping soon to start seriously writing and finishing another long story, or maybe even a book, soon. I very nearly started a new rough draft today.

I haven’t done much sewing lately. I made the Massatt Movie which was quite an accomplishment, directing six persons of whom only two, maybe three, really knew their lines and managing to make a movie in a fairly short period of time.

Before I made the Massatt Movie I made a movie entitled “Royal Indigestion” with some of my dolls and it was ground breaking in that it had a soundtrack almost all the way through the movie with different music at appropriate moments. And I paid attention to lighting, most of the time. I also moved the camera around quite a bit. And, of course, there was the return of the Ferocious Hungry Dragon who wouldn’t actually attack or eat anybody but tries to be quite fierce when first seen. I think this was his third movie.

Next movie my three headed dragon puppet will probably start their movie career. I named him/them Tom, Dick, and Harry after three brothers in one of my books. The eldest usually would say something wise and the next eldest would usually try to and not succeed and the youngest would say something like “Let’s eat” or something that had to do with food.

Well, I think that this has been a nice long post. Hopefully I will remember to post more frequently in the future and hopefully soon I won’t be so tired. Jet lag is still upon me and my ears have only recently pressurized. I have very sensitive ears when it comes to air travel and they do not like at all flying and usally hurt for some time after I reach the ground. Ah well, it’s certainly less tedious than driving!

Oh, tonight I read Benjamin Franklins “The Way to Wealth” and George Washington’s “Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation”. I would highly recommend reading those books. Benjamin Franklins book is probably just as relevant as it was back then though a few references may require a slight adjustment to modern terms to be understood. Also a few of the Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior may seem amusing but their is a lot of good in both books and many things to take to heart and learn from and do. So… I think this post is over.

My Birthday has happened. I am eighteen. And in token of turning eighteen I am now supposed to be working a lot more hours that I’ve doing in the past. The past on a “good” week was 7 1/2 hours a week. Last week I worked a little over 15 hours and my muscles were really hurting and I got sick on Saturday night but I’m feeling better today. So I’ve kind of been too busy and tired to write about my birthday party and so forth. But I shall do it now!!!

I had a wonderful birthday! I got lots of presents which, in my way of thinking equals wonderful birthday. I really don’t feel like it’s my birthday unless I get enough presents to cover one of the couches in the living room. Even if I hadn’t purchased for myself a large box of presents I think I could have done it:) It was very fun. I got DVD’s and Dolls, Formal Dresses, jewelry, lots of surprises and ribbon, and some very fun toys.

Present at my birthday party were my three brothers, my parents, the fiance of my eldest brother and the wife of my next eldest brother. That was Saturday. On my birthday I went shopping and I got to eat desert and Mom surprised me by purchasing sugar free cookies and they were really good and they probably had something to do with my becoming a bit ill on Saturday.

I could tell that I was sick by the fact that Mom and I went shopping Saturday afternoon and I didn’t enjoy most of it. TFor me not to like shopping either means I’m in a home decorating store or I’m sick. However, on the shopping trip I got a really fun toy that I like though it was very extravagant of me to buy it. It was $30.00! That as much as I expect to get in interest from the CD I started on my birthday when it matures in April. However, the toy I got is a very fun little handheld game where you can play with a little character and feed it and buy stuff for it and so forth. The little world on the handheld is a house for the character and a mall right next door to go shopping in. The perfect world! I had to have it, and I got it:)

Apparently I’m beginning to recover with my writing. For the past month or so I’ve hardly done any writing at all. I was pretty much just too tired to do it. But I’m beginning to recover. I actually wrote a few paragraphs on a story and now I’m writing this post. The story I wrote on today was “The Next to the last of the Muffins” which I think is a very interesting title. I like it and so far I like the story/plot of the book so far.

I was veery pleased to learn last night when talking with my brother Andrew that my creativity had not wholly gone done the drain as I was beginning to worry that it had. He was talking about something and said, “You know it would have been funny if” such and such and had happened. And I said, “You know what would be really funny, if twelve penguins tap-danced to the William tell overture!” and Andrew added, “being played by a prune eating weasel with a chain-saw.” Ah, one should always reflect back on the great comic strip writers of one’s time. If you are wondering what comic strip has tap-dancing penguins I have less of a clue than you have but I was referring to the Prune Eating Weasel with a Chain-saw. I think all of my brothers would know who I’m referring too so you just may have to wonder, or go read Dilbert comic books searching for the elusive prune eating weasel reference.

Anyway, I think this post is over. I shall attempt to be writing more and posting more in the future but no promises.