Final Blog!!!

• I've read 2442 pages that I blogged about. There were alot of books that I started, though, that I never blogged about because I knew after the first 2 chapters that I hated it...


• Before the class and the blogging, I read because I liked reading. I actually enjoyed it. But then, during the class, to be really honest, I only read because I had to. It took the fun out of it, I think. And another thing, I didn't like having to write about what I thought about what was going on because alot of the times, I don't really have any thoughts about it and maybe that's okay.


• During the semester, I can only think of one or maybe two books that I actually liked reading. I just had a hard time finding a book that interested me. I never had problems meeting the requirement of pages read but I struggled with the blogging. I just was so busy all the time and instead of taking breaks and blogging, I would continue reading and before I knew it, I was finished with the book and hadn't even began the blogging. oops..


• I always read when I got in bed and I'd have my little flashlight with me. I don't usually read with music on or my phone around but it wouldn't bother me if they were. Talking about the books I read felt weird so I didn't do that, I don't know I guess it just seemed like I was reading these books and I'm the only one that knew about them haha.


• I think this semester has been very changing for me when it comes to reading. I really discovered that I cannot stand chicklit (as you called it) like I seriously can't handle it. And I never knew I would like poetry so much, but I do! I see myself getting more into real life books that have purpose to them and more poetry in the future.


• At the beginning of the semester, I didn't like poetry at all. I thought it was all long, sad and boring. But it turns out that it can be really interesting. And sometimes even happy. My opinion of poetry has definetly changed for the better! I don't know if you're really taking suggestions but I think for the daily poem second reading you should start at one end of the room and go around like one person does it one day and the person next to them does it the next day and so everyone gets a chance but they don't have to if they don't want to-know what I mean??


• It was a really fun class Mr. Hill! I actually liked coming to 4th period :)

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I finished it!!! Yay. Overall, I wouldn't recomend it but I will say it got way better as I continued reading.

So Carmen went to South Carolina to visit her dad, who lives with another woman and her kid. She wasn't expecting that so she was really disappointed at first. There was even a point when she ran away but came back and threw a rock and the window when she saw that they were laughing and having a nice dinner without her. She then flies back home but after a while she feels guilty and sends him a letter with money for the broken window. She also calls him and they talk for a while. Carmen, being a good daughter, even flies down to S. Carolina on the day of his wedding. They work everything out.

Tibby was the one that had to stay home and work all summer. But one of the days at work she sees a young girl collapse and so she calls an ambulence and rides to the hospital with her....She later meets her and finds that her name is Bailey and that she has lukemia. They become fairly good friends and hang out almost everyday interviewing people and videoing them. But one day Bailey has to go to the hospital because she's very sick. Tibby doesn't take this well, and a couple days later- Bailey dies. She attends the funeral.

Lena went to Greece to meet her grandparents. I thought this was interesting because her grandfather doesn't even speak English. But regardless, she still tries to grow closer to them. One day she goes skinny dipping and a guy sees her. But her grandpa assumes that he attacked her so he punches the guy's grandpa. A couple days later, Lena sees the guy (Kostos) swimming naked in the same spot and falls in love with him. So they kiss and everything is good but then she has to go home.

Bridget goes to a soccer camp and immediately has a crush on the young coach, Eric. Bridget does everything she can to get Eric's attention. She even goes to his cabin one night but he tells her she better leave. A couple nights later she comes again and he gives in and takes her virginity. She's upset for the rest of the camp time. And blows up at him at the final game so she leaves in the middle of it.

That's really all there was. Then at the end they meet at their meeting place and write all over the pants.

List of Poems for Project

1) Once Upon a Time- Jack Gilbert
2) The Passionate Shepherd to His Love- Christopher Marlowe
3) Sonnet 18- William Shakespeare
4) The the Virgins, To Make Much of Time- Robert Herrick
5) The Youngest Children of An Angel- Anna Swir
6) Peanut Butter- Eileen Myles

The theme is looking like love right now.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I've been reading this book. I know it's a series but this is the only one that I'm going to read. It's so boring. Mr. Hill, if you're reading this I need some help finding some decent books to read.....???
Any suggestions would be welcome.

Monday

Took my USF psychology final today. It was horribly impossible. There were 30 multiple choice questions and then 30 free response. Each free response had to be 5 sentences, so the chances of me scoring high on that aren't so good. Oh how college is so entirely difficult. So much better than high school. haha

Weekend

This weekend has been really busy! On Friday I worked until 8 oclock (what a Friday, huh) and then I came home right afterwards. Devin came over after I got home, though, so it wasn't so bad. We were going to watch a movie but none of the ones in my basement looked good, so my mom went to the store to get a redbox movie. Turns out she got distracted and got groceries instead- so no movie haha. We went for a walk though, and I learned how to make Ramen noodles. Then Saturday I got up early to go to work at 8- honestly I'm gonna hate being an adult all they do is work work work. I'm not an adult though so I'm trying to figure out why I even got a job haha. It wasn't horrible I guess, I was working with my sister Molly, so we had fun. Devin and I went to dinner at Panera and then I dragged him to Charming Charlies (the somewhat new store in Jefferson Point!). I had never been there and neither had he lol. He was so embarrassed to be in there because it's a jewlery place but oh well. There were 5 other guys in there (he counted). We studied for my psych final that night- which I don't know how much fun that was for him but I actually kindof had fun..haha. It doesn't even matter what we do I just like being with him. He's like becoming my life lol. So then Sunday, woke up early again. UGH! My parents and I were driving down to West Lafayette with my other sister Brittany to look for apartments. She recently got accepted into the Purdue Pharmacy School program. (which is a big deal). And so we went to literally 8 different apartment places and got 8 different tours. By the end of the day-I was exhausted. The funny part about that is that she's going with the first apartment we looked at haha. Such a waste of a day. But it's alright because we ate lunch at Subway and it was good :) and I drove all the way there which is good because I'm learning to be a good driver. haha.

Sisterhood of the traveling pants pg. 1-37

The sisterhood of the traveling pants is about four girls that have grown up together because of their moms. Three of them are leaving for the summer but Tibby is staying home, which she isn't very excited about. They discover a pair of pants that fits them all so they decide that they are magical and make it their means of communication for the summer.

Tibby is miserable at home for the summer-she has to work at a place called Wallmans. ANd what fun would summer be without her best friends..

Bridget went to a soccer camp. She is falling for the assistant coach.

Carmen is on the plane to California to visit her dad. Her parents have been divoriced since she was a little girl. She's thinking about what his apartment is going to look like.

ETY Nominations

I liked Rafiki's blog. More specifically I liked the Easter post because he or she (I got the feeling it was a she but I'd feel bad if it was a guy haha) well they weren't afraid to talk about the faith aspect of Easter. It takes courage to talk about faith.

The other one that I like is Ocean Waves. Her blog is sweet and I like the way she talks about the books and has opinions about them.

USF

I went to my Saint Francis class tonight. Everything is really winding down. The final is next Monday and I'm flipping out man. I gotta do some major studying! Tonight, a couple people had to finish up their presentations. (I did mine two weeks ago and it was stellar if I say so myself). And we also had to take some evaluation of the professor. She was really nice so I put a 5 for everything. lol. Honestly, I'm so glad I took that class-especially as a junior. I feel quite accomplished hehe. Now, I'm rather lucky because the final isn't accumlulative so it's only over 4 chapters. Unlucky in the sense that each chapter is 40 pages long. But hey who's complainin? Not me. But ya this whole weekend, I'ma be studying. After I get home from work.

Happy Easter!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Easter is such a happy day!!! The best day of the year some people would say. :)
My sister's and I stopped believing in the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause way back when I was in first grade and they were in 3rd and 4th. Still, my mother puts out an Easter basket from the "easter bunny" every year. It makes me smile haha. But she is very concerned with health so the easter bunny doesn't bring candy to our house. Just nail polish, and bookmarks and a really nice bracelet. I actually really like the bracelet.

We went to mass at 9:30 am. It was really nice! Every one was wearing bright colors and dresses and it felt like spring! Then after mass we went home and cooked lunch and Jeffrey and his family came over. We played cards while we waited for lunch to be ready. All the adults talked and Jeff and Molly played canasta against me, Nick (Jeffs brother), Renato (Jeffs room- mate) and Brittany (my sister). Ironically, the bigger team lost. Oh well.

Anyways, HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

New job

I got a new job the other day. So I put in an application to Peerless Cleaners the day before I left for Spring Break, which is where my sister Molly works. They called and set up an interview for the next day and that next day was so long because I was so nervous!! I finally got there at 3 oclock all prepared and it turns out that they only had a couple questions for me and I got the job! I started a couple days later and I'm doing quite well. I dont mind it so much actually. I've grown up in about a week though because I have to work everyday until 8 and then drive home and do homework. All day. Everyday. But that's okay the whole growing up thing had to happen sometime.

Yearbook- Allyson Braithwaite Condie pg. 197-230

Chapter 20- Ethan Beckett. Julie Reid asks him to baptize her (her mom finally agreed). He was very honored and said yes. The baptism went very smoothly and he drove Julie and Michaela home. He dropped Julie off first and then went on to ask Michaela out. She said yes.
Chapter 21- Julie Reid. She writes in a journal about her baptism and how she felt so intimately close to God and everyone who attended. She feels truely blessed and I know firsthand how far faith can take you, so props to this author for being brave enough to communicate Faith. Maybe though she could have been a little less brave.
CHapter 22- Andrea Beckett. She was valedictorian so she had to prepare a speech. She used parts of a letter from her Grandma in her speech. Anna Beckett wrote a letter to every family member and dear one before she died. Andrea was sad, but learned alot from her. They all did.
Chapter 23- is a bunch of yearbook entries. The only one I thought was interesting is when Avery tells David SHerman that she likes him....ooh I wonder what happens there. And she says that she will consider church. haha.

Yearbook- Allyson Braithwaite Condie pg. 151-196

Chapter 16- Ethan Beckett- his Dad moved back to town. He and his Dad weren't on good terms exactly or maybe they were but they just weren't as close as they used to be. He, Andrea, and their little sister Chloe, went to his place for dinner one day and it went well. Seeing his dad and mom living separately as a result of their failed marraige is what caused him to doubt his relationship with Michaela.
Chapter 17- Owen Thomas. He's the son of Mr. Thomas. Julie Reid stayed after class and thanked him for his kindness given the previous situation (her brother killing his mom). Turns out he hadn't known who she was related to because he was so angry when he found out. He even went to the principal and asked to have a replacement teacher so he wouldn't have to teach her. But then he refers to his Morman faith and decides to forgive and accept that she did nothing wrong. Faith. What a handy thing.
Chapter 18- Tyler Cruz. He got his wish to stay in Phoenix for basketball season. He meets a girl named Julie Reid on a bus ride to a field trip. They hit it off really quick and become good friends. They talk about basketball, Arizona and Julie's newfound religion. Now I'm not anti religious at all, in fact I love my faith, but this book is all about Mormanism and nowhere in the description does it warn you that is the sole topic that will be discussed. Oh and some pointless high school drama.
Chapter 19- Avery Matthews interviews Principal Downing on her illness; cancer. She talks of the illness and how she is dealing with it. SHe even says that she plans on returning for the next school year which is a question that everyone wanted the answer to.

Yearbook- Allyson Braithwaite Condie pg. 100-150

Chapter 12 is Julis Reid. She is now best friends with Michaela. Michaela calls her Jewls which is weird for me because I used to call my friend Juls. I still do sometimes. This whole chapter is about the Morman faith. Who would've thought--in the Homestead library. So anyways, Julie asks her mom if she can get baptised into the church but her mom says no. Bummer.
Chapter 13 Andrea Beckett decides she needs to begin peer tutoring in order to complete the requirement of community service for her interview application. She was forced to do training with David Sherman( which she did not mind) and afterwards the two of them went for a run. Maybe they'll end up together. This book is so annoyingly predictable.
Chapter 14 David Sherman AGAIN! jeez. like every other chapter. So he's making reference to Star Wars and Yoda. I have no idea what he's talking about. He asks Andrea on a date and she agrees. They're planning on going to his sisters ballett recital and then dinner. Seems like a kindof awkward first date. Oh well.
Chapter 15.. Michaela Choi. She gets broken up with by Ethan Beckett. He tells her that he feels they are getting too close and too serious so he wants a break. I actually can relate because that's why I broke up with my boyfriend last year. I'm not saying it's not a coward move. It is. But Ethan was scared of getting hurt. So Michaela is confused right. One day the team is on a run. Turns out she'd been running on a stress fracture and suddenly falls with a broken leg. Broken leg and a broken heart. OUCH.

Yearbook- Allyson Braithwaite Condie pg. 53-99

Chapter 7 is Julie Reid. She is the sister of two rowdy brothers who get in trouble all the time. Her brother is the one that killed Mr. Thomas' wife in a car accident. She signs up for choir class and the teacher turns out to be the son of Mr. Thomas. In choir class one day she feels faint and Michaela walks her to the nurse. Michaela then invites her to a church event. She attends a mormon church. I can see where this book is going.
Chapter 8 is David Sherman. It's like a journal entry or something. He's talking about Andrea Beckett and how she's so pretty and so far out of his league and yada yada. He also mentions how she may seem tough but she's actually quite vulnerable as he learned the night of Homecoming. He then goes on to evaluate himself morally and results thinking that he's a pretty good guy. Whatever.
Chapter 9 is Avery Matthews. She's suspended for smoking on campus. So dumb for smoking and more specifically- on school grounds. She asks Mr. Thomas (after she comes back to school) if he could publish one of her depressing poems in the school newspaper. He does.
Chapter 10 is about Anna Beckett. She is Ethan and Andrea's grandma from their Dad's side. Her grandkids bring a Christmas tree to her in her assisted living room and are decorating it when one of them accidentally drops one of their mom's expensive ornaments. The three of them head off to the mall to buy a new one. While they are there Grandmama has a heart to heart with Andrea about (you guessed it) Mormanism.. while Ethan finds the perfect gift for his girl Michaela.
Chapter 11 is David Sherman again. He's complaining about the new girl on the newspaper crew named Avery. They were put together to deliver newspapers to classrooms in a red wagon. They were fighting for the wagon when it fell over the balcony and smashed the school mascot. They walked home together and he invited her to church. She said no.

Yearbook- Allyson Braithwaite Condie Pg. 1-52

I started a new book last night. It's called Yearbook by Allyson Braithwaite Condie. So far, I feel like it's more aimed towards a freshman rather than a junior but oh well. It is written in an interesting format though. Each chapter is the view of a different character and their thoughts, struggles, achievements, ect. Chapter 1 is based on Michaela Choi. She's a junior who loves running on the track team and dreams about her friend who she wishes was more than a friend named Ethan. She practices her morman faith, which is something she shares in common with Ethan. Even though Ethan and she are close friends she stresses over wanting more. Along with that stress, she must write a long paper about herself for her English class. At first, she doesn't know what to write but after getting started, she writes and writes. The day that the paper was due she sneaked a peak at Ethan's paper and noticed her name in a sentance about how he thought she was cute. (again with the freshman kind of literature). The next chapter is about Mr. Thomas. He has three sons, one of which is beginning his first year teaching at the same high school that he's taught at for over thirty years. He is the English teacher that is grading the autobiographies. Mr. Thomas is coping with the death of his wife, who was killed by the wreckless driving of a thoughtless teenager. He's a pretty sad guy. The next chapter is only two pages. It's about Avery Matthews. Avery seems like a trouble child, not focused on school, no motivation for anything, and lacking zest for life. One of the parts stuck out to me. It says, "Better to feel anger than to feel sorrow. Better to feel nothing than to feel sorrow. Better not to feel." I feel sorry for Avery already, seems rather troubled. Chapter 4 is Ethan Beckett's. He's the all-star in track and cross country, and has a great life. He and his cross country team went to state and he won 2nd place in his race which he was very proud of. He and Michaela (he calls her Mikey) are dating now. So, he cheers for her during her race. To me, he seems like he's way caught up in cross country and yada yada nothing to be focusing on anything important. Chapter 5 is of Andrea Beckett's, Ethan's sister. She's the anti-social one. The beautiful one. No one understands her, they just want to be her. (which is totally a stereotype, that doesn't actually happen). She broke up with her boyfriend the day before Homecoming, where she was crowned Homecoming Queen. After she was crowned, David Sherman found her crying in the parking lot. He drove her home and waited in the car for her to stop crying. Maybe there is more to this girl than we all think! haha this book is so dumb. Chapter 6 is about a guy named Tyler Cruz. He lives in Phoenix and his dad just told him that they were packing up their things and moving. He's the star of the basketball team and doesn't want to move because season is just beginning. Upon hearing this angering news, he left the house and drove to the high school, planning on shooting some hoops in the gymnasium. But when he arrived, instead of findind an empty gym, he found some people decorating a float for the parade. He was about to leave when a girl about his age greeted him, and asked him to help. Tyler helped the girl and discovered that he really liked her and they talked about everything. Before they left, she invited him to Noah's Homecoming at their church. So, he agreed and headed home. That's where I'm at right now. Honestly, I'm regretting picking up this book but I have to finish it because if I don't, then I'll never know what happened to these random people. So dumb.

I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You

This one is called "The Clothespin". Here goes: Through the window I see Her, my neighbor. She hangs his shirt. It thunders in the breeze. Clasped by a clothespin Beside her pale dress. Sid by side, they move. The clothespin is all That holds them together. Okday, someone is creepin through the window watching their neighbor and maybe the relationship between the girl and the man who's shirt she's hanging up is shaky.

I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You

This is the very last poem in the book. I'm a little disappointed that I'm done with it. It's called "Travelling Together" by W.S. Merwin. If we are separated I will try to wait for you on your side of things your side of the wall and the water and of the light moving at its own speed even on leaves that we have seen I will wait on one side while a side is there. Maybe the guy is saying that as long as there is hope for their relationship, he'll be on her side. Like as long as there is a side to be on, he'll be on it.

Spring Break!!!!! WV 2011

I went to West Virginia over spring break with my church youth group. :) We went there for Habitat for Humanity to build houses!!! It was so much fun and I don't even almost regret going there instead of somewhere like Florida. Everyone goes to FL. Boring and uncreative. haha just kiddin. But anyways, I learned how to cut 2 by 6's with a saw (which was quite scary- at first), and I layed down plywood for the roof. I'm not scared of heights so I was all good. We all climbed a mountain too and that was really fun! It was actually kindof embarassing haha, because on the mountain hike, I was watching my feet (cos that's just something you have to do to make sure you dont roll an ankle or step on a frog) and I hit my head on a tree. Haha, it's funny now, but it was definetly not funny then. I love every single person that went on the trip too! There were 45 students and 15 adults. The mission trip was faith based which made it that much better. :) Looking forward to next year!

License!!!

I got my license two days ago!!!!!! I am so pysched! I never thought it would happen, but it did and now I am an officially legal driver :) First off, I got to leave school early because the latest appointment was at 2 pm. So I chose the noon appointment lol. I was so nervous though, mostly about parallel parking. But it turns out that I do know how to do that haha! I passed easily, I don't even know what I was so worried about. My parents have a car ready for me too, but they just wont give it to me until summer which if you ask me is a little dumb....but oh well. The only down side is that the picture is quite hideous, and I didn't even put on make up that day. So :( Gross. Maybe I'll "accidently" lose it and have to get another one. hehe.

Tuesday March 29

For today's assignment, we're supposed to listen to some high school students talk about where they see themselves in the future and what they want to do with their lives. One girl named Raquel Reynolds, 18, wants to be a hair and make-up stylist. She says that she feels insecure about herself and doesn't feel pretty so she wants to help other girls like her feel good about themselves. Honestly, people like her make me mad because she doesn't even feel pretty herself so how can she reciprocate that?? Seems hypocritical to me. Another student, Andrew Benedict-Phillip was really undecided about everything. All he's sure of is that he wants to be wealthy. He needs more of a plan than that buddy.

I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You

There's this real short poem called Jump City that the title of the entire book came from. Here it is: I feel a little jumpy around you. Like when I think a house has roaches, and I watch everything out of the corner of my eye to see if it crawls away. So this poem is about a relationship (as are most in this book). I feel like whichever person is saying this in the relationship is quite nervous and jealous maybe. They seem like they are accusing the other of not being attatched or committed enough. Idk. Not very fond, it makes me feel jumpy, I think.

I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You

I can't even tell you how much I love this book of poems!!! Every single one is different, lovely, funny and just wonderful! All in all, I'm very much enjoying this book and am clearly taking my time reading each poem. I'd recomend this book to any reader, whether they like poems or not. There's this one poem that I love, but I have no idea what it means! haha. It's by Gevorg Emin and it's called "In the Orchard". Here it is: In the orchard at twilight as the trees fall asleep I'm picking cherries from the smallest of trees. In the dusk the tree trembles as if it is being disrobed, and I feel as it shivers as if I'm slipping off the jewels from the ears of my little love. I honestly have read this poem probably like twenty times. And each time I read it, I only get more confused. I'm not sure why this one poem in particular is such a problem haha but I just dont get it. So the main person if picking cherries in the orchard at night and then when it's getting to be morning the tree notices that someone picked its cherries when it was sleeping and shivers. I think maybe this poem symbolizes a relationship and one person keeps taking and taking and not giving anything, which leaves the one on the other end feeling "disrobed" and empty. This is a total guess, but that's what I got from this confusing little poem.

I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You

This poem is called "Fet Walks Melody Home" by Gary Hyland. I had to read it a couple times to understand what it meant but after you get it, it's really funny. Okay here it is: Is she too quiet or am I swamping her with jabber? In Budapest students our age battle tanks. I chuck snowballs at trees, worry that my coat's too small. Oh, I love her furry boots. "Didja see the show at the Cap?" "Yeah, Elaine and I went last night." Should I talk more or does he prefer good listeners? He asks questions then clams up. Looks like a kid in that coat and clowns like on in the snow. Wish he was more mature. Why'd I wear these stupid boots? I really like this poem because it is a situation that's kindof sad but funny at the same time. At first the guy is thinking his point of view while he's on a date of some kind with a girl and he's talking too much and acting silly. Then it changes to the girls point of view and she's thinking about how maybe she isn't talking too much and wishing he wasn't so immature. My favorite part is how he thinks to himself how he likes her boots, and then she thinks to herself why did I wear these stupid boots. That really shows the difference and incompatibility between the two people. I feel bad for the guy, but he should grow up. And the girl should just put him out, but maybe she should be silly every now and then too.

Tuesday March 22

This is my response to the weekly blog assignment. I'm not sure about what reading I like or don't yet, so I'm going to write about my favorite poem of the quarter and then I'll look up the 1000 Awesome things website.

First, my favorite poem of the quarter is Rain by Shihab Nye. I like it because of its somewhat confusing nature. What I mean by that, is that you can't really know what he's talking about. Poets are tricky people ya know. They write things in their poems that only they will know what it means..and I like that. It's like a secret message and if you think really hard about what it means maybe the secret will be uncovered. For example, in the poem "Rain", I think the author is touching on the subject of physical abuse. I could be wrong of course, but I actually think that's right. The little boy writes "this year sumbody tutched me on the sholder" when asked what he would remember from third grade. I think this symbolizes something way bigger than a simple touch on the shoulder.

There's this cute little post on the website for 1000 Awesome things about some pretty awesome things. I'm gonna copy a couple of the ones I really liked onto here. Yes, it’s a great sign when babies come out heavy and healthy and then keep growing and growing and growing and growing until they turn into me and you.



This picture on the left was attached to that post about babies. That baby has a lot of hair for a baby and that cute lil guy has really bad bedhead haha. So cute though.


There was another post I found interesting. It was #287 When Your Child reads a bedtime story to you. I thought it was cute because when I babysit they want to read the book to you too after you've read it to them. One time a little girl I babysit told me she'd read it to me now because everyone needs a bedtime story and there was no one else to read it to me. :) Little kids are just adorable.

Well, that's all I have to say. Only two weeks until spring break!!!

So busy!

I had no time to read my book of poetry today, because I was so busy with everything going on. I did read Frankenstein, for my other English class. That book is one of the very few assigned books in high school that I've actually read lol.

So, the reason why my day was so busy is because first of all, I had to drive all the way to Coldwater to get a dumb paper signed for my license. (Too bad I still don't have that) And then I had to run errands for my sister until I had my Psychology class at USF!!!! I was 15 minutes late.... haha. Oh well, though. And it turns out, that she hadn't even started class yet so it worked out.

I've got lots of homework to do yet, so I'm off. And besides, tomorrow's not any less busy!
Yay to the suckiest Monday. Congratulations.

I Feel A Little Jumpy Around You- Pg. 34-65

I love this poetry book so much! Although, it is taking me quite some time to actually put my full attention to each and every poem. That's why it's taking me so long. As I've been reading, a lot of the poems seem to be about love that never was, or love that no one knew about or couldn't show. It has an over all theme of love, and how people felt about others. This poem called Passages by Mark Vinz is very saddening, but interesting as well! The first poem in the book I just happen to open is about a dead father- how many like it I've read before I knew what they meant. And now, every book I pick up has one of those poems in it- every book in every room. Listen: sometimes he and I would sit alone, for hours, not talking. I couldn't leave-he wanted me home, not to talk to or listen to, just to sit there, two aging men. . . Do you know how it is to hate somebody for leaving when you need him there? So the author is clearly dealing with the death of his father or about to be mourning that death. The irony that the first poem of the book is about a dead father may symbolize that coming of that event for him and saying that it is coming soon. And the fact that he read poems before, when he didn't know what they meant shows a loss of innocense or ignorance. Maybe both. But, it demonstrates a sense of maturity in knowing the inevitable and accepting that. When they sit alone together, that could possibly mean that even though they are physically together, they feel alone. The son is angry at his father for leaving (dying) when he feels he still needs him on Earth.

Country Boys Movie

We watched part of a six hour long documentary in Etymology class because we had a substitute teacher. The movie was called Country Boys, and was about two teenage boys attending the David School, who are tangled in their quite troubled lives. Both of these boys struggle with their family life and school and most everything about themselves, as they grow up and mature in a hard to live in kind of place.
The first guys’ name is Cody. Cody’s father killed his wife (Cody’s step-mother) and then himself. Cody had to endure many hardships, but later on lived with a loving old lady named Liz (his grandmother). Cody talks very slowly and uses low diction in the way he speaks. He seems to have troubles in school with behavior and academics.
The next guy is Chris. Chris lives in a trailer home with his parents and little sister. His dad isn’t a role model for him so he doesn’t exactly know what to strive for. Chris speaks very slowly as well, but seems to attempt to sound knowledgeable to some extent. He has somewhat bright ideas for his future and does his best to accomplish his dreams.

I Feel A Little Jumpy Around You- Pg. 16-34

A lot of these poems in this book are super confusing. They don't really follow a specific story line like some poetry does. What I mean is like in Touch by Kathryn Kerr, it says "Mother was a washcloth". I don't have the slightest idea what that means. There's such a wide range of what that one line could mean. And to be honest, I keep reading these poems just because it makes me feel sophisticated and British to read poetry that I don't understand. I bet British people read confusing poetry too. Well, there's this one poem that caught my eye. It's called Rose by Cill Janeway. I don't want to copy it down because it's so long but oh well. Here it is. My cousin named her baby Rose. Rose like a flower, like a deep red flower everyone wants to smell, to touch, to tame. When I think of Rose, I think of Rising She Rises She Rose like the sun, like flying, like magic like an angry woman rising out of the home. Rose has a birthmark under her right eye; it shines when she smiles. When people stop to look at the child, they say "Oh what a sweet baby, oh, but you could have that removed, you know it's very easy, you know." And they will. They will try as they have tried to pick every woman's Rose they will try to take hers try to keep her from knowing her name from Rising. What I like about this poem is the strange way it is formatted. It really catches your eye and makes you pay much attention when reading it. I think what it is talking about, it the girl having a birthmark, and that birthmark is her "rose". The "rose" is what makes her beautiful and what makes her, her. And they is probably posed as society, and society is trying to make everyone the same and take away uniqueness, which is sad....because every rose should be able to rise.

I Feel A Little Jumpy Around You-Pg. 1-15

I began a new book the other day. I originally picked it from the library as a poetry book to fill my poetry book with poems, but as I read I decided to continue reading and decipher most all the poems (or more realistically), read all of them and analyze my favorites. The book is so cute so far, it's about males and females and the way they think about life, love and each other. It interests me very much because the way the authors believe a bond between a man and a woman or a girl and a boy is, is different than most people would think. There's this poem that is my absolute favorite so far. It's called The Sky is Blue, by David Ignatow and it's short so I'll copy it down. Put things in their place, my mother shouts. I am looking out the window, my plastic soldier at my feet. The sky is blue and empty. In it floats the roof across the street. What place, I ask her. Honestly, the more I look into poetry, the more I understand that the poets don't want you to understand what the poem means. I think the reason why they are so tricky is so that it can mean so many different things, and pertain to so many different people. This poem, I think demonstrates a sure solitude of the boy. I feel like (and I could be wrong) the plastic soldier laying at his feet symbolizes the fact that he hopes to become a soldier someday when he grows up. But the boy is sad, and lonely for the time being while he waits, staring into the empty blue sky.

Picture Book Timeline

Children's picture books date way back to 1658. In those days, the children's books were all black and white and less animated than those made in recent years. The books from a long time ago such as (1826) Under the Willow by Edmund Evans and (1844) Struwwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffman have very detailed and real illustrations. On the other hand, more recent children's pictures books such as (1910) Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and (1939) Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans are far more animated and childish. The more recent books are made the way they are so that they are enjoyable and understandable for the children.

Boyfriend.

That's my man right there!! His name is Devin, and he's been my boyfriend for quite some time :)

I love him to death!!!! Can't imagine much of anything without him.

This picture was taken a couple months ago, when I had my fake glasses. I lost those things, though.

Well, I must admit, he's amazing and I'm so lucky to be with him!!

This is the prom dress that I made!!!

It's made out of a hot pink satin with a non-static lining (I know, how smart am I?). I even went far enough to put boning in the top, which is what makes it keep form easily.

It turned out really pretty and I am quite proud of it..but it doesn't fit me. I'm not so sure how that happened, but oh well. I gotta get started on my new one!

The Funniest DUI Test Ever

I just cant think of anything.

I finished my book last week, and I've been trying to decide what to read now. I read some books regarding violence, survival, family issues, love, dogs, and much more. and now I'm a little stuck on. Maybe I'll stop by the library tomorrow and pick the first book I see. Or the first cover that I like, ha ha. I do that sometimes, although just because the cover is cute, doesn't mean they're good at writing. (no offense to bad authors).

My sister got me a book for Christmas. I never read it. I don't even remember what it was called. I wish I had it now so I had something to read. Except I lost it, I think. I wish I knew where it was. ha ha I'd ask her to help me find it, but then she would know that I never knew where it was in the first place.

Life sucks sometimes. Or maybe God just makes it seem like it sucks so that when things go right, we actually notice how good life is. That's just my theory, and I hope it's true because I'd be really sad if I found out that this life is just a joke, and that we are all struggling through this mess for nothing. For that reason, I'm really looking forward to heaven, because everyone is nice there. (hopefully, anyways).

The definition of a friend (according to wikipedia) is...a cooperative/supportive relationship. Isn't it funny when friends don't cooperate or support? What would they be called at that point? I suppose not everyone can fit the place. And I guess that's okay, cos we can't all be awesome. But maybe some people just forget the definition sometimes, but once they remember they'll go back to that. Or maybe it won't matter by then. Ya, I don't think it matters.

Today

I took a mental health day yesterday. Slept all day, took a bubble bath, did a green facial, (couldn't do my nails bc it was ash Wednesday), caught up on homework, scrap booked, sewed, and much more!

I had a wonderful day, it was much needed. It was beneficial, though, because today I was happier and less tired as a result to all the sleep and relaxation from the day before!

Sometimes, you just need a break in the middle of the week, because hey, tomorrow is Friday and that is good enough news to keep me going!!!

Ya know that "To-Do" list I wrote a couple days ago.....ya, well none of that actually happened. I guess I was wrong. Things wont happen unless you take the initiative. I mean the days went by, but I got nothing done. I think that's okay though, sometimes.

Rescuing Sprite- Mark R. Levin Pg. 160-210

So, at this point the story is just being summed up because Sprite has already passed away. The Levin family is in a slump I would say.

Mark, especially, is struggling with the death of his dog. Dogs truly are wonderful and become part of the family very soon. They love you unconditionally and get excited about the littlest things! Mark fell into a depression and his health took a dive as well.

The family made the decision to have Sprite cremated, and Mark planted a tree in honor of Sprite. Before he put the tree in the hole, though, he sprinkled Sprite's ashes on the roots. He did this, so that Sprite would live on through the tree's life.

A couple months after Sprite's death, the Levin family adopted another dog in need of a home. They named him Griffen. Griffen would soon after pull Pepsi out of his depression. Regardless, the Levin's will always remember Sprite and the life he brought to their family.

I think dogs live such short lives because they already know how to love, unconditionally, so they need less time on earth to show that love. Us humans, however, need years and years of learning.

Sad book. Needless to say, I'm glad it's over.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, which for the Catholic church, marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is a 40 day period leading up to Easter that is meant for pretty much preparing for the Resurrection of Jesus!

This year, I'm giving up a couple things and adding some things too. I'm doing this because Jesus struggled for the 40 days too. He didn't have food or water tho, so mine isn't as mind-blowing, I guess.

things I'm giving up!
- nail polish
- coffee
- cussing

things I'm adding!
-daily mass once a week
-smiling :)

Easter, here I come!

Rescuing Sprite- Mark R. Levin Pg. 131-159

Mark Levin (the author) seems really depressed in this book. I'm surprised he had the motivation to write about such a depressing time. Props to him, I say.

Sprite has begun to act very differently. He doesn't always eat or drink, he has troubles walking and running, he cannot travel by stairs, and his sleeping patterns have changed drastically as well. One side of Sprite's face has become deformed due to the tumor which effects the muscles in his face. If I was the owner of Sprite, I wouldn't be able to look at him, I'd probably just cry.

Pepsi, (Sprite's buddy), has noticed all the changes in Sprite too. Pepsi doesn't run around as much as he used to, and isn't always happy, like he always was. Mark (the author) even said that Pepsi would sometimes look up at him as if he knew what was going to happen to Sprite. Poor Pepsi is about to lose his best friend, and there isn't anything that anyone can do.

One day, Sprite went outside to go to the bathroom but didn't come back. Once Mark noticed, he ran outside and began searching. A construction worker down the street ended up finding him in a river, helpless but alive. This incident, was the decision maker for Kendall and Mark. They realized that Sprite was only in pain and that they shouldn't keep him alive any longer because of that.

Many tears flowed during the euthanasia process. Sprite was finally in a better place, and out of pain. Very sad :(
This isn't the end of the story, though.

My to-do list

I've got so much going on this week! And instead of being organized and getting ready for it all, I'm simply waiting for it all to pass by. I mean the days will come whether I'm ready or not. So, this is my attempt to organize it all.

Today (Tuesday), I have to babysit at 6:30! I'm going out to dinner earlier, though, because both of my sisters are in Florida for spring break (yes I'm jealous), and it's our only chance to go out before they get back. It'll just be my parents and me. The biggest loser is on tonight at 8....but I can't watch it because I'll be babysitting. On top of all that I've got homework!

On Wednesday, I might be getting my license!!!!!!!!!! I'm not gonna complain about this one!! But I'm going to church at 6:30 because this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday (a holy day). After mass, I have to help at the Stapling Party (preparation for the upcoming mission trip).

Thursday..well I actually don't think much of anything is going on. I'll have to do something about that.

Friday, I've got my band practice after school. Then studying all night for the SAT on Saturday morning.

Got my 7 mile run on Saturday..not looking forward to it. Gotta say it'll be interesting though, I'm dragging my boyfriend along with me. Haha :)

Melanie :)

This is a picture of Melanie and me in West Virginia! We went there with our youth group on a mission trip for Habitat for Humanity, and helped build houses all week. We had alot of fun, while we were at it! This pic was taken at Germany Valley, a place we stop by every year. WV is beautiful!!!

I love WV and this lovely lady as well!

Rescuing Sprite- Mark R. Levin Pg. 75-130

I don't mean to continue the complaints, (as the book is about cute little dogs that are sweet and accountable companions), but this book....I just can't take the boring nature of it. Blah.

Mark Levin writes about his radio show and how he works from home. He describes how both of his dogs, Pepsi and Sprite, wait for him outside of his office door until his show is over. He then goes upstairs and eats dinner with one dog on either side of him, waiting desperately for a scrap of his dinner.

(Super interesting, huh.)

He then goes on to describe the gradual decline of Sprite's health. This part was really long, like dragging on and on about Sprite's failing condition. It was pretty sad hearing about all Sprite's vet visits and how he wasn't quite being himself.

Sprite had received test results back concluding that he had a tumor in his brain, which surgery may or may not remove correctly. But with the possibility of death as a result to surgery, the Levin's made the tough decision to stick with medicine that would ease his pain. Mark Levin especially had a difficult time dealing with this news because he has a special connection with his dogs and would hate to see either of them go. (which I can understand).

The Levin family went on a vacation to the Bahama's for Thanksgiving! But, without their dogs there they felt as though they had left a part of their family at home. The Levin family was so worried about their dogs' condition during their vacation, that they nearly forgot to enjoy it! Personally, if I went to the Bahama's, I'd enjoy it. Regardless.

Joanns!!!!!

I went to Joann's yesterday, my favorite store in the whole world! It's a fabric store and they sell all sorts of things. I went there because I made my prom dress out of hot pink satin with a non-static berry lining which was ah so pretty, but it didn't fit me. And I'd have to lose 3 inches in my waist to fit in it, but that's unrealistic seeing as Prom is 2 months away!

So, I had my boyfriend go with me and he helped me pick it out. It came down to lavender or a sparkly electric blue! He chose the blue and I'm really excited to make it!

I might even enter it into a contest! The winning prize is 50,000 dollars, but its open to all of U.S. so my chances are quite slim.

Rescuing Sprite-Mark Levin Pg. 33-74

I've been reading this book. It took me a long time though because it's so boring. I think the author has good intentions but it's definetly a slow read. I can imagine a group of 55 year old high class women meeting once a week to read and discuss this book. But, I'm not so sure about me.

In this point in the book, life is good for the Levin family. They just moved from their home in Reston, Virginia to a brand new house near Potomac River. His son and wife decided that it was time for Pepsi (the family dog) to have a furry friend.

After visiting the local shelter, the entire family agreed on adopting a tan and white dog which they named Sprite. Sprite adapted to the family, home and Pepsi very well. Neither of the dogs attempted to claim alpha dog, which surprised Mark. Within moments of seeing the dog, Sprite became part of the family.

Halloween came and Sprite had a health scare. While Kendall was handing out candy to the costumed children, Sprite suddenly collapsed. They took him to the vet and it was concluded that his issue could have resulted from many things, but that for sure he was older than they had guessed.

Sprite and Pepsi became inseparable. They did everything together. They went on walks together, ate every meal next to each other and even followed each other around the house. The family, though concerned for Sprite's health, felt ecstatic about adopting Sprite.

3.1.11

The Angel by William Blake

a). beguil'd, wept, delight, fled, blush'd, tears, shields, spears, vain

b). the words are more eminent than slight, and tuneful rather than tough.

c). The eminent and tuneful use of words in "The Angel" by William Blake emphasizes a majestic delicacy that adds to the soft violence of the poem.

Biaggis

My boyfriend took me out to dinner last night and it was really sweet :) We got all dressed up because technically this was our Valentines date, but something came up and we couldn't go then. I wore my red dress and he wore a suit and he got me a dozen roses and had the waiter give them to me, which was cute. I'd never been there before, but it's really expensive. It's good, though. I feel really lucky to be with such a good guy like him!! He probably wont ever read this...haha, that's alright.

The place was packed though, and even though we were on time for our reservation, we still had to wait. But, because of that, I was late getting home...I went past my curfew. Haha, it was all good though, and he even stayed for a while after that and we all played cards.

Probably the best night in a while.

Rescuing Sprite- Mark R. Levin Pg. 1-32

I started a new book called Rescuing Sprite. It's a story about a dog, and that's all I really know.

So far, a family of four decide to get a dog. They go to a pet store and pick one that they name Pepsi. Pepsi is a good dog, and always loyal to his new family. One day, when Mark was out on a walk with Pepsi, they come across a crying 12 yr. old girl holding her injured dog, Dusty. Turns out, Dusty had been hit by a car and his leg was broken. Mark held Dusty all the way to the vet and stayed until everything was okay. This guy really loves dogs.

When Pepsi was about one year old, Mark began to have heart problems. He visited the emergency room multiple times and endured many surgeries. Throughout this tough time, Pepsi remained the life of the family, keeping everyone hopeful and smiling.

Mark has begun his recovery from all the heart issues, forty pounds less. He and Pepsi picked back up on their daily walks, now quite shorter and slower. And after everyone had gone to bed, Pepsi and Mark stayed up late in the basement; Mark at his computer and Pepsi laying at his feet.

The Usual Rules 309- 382

So, I finished the book. I actually hated the ending because the author really leaves you hanging, not making the conclusion very clear. Alot of people might like it that way, so they can fill in the blanks themselves, but I don't. That's the author's job.

Wendy eventually came clean to Garrett and Carolyn about her skipping school. It turns out that both of them had already figured it out. She was quite surprised to find out that she hadn't been tricking them that whole time. She got enrolled back into 8th grade, then.

Alan's wife left him. She said she was only leaving for a little while, but two months later he'd let go of hope. Personally, comparing myself to the situations in this book, I'd rather mourn the loss of someone who died rather than someone leaving me. That way, I'd know that the person who died hadn't wanted to leave.

Wendy got a letter from Todd saying that he'd found his long lost brother, Kevin, and that he was ecstatic. They got an apartment together and hung out just like old times. She later got a phone call from a weeping Todd, crying about how his brother had been paralyzed from snowboarding. At least he was alive, said Wendy.

Garrett took Wendy out to dinner for her birthday. Somewhere in that dinner, she got horribly angry at him for being a bad father and let out all the steam she'd been holding in. He sat there taking it in, acknowledging that he deserved it. I think that in itself makes him a decent father.

Carolyn got close to Violet and her baby, Walter Charles. But they later found out that Violet had shaken her baby in an attempt to make it stop crying (fat chance), and got it taken away by protection services. Walter Charles would be up for adoption soon. I really hope Carolyn adopted him, I know she wanted to.

Wendy moved back to New York. Louie turned out to be okay, as did Josh, and everything went back to normal. Wendy came out of this whole ordeal more mature, and with a healthy relationship with her father.

2.23 Diction Exercise

Cormac McCarthy's viciously jagged use of language creates a sense of fearful vulnerability for his survival.

The Usual Rules-Joyce Maynard Pg. 249-308

So, Wendy comes clean to Alan, the bookstore keeper, about the real story of her life.  He isn't surprised, though, and happily accepts the real her.  He invites her to visit his autistic son, Tim, who lives in a home, for those type of people.  Tim likes going to the laundromat and washing all the clothes, so that's what they do.  Wendy tries to ask him questions but Tim doesn't really answer. 

Carolyn got a phone call from a woman named Sharon.  She was the fiance of Carolyn's biological son that she gave up for adoption.  Carolyn was so overwhelmed with joy, she invited them to visit her on Christmas eve.  Her son agreed, formally.  Christmas eve came around, and they pulled in the drive.  His name was Nathan and his fiance was very pregnant.  Carolyn had expected a warm visit, but it turns out they just wanted to check for biological abnormalities for the baby.  They left a pamphlet saying "It's never too late to repent". 

Louie eventually started talking to Wendy again, and more cheerful at that.  She was really happy about that because she missed Louie and Josh.  But her friend from NY, Amelia, told her over the phone that Josh and Kate were sleeping together.  Kate was Janet's best friend.

Garrett's mom died.  And the memorial service was right around Christmas.  He cried when he first heard that she had gone.  So, he went to the funeral alone. 

Violet's mom invited her and her baby, Walter Charles, to a Christmas dinner at her boyfriend's place.  But it didn't turn out to be anything either of them expected.  Her boyfriend got mad and started yelling so they left.  Violet's mom blamed no one but Violet.  So, there goes that mother-daughter relationship. 

Christmas dinner at Garrett's house ended up being Carolyn and Garrett, Wendy, Violet and Walter Charles, Alan and Tim, and Todd.  It may have seemed like an unlikely bunch of people, but they had a good Christmas. 

To the Love that Lost Me

I wrote this.  It has alot of meaning, but only one person would understand it, probably.  And if that one person does ever read it, and wants it to change, then maybe doors can be re-opened.  I would so happily open those doors.    

The papers fly from the dusted book
its spine broken and collapsed.
The papers fall as does my hope,
from the looks of it I'll never cope.

Some yellow thread tore at the seam.
Thread intended to forever stay put.
Whoever once stitched those sad little lines,
seems to have wasted much of their precious time.

Sure, this is rough, and yes, people are mean..
and to me, that song will always say 16.
Trust was lost-simply because you lied.
If you were Abigail, then I'm the one that cried. 

Some hearts were broken-ones that weren't meant to be.
Some were broken by someone purposely-well, that'd be me.
Your heart break was clearly self imposed.
Sorry Love, but from now on my door is closed.

The Usual Rules- Joyce Maynard Pg. 209-248

California life is drastically different for Wendy, and its turning her into a different person.  She has stopped caring about rules, as she put it, "once you cross the line, you just don't care anymore".  Her father, Garrett, has absolutely no idea what is going on with her, but what can you expect.  She met Garrett's girlfriend, Carolyn, who has an obsession with cacti and once had a kid but gave it up for adoption. 

Wendy is missing Louie terribly.  Louie is currently in therapy, as Josh told her, because he's been acting up at home and at school.  Louie won't even talk to Wendy over the phone. 

Garrett and Wendy met up with Garrett's mother for Thanksgiving.  After the meal, when the "motherly love", or rather lack of, gets to be too much for Garrett, he leaves the hotel and gives Wendy the room key.  Wendy took a bath, ordered room service, and finished her book, but then had nothing to do.  So, instead of watching T.V., she got dressed and left the hotel.  No big deal, right, I mean it was only eleven o'clock. 

She saw a group of boys skateboarding and stood there watching for a while, and then kept walking.  Later, one of those boys, who introduced himself as Todd, caught up with her.  They talked for a long time about their lives, and their families and then went back to her hotel room.  He took a shower and they visited for a while, and after exchanging phone numbers, he left.

I think Wendy needs to get her act together.  She needs to go back to school, start thinking things through, and most importantly start telling the truth.       

The Usual Rules- Joyce Maynard Pg. 100-208

So, after the devastation of losing the mother of the family, Wendy, Josh and Louie are struggling.  They are all experiencing strange behavior and  unexplainable reactions as a result to the massive loss they are trying to cope with.  Josh is losing it, Louie can't live without his mother and Wendy...well, she seems to be doing just fine-to everyone on the outside.  But the truth is, she isn't.

One day, her real father, Garret, unexpectedly shows up to their door from California.  Wendy hadn't seen him in years, but I guess in this time of crisis, he was "her only parent", as he put it.  He insisted that she move to California with him, to get away from New York, if only for a little while.  Wendy didn't want to go, but she thought she'd give it a try. 

California wasn't at all what she expected.  And neither was her father.  He was a normal guy, who read normal magazines and watched normal television shows.  Basically, he was just a regular guy.  He enrolled her in a school there, but after the first day she stopped going to school.  Wendy would take a bus to Sacramento and hang out with a girl named Violet, who just had a baby.  Or she would ride her dad's bike to a book store and talk to the worker, Alan.

The thing was, she picked up the habit of lying.  She lied about her name, her past, her family and of course-to her dad, about school.  But the plus about moving to California, she described to her best friend, Amelia on the phone, was that she'd been slimming down. 

I wish I could just tell Wendy that she's wrong, or that she should stop being irresponsible, because that's not what her mother would want her to do.  At the same time, though, her moving to Cali may have been good for her, because she's starting to move on-or at least that what it seems like.   

Unhidden Scars

So, I wrote this poem. I don't write poetry..ever, this is a one time deal so that's why it's not awesome.

I used to love you, but now I don't.
Your bright smile, would shine brighter than
The Sun.
Dark clouds came in, though, and
shadowed your dress from vibrant to
pale yellow.
We all try to remember the sound of your laugh.
The innocent one.
The happy one.
But all we hear now, is the laugh you laugh
as a response to our pain.
I miss my little miss
in her checkered dress.
But she can't wear it anymore.
It is a shame to wear it anymore.
You try to hide the scars,
the scars that someone made on you.
But you can't.
So, you pay it forward.
And make some on someone else.

The Usual Rules- Joyce Maynard Pg. 60-99

The more I read this book, the more I understand how family members of 9/11 victims felt, as they tried to cope.  Wendy, the daughter of Janet (who died in the attack), has been dealing with her loss in denial, and sorrow.  Josh, her step-father, refuses to accept the fact that Janet is dead, insisting that she'll call once she gets to a phone. 

Louie stays at his best friend Corey's house for a while, because neither Josh nor Wendy were in the right position to take care of anyone, let alone themselves.  Wendy called her real dad, Garret, and filled him in, because he was oblivious.

This book is really sad, I don't want to read anymore-but I have to know what happens to Wendy.  

The Usual Rules- Joyce Maynard 1- 59

The book starts with the story of how a girl named Wendy got her name.  The mother of the girl, Janet, had always dreamt of dancing on Broadway in New York.  She loved musicals, one of them being Peter Pan; her favorite character from that show was Wendy.  As a young woman, only 26 years old, she was chasing her dream when she met an artist named Garret (who is the biological father of Wendy).  Like any book, these days, Janet and Garret fall in love and have a baby.  But with every happy beginning comes a bad ending, which meant Garret left them for California and eventually Janet re-marries a man named Josh.  

At this part in the book, it's a flash forward to 2001 when a 13 year old Wendy lives with her mother Janet, Josh and her step-brother Louie.  Middle school is cruel, she's struggling with her body image, and her real father never comes around. 

But one tragic morning comes along, September 9th of 2001, where she left the house not knowing that when she returned her entire world would be turned upside down.  Her mother died that day, in the twin towers.  It describes the chaotic devastation that Wendy endured through the course of that horrific day.  It seems that all the people close to Janet were in serious denial about her death, they kept putting up missing person flyers and waiting by the phone all night.  I wish that day hadn't happened, because no one should have to go through that.  

Baffled Reflection

Henri Matisse's Red Room (Harmony in Red) oil on canvas painting which was painted between 1908-1090 has bright, vibrant colors which intensifies the euphorically unique style of the room.  In the middle of the painting is a lonely table, occupied by only one person who is solemnly staring downwards at the red tablecloth, surrounded by abstract shapes on the walls.  The environment's fashion is contradictory with the person involved.  This painting demonstrates the beauty of complex circumstances, especially in such a loud setting, where sits a woman considering in her strange solitude. 

3 min. fiction- All Things Considered

The main speaker is saying a lot of really stupid jokes, which aren't even funny.  One of the jokes he said was, What do you call a sleeping cow?...A). a bulldozer.  ha.. ha.. ha.
Those jokes belong on a laffy taffy wrapper, I think.

It then switches to an old lady and describes her and the teddy bear that kneels down and softly tells her that she needs to get to a safe place. 

Well, it's definetly fiction. 

Chicken Soup for the Christian Teenage Soul pg. 99-160

So, I kept reading last night and there was this story called Missing The Dance, which I thought was adorable! 

In the story, it was the girl's senior year and prom was approaching.  She got asked by the guy she'd wanted to go with and everything seemed in place.  But the morning before the dance, she woke up seriously ill and had to go to the hospital for a week!  The lack of visitors or phone calls left her depressed. 

Until her last day in the hospital when there was a knock at the door, and behind it were her two best friends formerly dressed with their dates, and of course her prom date.  He told her that he was so worried and that he called her parents every night to check up on her.  They danced for what seemed like hours in that white hospital bedroom, and even though she wasn't in a dress or all glamoured up; it was a prom enough for her.

Valentines Day????

So the crisis, is that Valentine's Day is coming up in less than 7 days!!! And I haven't gotten my boyfriend anything yet.  The problem is that I'm stumped on what to get him.  I've been thinking about it and all I've got so far is....
1. go out to a movie called I Hate Valentines Day. (haha, had to).
2. a fleece tie blanket with his favorite football team fabric.
3. take him to my favorite coffee house Old Crown

I wonder if he's making any plans, though. haha we'll have to see!

Chicken Soup for the Christian Teenage Soul Pg. 2-98

Ah! You simply cannot beat Chicken Soup for the Soul! MMM..it makes me remember all the good things in life while also incorporating God into the stories.  The book has so many little stories each ranging between one to six or seven pages. 

These inspirational stories are about topics such as faith, love, forgiveness, healing, grieving, gratitude and much more!! I literally was so lost in this book I hardly even set it down.

One of my favorite stories from the book is about a freshman girl in high school that is so desperate to fit in that she begins drinking and shoplifting and even develops an eating disorder all so that she can be a part of the "in" group.  And she pulled it off for a while.  But after a run in with the police, her parents stepped in and signed her up for a therapist.  It was for her benefit because many counceling sessions later, she turned her life around by looking to God for help. 

It may sound somewhat lame, but it's actually really inspiring to read about these people my age and their stories.  I mean, everyone has a story, but not everyone has the courage to share it.   

Breathe-keri wyatt kent pg. 11-38 and 63-109

This book had a nice cover, and that is the only reason why I chose it off the shelf.  The cover says "Creating space for God in a Hectic Life", which I thought at the time applied to me, but I should have flipped the book over because the back described that the book was designed for busy mothers.  I'd like to be a mother someday but not anytime soon, that's for sure. 

I had already checked out the book, though, and it would be to my name for three weeks so I decided why not and started reading.  I read just about as much as I could take in, but the author was rambling on about taking your kids to school and getting grocery's and how to do breathing exercises.  With that said, I discontinued my reading on that book, and moved on. 

On the other hand, there was a part of the book that I thought was interesting.  The author claimed that multitasking is surprisingly unhealthy for us "moms" and when we attempt to cram in as much as possible we actually get less done!  I, being a teenager and thankfully not a mom, applied this to my own life, when it comes to my busy schedule.

Snowday!!

The cold couldn't stop me from playin!

My igloo!

Nice place to read. :)  A little on the chilly side, though.

I thought this was weird...and then it got weirder!

http://www.jokeroo.com/bin/player.swf?5f9f_f369

I got this video in my e-mail inbox and was about to delete it but then my mom told me I should watch it and that I'd be amazed.  I then watched it and certainly dont know what else to be haha..

My Favorite Website!!

My favorite website is called Gives Me Hope.  It's a site where you can go to and either post about something or someone that gives you hope, or you can simply read through all the other posts.  The site is so sweet and inspiring that I've spent hours reading all the posts made by all the other people like me.  An example of a post that I really liked was...

While I was at work, a dust storm blew through my town and covered my car in a thick coating of dirt.

When I got off and went to my car, I saw a homeless man with a bottle of windex and paper towels cleaning my windows. I asked him why and he smiled and told me, "Your car should be as pretty as you."
That old man GMH.

I've never actually posted anything on the site, I just find it amazing to read and be inspired by. 

The Road-Cormac McCarthy Pg. 230-287

The man brought in some neccessary items from the boat they spotted in the water.  After the scare from when the boy was sick, and they had left the cart for only a while, they came back to where the cart had been to find it stolen.  Quickly, they tracked the thief to as far as he had gotten and the man stopped him with the threat of his pistol.  The theif was abandoned there without the cart and without his clothing. 

In my opinion, the man should have had a little compassion and left the theif with his own belongings.  That decision had a bad outcome for the theif (obviously), and for the boy as well, who was angered with his father for "killing him".

As they walked on, they saw someone in a house pointing a bow and arrow.  The man protected the boy, and in the process got an arrow shot into his leg.  He used the first aid kit they'd found to stitch up the bleeding wound, but progressively he grew weaker. 

They kept going until the man could not go anymore.  He lied down and soon after, passed on.  But before he did, he told the boy that he must continue to carry the fire.  The boy cried for three days until a man came along the road.  The boy was alarmed but the man said that it was alright and that he could come with him.  At first, the boy was hesitant, but the man explained to him that he was one of the "good guys" and that he had a family, the boy agreed to go with him.  He said his last goodbyes to his father and then went on, to carry the fire, I'm sure.    

The Road-Cormac McCarthy Pg. 185-230

The man and boy keep walking towards the coast.  But they've quick run out of the food they took from their place of refuge.  During a rainstorm, they stopped to sleep and when the man woke up he was sick.  The boy was very afraid that the man was going to die, because he kept coughing up blood, but the man was quite reassuring. 

They came across a town where there were people-burned to death, and laying in the middle of the road, charred.  The man told the boy not to look, but the boy said that it was okay.  I've noticed that the boy is growing up more and more each time I read.  The thing is though, it isn't because he wants to, or should for that matter. 

They both thought somebody was following them, so they hid their trash and themselves then watched.  The boy fell asleep, but when the three men and a pregnant women passed, the man was wide awake.  The morning after, they kept going and saw a fire so they waited.  After the people had left, they went over to the fire to see what had been cooking, but found nothing but a dead and gutted infant.  That horrible sight is one the little boy had to see. 

After endless days of walking, they finally reach the coast, but it is nothing that either of them expected.  The water wasn't blue, the dark hadn't lifted, and there was no thriving of life.  Instead the water was grey and the beach lifeless.  They are wondering now where they should go or what they should do.  I'm quite curious as well... 

The Road-Cormac McCarthy Pg. 130-185

The man and the boy continued on their "quest" to reach the coast.  As they moved on past the house where they encountered the cannibals, things began to take a turn for the better.  The days didn't get any warmer and the nights were darker than black but they pushed on. 

Soon after, they find a storage room, or a cellar.  The boy is afraid to see what is inside but the man convinced him that it was necessary.  Once inside they discover that the cellar has all the essentials needed to survive such as food, clothing, bedding and much more.  The man and the boy take refuge there for a couple more days than they had planned, then with all the food they could carry they set off.
I found it quite interesting when the boy was very hesitant to eat the food or use any of the essentials they had found.  Before eating any of the food, he said a quick prayer to the people that left all those things.  Children are all innocent, even those who live in horrible conditions.   

A little farther down the road, they come across a very old man.  The old man seems close to death but the young boy insists that they feed him anyways.  Reluctantly, the father agrees and lets the old man to join them for dinner.  At their departure, the old man felt no obligation to thank the boy or the man, claiming that it wouldn't have made a difference anyway. 
In my opinion, they shouldn't have given the old man the food to begin with.  That ungrateful old man.

The Road-Cormac McCarthy Pg. 33-130

I kept meaning to take a break from reading to write an entry in this blog, but I got so lost in the book!  Even though the first part of the book started out a little slow...it has gotten quite better in my opinion.  I'm not sure if this is a coincidence or not, but I always seem to read this book at night when the lights are off with a flashlight.  I shouldn't do that though, because it's actually somewhat scary and graphic at times.

 The man and boy are still traveling but conditions aren't getting any better for them.  The snow hasn't stopped falling and they have eaten the last of their food.  They had a cart with all their belongings (or what was left of them), but when they came across "the bad guys", as the man described to the boy, they were forced to leave their cart and run.  Earlier, I had said that the boy seemed rather mature for his age, but I think I've changed my mind.  Living on the verge of death, is not a way to live at all.  This boy, though, is being forced to do so.  He has been exposed to many things, which leads to him wondering about them and asking questions.  The man tries his best to protect him, and does a fine job of it, but at the same time the boy cannot help but be scared.   

The most traumatic part of the book so far, is when the man and boy come across a house that has many essentials for living, so they look around.  When they open the door to the basement they see faces of people in desperation and voices calling out for help.  I can't imagine seeing that, especially as a young child.      

Just figured this out..

So apparently there already is a movie made of the book The Road.  And it seems that I'm the only one who didn't know that. Ha.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy pg.1-33

First thing's first.  Im wondering what Mrs. McCarthy was thinking when she named her son Cormac.  Its a very interesting choice, I'm simply curious what it means or where it came from. 

Cormac McCarthy's writing style seems fairly dry at this point in The Road.  Basically, the first 33 pages are describing the current situation of how all of America is burned and in complete ruin while this man and his son walk towards the coast, searching for warmth and new hope.  There have been moments in these first 33 pages where the young boy asks his father about death and questions the reasons why.  Aside from his youth in years, the boy acts very mature for his age.  The way Cormac describes everything, gives the reader (me) some vivid imagery of gloomy darkness, which actually helps me picture the setting quite well.  I bet if The Road were a movie, there would be a really sad song playing in the background of the beginning.  Something like "My December" by Linkin Park would fit well.  When it comes to the mood it sets at least.  Maybe.

A line i liked: "If they got wet there'd be no fires to dry by.  If they got wet they would probably die."

An interesting line that really stuck with me is how the father and son are "each other's world entire".  I, personally, cannot imagine traveling through ash and complete nothingness with only one other person.  I'd be praying for their life more than my own because what is more scary than being alone? Being alone in a world of absolute devistation? Nothing.