Friday, June 1, 2012

Bucket List

(Not in order of importance, or any order for that matter) 

1) Be in Ellen Degenres' live audience
2) Get married
3) Go to Germany
4) Go to Mexico again
5) Ride a horse
6) Buy my own camper and camp during the summer!
7) Buy my own house
8) Buy a meal for a homeless person
9) Go to New York City
10) Go on a road trip with friends
11) Shop in Grand Forks with just friends, no parents!
12) Take the next plane out
13) Go to an animal shelter and get a cat with low chances of adoption, or the one that has been there longest.
14) Subscribe to a magazine
15) Get snake bites!
16) Buy something expensive on a whim
17) Touch/pet a big cat
18) Finish college successfully
19) Learn to play piano, or at least a song
20) Watch a real scary movie
21) See another concert
22) Have one of my photos featured on the Flickr Blog or on the front page of Explore
23) Buy a pair of gorgeous shoes, regardless if they are practical or not
24) Go jogging with my puppy, once he grows up and gets the hang of the leash :)
25) Furnish a whole room in my future house entirely with secondhand items, and/or....
26) Design a whole room around a small piece, like a pillow, lamp, or decoration
27) Have two children
28) Buy a CD I've never heard of and give it a try
29) Foster a puppy
30) Give to charity
31) Help out at a charity event, taking tickets, serving food, something.
32) Dye my hair honey blonde/light sandy brown.
33) Bake a pie from scratch :)
34) See a play/ballet/musical or whatever at a theatre.
35) Stay friends, or at least stay in contact with my high school group of girls in college, and after :)
36) Plant a flowerbed
37) Buy clothes only from thrift stores for some length of time.
38) Let Eli completely off leash at the dog park.
39) Spend New Years in New York City
40) Meet Mitchell Davis
41) Make cinnamon buns
42) See Tokio Hotel Live
43) Dye my hair a crazy colour for fun.
44) Go to the beat of my own drum for a change.
45) Swim in clear water
46) Get a job straight out of college.
47) Make a stranger smile
48) Wear red lipstick
49) Go scuba diving
50) Make it through this project alive

Monday, May 14, 2012

Writing Reflection #9

Signing up for Twitter was not one of the items on my Thing To Do Before I Die list. I just don't want to get sucked into it! If you already have Facebook, why should you get Twitter. Just another password to remember. Oh well, I'll use it while I have it, and delete it in June ;)

The day we set up our Twitter accounts, my computer would not let me onto the site, a problem that only I seemed to be having. So I think I am a little behind on the tweets right now, I only have two Buried Life tweets posted. I'll catch up eventually! One thing that surprised me when I got on Twitter is some of the people on the site! It was suggested to me that I follow Simon Cowell. Simon Cowell? What does he have to say, he doesn't do much now :P

I love making bucket lists! I usually have tons of things on mine, but this time around, I think I was having a bit of writer's block. There are only about ten things on my list. I am trying to keep them realistic, and very possible to achieve. Sure, I'd like to go to the moon, but come on, like that would ever happen. Maybe if you had a few million dollars burning a hole in your pocket. My goal is definitely to add more to my list, it is seriously lacking!

Friday, May 11, 2012

Blackout Poetry





                                          

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Personal Addition

This is my stupid puppy not learning the first five hundred times.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Reading and Writing Reflection #8

Reading Reflection

Book: The Bond
Author: Wayne Pacelle
Pages Read: 104-239 (skipping around)

So far I am really enjoying this book. Since it does not have a storyline, it being non-fictional, I skip parts that get a little long or I don't really find super interesting. Like when he gets all these acronyms for companies and associations going, and timelines, and what they fought for, it can get a little confusing for me. The cover of the book is a bit deceiving, I thought it would be solely about us and our household pets. But... one more chapter and that's what I will be reading about! Very excited about chapter five :)

In chapter three, it was all about how animals go through unnecessary cruelty when being bred and used for food. My text to... media (or whatever it is) is the film Food Inc. That is all I could think about the entire chapter. That movie is so gross, but I think everyone should see it. Anyway, it breaks my heart that people treat animals that way. Cows stand on concrete floors, knee deep in mud and their own manure, turkeys are bred to have breasts so large that they can no longer stand. One quote from the book really shocked me and put things into perspective (I don't have the book with me so I won't put it into quotation marks); Turkeys grow so quickly now (to be ready to use for food) that it is the same as a human being 239 pounds at age two. That's sick. I will not stop eating meat, eggs, and the like (they're too good to stop) to protest or whatever, but it is certainly worth looking into buying free-run farm eggs -I think that's what they're called- and equivalents for meat. I want to watch Food Inc again...

Writing Reflection 

This week we did black-out poetry, inspired by Austin Kleon. I really enjoyed doing it a lot, minus the headaches from the markers. I kind of hate writing my own poetry from scratch (bad times in middle school), but I found it came pretty easily for me! My sister even wants to keep one for her inspiration corkboard! I guess since the words were already there, I just had to choose a few and arrange them. The only real challenge I had was choosing a theme that carried through all three poems. I think my second poem, about being popular, is really cheesy. I don't really believe that it is all we think about in high school, but its all I could think of with the words from that specific article. Also, the one about summer is kind of dumb... I think I was starting to lose my steam. But the one about perfection I think is really good :)

This style of writing is unique, I think because with the six-word memoirs and moments, you have to create something entirely new, which can be difficult. Especially for me! But when you use a newspaper article, its like half the work is done for you! You're taking a cue from someone else, and forming it into something entirely your own. Its like using your inspiration for your finished piece.

I learned that I don't always fail at poetry. :) But sometimes I do, lol. 

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Reading and Writing Reflection #7

Reading Reflection

Book: The Five People You Meet in Heaven / The Bond
Author: Mitch Albom / Wayne Pacelle
Pages Read: 164-end / 1-104 (skipping around though)

I finished TFPYMIH, finally! It was a slower book for me than Tuesdays With Morrie, but it was fairly enjoyable nonetheless. The book is back on the bookshelf at school, so I don't have it to reference, but I'll try my best. I wasn't super satisfied with the ending, it wasn't round the way I thought it would be (like Night by Elie Weisel, earlier this year!), but I was glad to put the book to rest. The topic of Heaven is so interesting to me. I am Christian, I do believe in God and Heaven, but I have no idea -nor does anyone else for that matter- what it could possibly be like. Maybe everyone's version of Heaven is different. Not that anyone could tell us. I don't know for sure that God and Heaven exist, but I guess that's what "faith" means? It just seems crazy that after you die, nothing happens. There must be more to it than that, there jsut has to be! Reincarnation anyone? And a question, when you die, if you do arrive in Heaven, do you stay forever your age at death? Or your favourite year of your life? The same age as your spouse who went before you? Fascinating.

As for The Bond, by Wayne Pacelle, it is not at all like I thought it would be! I thought it would be about "the bond" between us and our pets, how we connect and usderstand eachother without even having to use language. How they make us feel better, keep us company, maybe save our lives sometimes? The first.. fifth-ish I've read has been mostly about the history of our relationship with animals, be it good or bad. When animals were first domesticated, animal sacrifice, and (which I found very interesting) the challenges of different theories going back and forth from zoologists and scientists about whether or not animals (maninly speaking of dogs) are capable of thinking. Yes, thinking! I am so glad to live in modern times....

Writing Reflection

I have trouble with this kind of writing reflection, because half of the people I click on Cre8tive Havoc's followers (my classmates) do not have their blog listed under their name, only the blogs they follow. But those listed as followers, you can also get to from Cre8tive Havoc, so they're all the same few people. Also, I don't want to seem creepy by commenting on someone's blog I don't really know... -.-

Comment #1:  http://carlyblogsnow.blogspot.ca/2012/04/reading-reflection-6.html?showComment=1335321761058#c4246903456710688974
I commented on Carly's blog post about The Lucky One, because I really want to read this book! I am a big Nicholas Sparks fan, and she made the novel sound very interesting. That deputy is probably a trouble maker. I am currently reading Dear John, and loving it! I need to watch the movie again. Channing Tatum...

Comment #2: http://hollysayss.blogspot.ca/2012/04/hello-personal-addcition.html?showComment=1335322200618#c7367994658915590796
Holly's blog post really grabbed my attention. There is something about candid/every day photography that is just so enjoyable. As I said in my comment, you can revisit the memory any time you want. I really love seeing photos around the 3-8 year old range. Anything before is too early to remember, and anything after I can remember easily myself. I love digital photography, but I am sad that when I grow up and have children, I will not have a photo album to pull out of the closet. There is something about holding a physical photo in your hands that you just can't compare with a memory card.

 Comment #3: http://noodlingfordummies.blogspot.ca/2012/03/6-word-memoir-3-ate-too-much-againand.html?showComment=1335323253868#c2130746484192686767
I decided to check out Colton's blog to, one, see if he writes the same way that he speaks (he does), and, two, because his blog name is intriguing! I guessed that he was talking about the act of fishing with your bare hands, "noodling." My dad is a fan -.- Anyway, he posted about food, so of course I'm all over that. I eat until I'm nauseous, and sometimes catch myself out of breath mid-meal! But like Colton says: "..there 'aint no stopping until we're their."

Reading and Writing Reflection #6

Reading Reflection
Book: The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Author: Mitch Albom
Pages Read: 142-164

I should be honest, I have not made a single post-it note in this book. It's a lose-lose for me, I don't like constantly stopping and tearing off a piece of post-it, but when Monday comes along, I can't remember what I was thinking when I was reading on Friday. I do know, however, that I stand by what I mentioned last reflection; that this novel does not hold my attention the way Tuesdays With Morrie did. It doesn't have the same charm, it isn't as sentimental or charming as TFPYMIH. I will continue reading though, as I am very curious as to how it will end. Eddie is already in Heaven... isn't that the end right there?

One part of the novel, that I read last class, was very sweet though. Eddie meets his wife again, as a young woman, and he says she is more beautiful than he remembers. I haven't gotten as far as what she will teach him though.  I hope he gets to stay with her forever :) 

I have so many books on my To Read list. The Lucky One (Nicholas Sparks), The Hunger Games (series, Suzanne Collins), The Bond (Wayne Pacelle). I saw Wayne Pacelle on Ellen the other day, talking about his book, and now I am very interested. Ever since I got my puppy, I've been so in learning how animals think and learn, how we interact with them, how they affect us, etc. The book also covers the horrible crimes we commit to animals. Could be a tear-jerker!


Writing Reflection

1st Comment: http://breanne94.blogspot.ca/2012/04/reading-reflection-5.html?showComment=1334594190683#c3731988967888660797
2nd Comment: http://tricerat0ps.blogspot.ca/2012/04/personal-post-10.html?showComment=1334594685253#c8268216028475578816
3rd Comment: http://forcedtostartblogging.blogspot.ca/2012/04/personal-addition_15.html

My first comment was on my friend Breanne's blog. I commented because she is reading a series that I want to check out. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in the world who has not yet read or watched... The Hunger Games! I really want to see what people are going so crazy for. Besides Josh Hutcherson.


My second comment was on Morgan's blog post about Cuba. How could I not comment? What an amazing trip. I absolutely love traveling, and would love to visit. I also love the experience of living in another countries' culture. Mexico was so cool, so laid back, everyone walked everywhere, was very friendly and hospitable. A great experience, and I enjoyed reading about Morgan's Cuban adventure, meeting all those local celebrities and such, swimming in an outdoor pool, which we don't get to do too often here.

I commented on Lexi's personal addition about windy days, because it made me laugh! Nothing can relate to me more. My hair is quite long, and I feel glamorous, but I'm sure I just look gross. Plus, Pocahontas is my favourite Disney movie, tied with Little Mermaid ;) Why do we care what other people think abotu us as we stroll down the street? No idea, but we all take into consideration how we look.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Picnik (Personal Addition)

I am so distraught over Picnik closing. I absolutely loved using it! It was a great simple way to edit photos without having to pay for Photoshop. Picnik suggested checking out PicMonkey, which I have, and I'll admit, it is pretty much exactly the same, but I will miss Picnik! I got very skilled in using it, I think. Lots of practice from editing photography, and profle photos... :)






Saturday, April 14, 2012

Puppy Progress (Personal Addition)

Accomplished:
Eli and I (14 weeks old)
  • "Sit"
  • "Come"
  • "Stay"
  • "Off "
  • Calm for mealtimes
  • Walks fairly well on leash
Still Working On:
  • Jumping up on guests and passersby
  • Housebreaking
  • Pulling on leash
  •  Behaviour towards cat
Currently -Still- Working On:
  • Housebreaking
  • Pulling on leash
  • "Down"

Monday, April 9, 2012

Reading and Writing Reflection #5

Reading Reflection

Book: The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Author: Mitch Albom
Pages Read: 1-142

This is the first post I've written about this novel, and it has been... two weeks I think, So I have read a fair amount of pages. I still don't feel like I have much to say about this book though! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tuesdays with Morrie, by the same author, so when I saw TFPYMIH on the bookshelf, I had to pick it up. Turns out its a little slow, and I'm not fully engaged in it, but I'm well over half way done. The basic summary so far is, Eddie, an old carnival worker is killed in an accident, and now he is... meeting those five people in Heaven. It is sort of like that "the ghost of past, present, and yet to come" kind of thing. Is that a Christmas special? I'm not really understanding the significance of the people, and even Eddie doesn't remember some of them either. It will all probably be revealed by the end. I sure hope so, otherwise it wasn't really worth reading in my opinion. Also, after every chapter or so, it jumps back in time and tells you what happened on Eddie's past birthdays, in chronological order. It is confusing!

I am almost finished Dear John, which I am reading at home, and after I'm done, I'll stick to good old Nicholas Sparks and track down The Lucky One downstairs in the library. All of his stories start to resemble each other, but I can never get enough of his novels. So romantic! :)

Writing Reflection

I don't really get what the attraction to Twitter is, maybe besides staying in tune with celebrities. But I just "like" my favourite people on Facebook, and get the same news! If you have Facebook, you don't need Twitter, and vice versa. But that's just my opinion. I'm not sure what other social media I'd like to try. I have Facebook, Flickr, Pinterest, even MySpace, and now Blogger. I'm covered!

I looked up Fan Fiction on Wikipedia, and it doesn't seem like it's something I would like to write. This is a very cynical blog post today! I think it's fine if others do it, but I am so not creative enough to create a whole new story from something else. I'd rather just leave the writing to the professionals!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Personal Addition

I love Wendy Nguyen! She is a fashion blogger, and I love visiting her website every few days to see what outfit she has come up with. (http://www.wendyslookbook.com/) Although I'm not super fashionable, I try to take cues from her photos, like mixing up colours, not being afraid of patterns, and not always staying mainstream. I am a huge fan of white and grey (I'm wearing it right now!), but she makes me want to break out the colours! I am also a huge fan of shopping, and I love hunting down fresh new clothes at the mall, and discovering unique finds at Value Village, Sally Ann, and Good Will (especially shoes). I buy lots of neat clothing, but once I get them on and ready for school, I chicken out and put on of the same old outfits I always wear. Maybe I'll branch out someday. When that day comes, I'll have tons of clothes to work with from my incessant shopping. ;)

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Personal Addition


 I saw these guys on Ellen a long time ago, and ever since, I can't get enough! Walk Off the Earth is a wonderful Canadian band that create covers of popular music (as well as their own original work) often using uncommon instruments. In this video, the group of five share one guitar for their rendition of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know". Just amazing, definitely worth being on Ellen. Also, their cover of "From Me To You" (The Beatles) was used for Telus' most recent commercial. Very impressive, WOTE!


Friday, March 23, 2012

You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

I absolutely love Miley Cyrus. So much so that I love this (shudder) country style song. A lot of times songs get old quickly for me, but this one never seems to.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Reading and Writing Reflection #4

Book: Night
Author: Elie Weisel
Pages Read: finished!

Reading Reflection 

I finished Night by Elie Weisel in three sittings! It was a short book, less than 200 pages I believe, so it wasn't a huge feat, but oh well! I enjoyed the story, but I must say, the ending was not what I was hoping for. I wanted to hear about what happened after his liberation, how great he felt (or not), how long it took for him to recover, where he moved to, anything. The final few paragraphs were quite solemn, as he describes himself looking in the mirror for the first time in years, and not recognizing the emaciated face looking back at him. It ends there. I was expecting a nice, round ending with tied knots. I didn't feel happy for his liberation, I just felt pity.

My question of whether his sister and mother survived was not directly answered, but I assume that they did not make it out. His father did not see the day of liberation either. I took the book home, so I don't have it with me now, and I can't remember what I wrote for post-it notes. I will update this post possibly tonight! (after I watch Dancing With the Stars with my mom!)

Writing Reflection

At first I thought the "Moment" assignment would be tough. There have been so many moments in my life, none all that important, how was I supposed to write a story from nothing? But then I started writing about my newly adopted puppy, Eli, and what happened before we brought him home. It came easily, and words were spilling out, but I don't feel like there is a clear message to mine. It is supposed to be along the lines of: "When one door closes, another opens" or "Have patience and faith in God's timing" "Don't rush into things" or something cheesy and unoriginal like that. :P All those messages work.

Solitary confinement was helpful, it kept me focused on the task in front of me. It was difficult to stay away from classmates, since there were so many of trying to find a secluded spot on only one level of the building. Once I found a spot and decided what to write about, I wrote a page and a half on the joy (and heartbreak!) of adopting a dog.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

The Dog (Personal Addition)

How can I get frustrated at that face! (easily)
Five Things I've Learned From Having A Puppy
prompt taken from Ms McLauchlan

1. Patience is a virtue.
2. Never tolerate behaviour you deem unacceptable.
3. There's more to a day than scrolling up and down Facebook and Pinterest.
4. Instant graification is not always possible.
5. The world actually does exist at 5:45 in the morning.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Personal Addition

Not having to do with English class, but, I adopted a puppy on Monday night! We've only had him for less than a week, but it seems like months. They wear you out! And he has a strict 10pm to 6am sleeping schedule, which I do not like or want to get used to. He will go up stairs but not down, and he loves to get those fry-pan paws muddy and leave pawprints on the floor, but I love him. :)


Kony 2012

While reading at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/09/kony-2012-video-criticism-uganda_n_1334549.html, I came across a quote that explains how I feel about the buzz on Kony 2012. "'There is no historical context. It's more like a fashion thing,' said Timothy Kalyegira, ..." and "It said that many nuances of a 26-year conflict are admittedly lost or overlooked in a half-hour film." I agree. Although the video is certainly inspiring and interesting, it doesn't tell you much about the history behind Joseph Kony's rise to power, and it seems like a big trend to me. If you don't repost, you don't have a heart, kind of thing. So naturally, we all heard together and follow the person in front of us. On the other hand, I feel bad for this man. He put a lot of heard work, dedication, and skill into a video that is being torn apart (despite its popularilty).

I support the efforts of Invisible Children fully, which most of us do, but in reality, I doubt I will buy one of those packages, or anything much else. That sounds bad, but really, how many of us are going to? I guess thats what I mean by it being a trend. But, as a class, perhaps we could pool our money together and buy a few. Power in numbers!

It takes four letters (kony) for the video to appear in the search bar in YouTube, which seems weird to me. And even then it isn't a top hit (only after you put a space after it). I put the video on when I started writing this blog entry, and it was at 72,433,716 views.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

6-Word Memoir #4 - My Heart Lives In East Tennessee

A photo of my best TN friend and I (summer 2011)
This is my favourite six-word memoir, and the most sentimental. I pretty much grew up in Tennessee, I don't remember much before my family moved. It holds my favourite memories, friends, and scenery, too. I love my life where I live now, and I don't think I would trade it for another, but I do wish travel was easier and inexpensive. I wish things were simpler! I had most of my firsts in Tennessee. Real friends (that I chose, not because they were my parents' friends' kids), crushes, ..... corndogs! Oh, corndogs. Only in the South. In many ways I'm "a true Tennessee girl at heart" (a memoir draft!). I keep in touch with my three best girlfriends, and usually fly out every summer to visit. Those are the happiest times.

6-Word Memoir #3 - I Wait Every Year For Summer

Photo taken and edited by me :)
Who doesn't? I always think summer break gets boring, which it does, but I love the carefree feel. Sun, sand, tans, shorts! This photo is one of my favourites from my trip to Mexico. I took it at Tulum, at the top of a cliff! A little nerve wracking, but worth it. Although this was taken in the dead of winter, it was a scorcher that day. This six-word memoir also relates back to my life in that this year's summer break will be my last real one. I plan to make the most of it! I can't say much more on this, it is self explanitory ;)

6-Word Memoir #2 - Always Fearing, Yet Always Facing Change.

As my mom always says, I'm a malcontent. I want things to change, and I am looking forward to being an independent adult, but I fear it just as much as I crave it. It's desirable, but I don't want it. I chose this photo because, primarily, I love bokeh! I can also make up a deeper description. The light is a bright future, but I'm choosing to put it out of focus, and stay on the sidelines, leaving it just out of reach. But no matter how much I push it away, I'll have to face it sooner or later. I am already moving forward, I am graduating high school, I have applied for college, and I am adopting a dog (a dream of mine since ever!)! That is enough for me at the moment. Sometimes I feel like change happens without me noticing, or without any warning. Sigh, all part of growing up!

6 Word Memoir #1 - My Wish Is To Travel Everywhere

I decided to use this six-word memoir at the last second. When I found this photo, I just had to use it. How gorgeous does that city look! It reminds me that I really want to see new things, experience new cultures and such. The farthest I've been away from home is Mexico. I visit the United States frequently, but it is not as exciting as it seems. Unless I'm going to Tennessee! I want to go away with someone (future husband, perhaps?), and maybe, one day by myself. I would love to visit a poor area of the world, see how different everyday living can be in other places. On the other hand, I'd also love to go on a gorgeous beach vacation, similar to when I stayed at that resort in Mexico. It was a dream come true! Traveling is important to me, because you shouldn't live your life in a shell, which is what I've been doing all my life for the most part. I want change, I'm just a little timid. Which bring me to my next six-word memoir...

Monday, February 27, 2012

The Lucky One, and The Hunger Games (Personal Addition)


The Lucky One, and The Hunger Games.

Two books I want to read, two movies I need to see. There has been so much buzz on The Hunger Games lately, and finally I had to ask. What are the "Hunger Games"! Turns out it is a book series, and soon to be a movie. After being told the plot -that two kids are chosen from different "districts" for an annual fight to the death- I have become so interested in reading these books! And I think it will make a great movie.

Last Friday night, I went out with a few friends to go see The Vow
at the theatre, and one of the trailers shown was for the movie The Lucky One, based on Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name. So many good things about this. I love Nicholas Sparks. I love romantic comedies. It is starring Zac Efron. And as a bonus, the female character and I share the same name.

Now I have two books on my waiting list. Four, if you count the other two Hunger Games books. Where to begin. Should I see the movie first, or read the book? The movie renditions often don't do the novels justice, maybe I should leave reading second?


Reading and Writing Reflection #2


Reading Reflection

As I continue to read further into Night, I am still astounded by how much Elie loves his father.  The camp has changed him in many ways, but he never leaves his father’s side. I cannot relate to the amount of courage he has to move forward, I am far too timid. Bravery is a common trait in this book, as well as optimism, something I am lacking when in bad situations. I have also commented a few times about losing his faith in God, which I can definitely understand his reasoning for, but if he believed in God once (or still does), he needs Him now more than ever! I also can’t believe the different kinds of hardships these people go through, and that these things really did happen. The imagery is haunting, but I can’t stop reading. 

I had one question written for the portion of the novel that I read, and that was: What is Rosh Hashana? So I looked it up on good old Wikipedia, and it turns out it is the Jewish New Year! I had no idea that it what a holiday, it sounded more like a name to me. I also had another question that I do not have the answer to. Where are Elie’s mother and sisters? Are they still alive? Maybe the answer will come before the end of the book. My prediction is that they died not long before entering the camp, and Elie and his father did not know it. We'll see!

Writing Reflection

I enjoyed writing the six word memoirs! They were short, and easy to write. The only thing is, they don’t tell your whole story, they are just a piece of it. That being said, it was difficult to choose which one to use for my final memoir! I wrote so many on a whole bunch of topics, some more casual, some more serious, so it was a challenge choosing just one. 

I am still loving blogging. I can do my homework anywhere! At the library, at school, on my iPod, or on my desktop. I like not dragging notebooks around everywhere with me. The hardest part of this blogging thing is still personal additions. I don’t really get what their about, and since I am not in tune with literature and things of the like, I feel like I have nothing to write about. My blogging goal is to get on it, and create some personal additions!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Reading and Writing Reflection


On our first full reading class two weeks ago, I forgot to bring post-it notes to comment on, so my notes begin on page 32, which makes it difficult to remember what happened, much less what I was thinking while I was reading. I guess I could have written my thoughts on a piece of paper and indicated page numbers. Oh well, live and learn! Now that I am using post-it notes, I find it difficult to pay close attention to what I am thinking while I read. I get too involved with the story! But using post-it notes is very useful, and reading them reminds me of what was happening at that point in the plot, without having to reread. 

So far, at page sixty-two, Elie and his family have been taken away to a concentration camp, and have spent several weeks there. Right away he was separated from his mother and sister, but has remained by his father’s side. Right now, Elie and his father have it easy, working in an old warehouse, sorting and counting spare parts. 

Many of my written comments have to do with how positive and strong Elie is being. I also have two post-it notes regarding the book and movie, The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas, by John Boyne (I loved the movie so much, I had to buy the novel! The Holocaust really interests me for some reason, apparently!). The first being about the electrified fences in Night, versus the plain fences in the movie The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas. Which is true? I want to lean towards Night being more accurate, since it is a true story, written by someone who lived through it. As I was reading through Night, I came across a paragraph where some German guards starting flirting with “young German girls” who were watching through the fence. This immediately reminded me of the attraction between Lieutenant Kotler and Gretel  in The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas.

So far I have really enjoyed writing in a blog as opposed to on paper. It is much more convenient for me, I don’t have to lug around binders from school to home, I can access it anywhere, and I type much faster than I write. It is also easier to manage and edit what I write before posting. I am up to date on mostly everything, but I could definitely be making more personal additions. I’ve really only made one, about The Magic Tree House!  I am not huge on doodling, really, and on my Listography photos, you can see that I did not draw much at all. But if we do this again, I will make sure I do more. I am not sure what I would like to do next as a writing project, but I’m sure whatever we’re handed out will be fine with me.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Listography, and The Magic Tree House

Here is my Listography doodle. There is much more listing than doodling, I got a little carried away. I didn't get a chance to get to all of the prompts, and there are some I skipped, but I still had to spill over onto the back! It was easy to collect the lists once I got going, discussing (or listing!) things that interest me are fun! Some thoughts would trigger another addition to a list I had previously written!

In other news, I feel so scholarly, because when I was babysitting my cousin's daughter the other night, I mentioned to her how much I loved the book series The Magic Tree House, by Mary Pope Osborne when I was her age. She told me she had never heard of the series, and I was so appalled that I went out today and bought five to give to her. I hope she enjoys them as much as I did. You feel like you're in a different world when you read them, without having to leave your room. :)

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Googling Myself

Today we googled ourselves. I found two things I had no idea about two of the things I found! One was a profile I made on hi5.com, but when I clicked on it, it said the request could not be carried out. I also have no recollection of ever making that profile, nor have I ever heard of hi5.com, but in the google description, it says that I live in the states, which I did. So I guess I made it a long time ago and don't remember?

The second thing I found was a page on deviantart.com, by my girl friend's boyfriend, where he posted a photography portrait I took of her. He gave me credit by name, but he never asked or told me about it, so I had no idea it existed!

Other than those two pieces, my two usual sites came up. Facebook, and Pinterest. I also found some different things, like my grandmother's online obituary, which I didn't know existed, and my sister's Facebook page. I guess information really does stay on the internet for a long time, because I just found a page with information on my sister, with the exact address and city of where we lived in the states, and the correct zip code. Creepy! We moved back here almost seven years ago! I will definitely be careful with what I put on the internet.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Introduction

Hello! This is Beth. I am a grade 12 student, new to the blog scene, but I am eager and willing to get started. I am currently reading Night by Elie Wiesel. I have read and watched movies about the Holocaust (even been to the museum when I was seven!), but this is the most serious book I've read about the topic. Although I am only on page 32, it seems like quite a somber novel. I am excited to finish it because I have owned it for years and never opened it.