Reading Notes: The Language of Animals (B)

Birds; Flickr

The Language of Animals was filled with so many emotions. There were scenes of embarrassment, sadness, pride, guilt, and more. My favorite scene in this story was the end where the son comes back to his father, and mentions how he is the son that he wanted to kill. I was glad he came back to see the father, so the father could realize his worth.

I was not expecting the father to be so brutal towards his own child. I was a little shocked at the fact that he wanted him killed, and to have his heart brought back. I feel the moral of this story was that everyone is special in their own way, and sometimes it’s hard to understand how someone is special, but once it’s understood, others realize their worth. This is the take I got on this story, and something I could use to write my own version.

This story reminded me a lot of my brother and his two pet birds. He absolutely loves them, and takes care of them as if they were his kids. Haha. I can use my brother’s love for his birds as my inspiration on my twist on this tale. I also really enjoyed the journey the son was on after he was unwanted. I feel he also realized his worth on this journey. This was one of my favorite parts as I was reading, as well.

I feel this will be a fun story to put my own twist on! I look forward to writing about self-worth, and unique ways everyone is special. I also plan to include the many emotions from the original story into my own. One thing I wish there was more of was dialogue, so I plan to use dialogue and imagery. Wish me luck! 

Bibliography: Thomas Fredrick Crane's Italian Popular Tales: The Language of Animals

Reading Notes: Zelinda and the Monster (A)

Dragon; Wikipedia

Okay, so after reading this I immediately thought of Beauty and the Beast! I thought the story was super cute and really creative. My favorite part was the rose. Roses are my favorite flower, and I think it’s perfect for this story. I plan to keep a rose in my story. I also really admired Zelinda’s character. She represented selflessness, bravery, and courage. I would like to include these factors into my story, as well! I would like to apply imagery throughout my story to create a beautiful scene of romance and tragedy. I would like to make my story more tragic because I haven’t gotten to write a tragedy just, and I think this would be a perfect story for this theme.

I would like to make the sisters more complex b making the play a bigger role of evil in my story. However, I admire the father’s character, so I would like to keep him the same. One thing in the original story that caught me off guard was how the beast was a dragon! I feel like this would be a great detail to keep in my story. My favorite scene in the original story was how calm Zelinda stayed when she heard what happened to her father, and asked to be taken to the garden. This was such a mature scene.

If you can’t already tell, I’m a big fan of Zelinda. I think I will really enjoy making her grow in maturity even more, and I her character will allow me to write a fairy-tale like romance. The story of Zelinda and the Monster, and the many versions of Beauty and the Beast I’ve watched inspire me to create my own version. Wish me luck! 

Bibliography: Thomas Fredrick Crane's Italian Popular Tales: Zelinda and the Monster

Learning Challenge: Success Challenges

 

Fireworks

Picture by Victoria Pickering

Source: Flickr

"The 9 Principles That People Who Feel Successful Say They Live By" 

This was definitely a good read for anyone. Personally, this article applies to me in many ways. Some of the aspects of this article I would like to include in my own life are "Have fun," "Seek Challenges," and Pursue Meaning." I feel all of these are equally as important and useful. The section "Have fun" mentions that if you're not having fun, then you are basically doing life and success wrong. I feel this is something I've truly put an important on this year, and plan to continue to remember in the future. I am and will continue to do this by making each and every person in my life feel special by giving them time. I think time is one of the most valuable gifts. 

A challenge I struggle with is the section "Seek Challenges." At the end of this section, the writer mentions how your friend isn't running a marathon because it's fun, but because it's a challenge to push through and conquer. This section really stood out to me. I feel I can improve in this area by not ignoring things I want to learn like certain workout plans because they are hard, and taking each workout a day at a time for a better lifestyle and success. 

I feel "Pursue meaning" is one of my favorite sections because if there is no meaning behind what you are doing, it's not as valuable in my opinion. I plan to keep this in mind by reminding myself the real meanings behind the relationships I build, the things I apply for, and why I work as hard as I do. I think I will write these down on my sticky notes in my macbook and keep it on my desktop as a constant reminder. 

The link to the article is located above. Enjoy!

Growth Mindset: Quotes

Chicago; Flickr

I absolutely love this Growth Mindset extra credit opportunity. I think quotes are such a great way to be able to think deep about something, and with your own perspective. That being said a quote that caught my attention was "Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being excited of what could go right." Personally, this is something I have to constantly remind myself of. Don't get me wrong, I am truly proud of my accomplishments, but I have the type of personality and mindset of always wanting to do more and better. It's a blessing and a curse. I always think of all the things that could go wrong when tackling something new instead of thinking about what I could do right. I tend to surprise myself when I tackle a task like an exam, and make an A. I guess you can say this is a confidence issue, but this past year I have truly learned to believe in myself and be confident in my own abilities because they've gotten me this far in my college career. This quote is going to be a reminder for me to take a step back, and think of how good I will feel when things go right. 

Another quote I was inspired by was "Practice failure. It sounds harsh, but it's really not. This means to fail, and fail some more until you've reached your ability to be comfortable in challenging environments and setbacks."Take a moment and think about this. How many times have you been devastated about getting a rejection letter, or even failing an exam? It hurts. It makes you feel stupid, not good enough, a failure, etc... However, this quote is a reminder to me and everyone else that these experiences are necessary to be able to push forward and most importantly, not stress! The concept of failing stresses me out, but when I'm comfortable with knowing my potential and still failing, but knowing I did my best, there is no stress - only the ability to move past it and try again. This quote inspires me to not be scared of failure, and "keep swimming" like Dory once said. 

I chose the Chicago skyline as my image because it represents all the possibilities to come when we are not afraid of failure.

Reading Notes: The Golden Ball (A)

Golden Ball; Flickr

I thought this story was adorable. I couldn’t help but think of chivalry when I read this story. Something that really stood out to me when compared to the other stories I’ve read in this class was the format of this one. It seems like the format is like any other story, but then there is a riddle towards the end. I thought this was very creative and unexpected. This is something I would like to keep if I wore to write my twist of this tale.

My favorite part in this story was the ending where her “sweetheart” saves the day. I thought this was precious. I also liked how they added giants in this story! I could picture the giant being cut in half as if this was a movie I was watching. I also enjoyed the drastic consequence of losing the golden ball. It made the story more dramatic than it already was. Haha. I did wish the characters were more complex. I guess that’s another thing I would like to change up because I wanted to know more about the girls as I was reading. This story had a little bit of everything—love, drama, fear, and more. I appreciated the different elements represented in this tale. Some things that kind of caught me off guard were all the gold on the man. I found myself wondering if he was just super rich, or had some kind of magical powers. Another thing was the bogles. I was not expecting the giants to be their master at all, but I thought this was a nice unexpected event. Clearly, this ball was worth a lot to the interesting characters in this story. Overall, I definitely enjoyed it! 

Bibliography: Joseph Jacob's More English Fairy Tales: The Golden Ball

Reading Notes: Mr. Miacca (B)

Sofa Leg; Flickr

Wow, I thought this story was such a good story for little kids. There was definitely a lesson to be learned—follow rules, or there will be consequences. My favorite part was when I realized that Mr. Miacca didn’t chop off Tommy’s leg, but chopped off the sofa’s leg. I also liked how Tommy finally decided to not break the rules the third time, and waited to go around the corner till he was old enough.

I think any little kid would be a little scared if you said, “Don’t go around the corner, or else this man will eat you for dinner.” This reminded me of when parents say if you don’t eat your tomatoes, then you won’t have rosy cheeks. I thought this story was very easy to follow, and I appreciated that. I also appreciated how there was some dialogue.

For my story, I would like to keep the lesson in the story, but have Tommy’s escape be a little bit more dramatic. I think it would be fun to write about what all happens on his way back home. I’m exited to write this story because I found it humorous and cute even though it was kind of scary and definitely unrealistic. I think I can really use my imagination in this story. I want it to be funny and unrealistic. I also think Mr. Miacca’s wife’s character is something I can elaborate on. I feel she isn’t given much importance in the original story, but I would like to include her in my story more. Wish me luck! 

Bibliography: Joseph Jacob's  English Fairy Tales: Mr. Miacca

Reading Notes: The Promise of Dorigen (cont.) (A)

 

Loyalty; Flickr

 

I thought this was an interesting story. I have not read the previous story, and started in the middle I feel like, but as I was reading this section of the story, I wanted to know more. My favorite part about this story was the loyalty and faithfulness for the main character’s husband. I thought there was a lot of emotion and love in this tale. It was almost like a love triangle, and who doesn’t love a little drama in a love story?

I feel this would be a fun story to write because of the love, loyalty, and desire. These are topics that create a very interesting story. I think I would like to include all these elements in my own writing. Something I do want to change is the magic. I feel I’ve written enough about magic and unrealistic events, so for this particular story I would like to incorporate Gossip Girl!

I think this would be a perfect story to put my own twist on with a popular tv show. I would like for there to be two men fighting for one girl. I’m super excited to write this story. I think I’ll also include symbolism with having a heart be the symbol of the story. In this story, the heart there is a lot of emotion coming from the heart, and in Gossip Girl Blair attaches a heart pendant on a sweater for the love of her life, so he can have her heart wherever he goes. It’s a little cheesy, but I think this would be a perfect element to add into my story! I’m super excited to write this little love triangle. Wish me luck! 

Bibliography: Eva March Tappan's The Chaucer Story Book: The Promise of Dorigen (cont.)

Famous Last Words: Gossip Girl and Blogging

Gossip Girl 

Picture by Warner Brothers Television

Source: Wikipedia

 

I’m a couple years late, but I just started watching Gossip Girl this weekend, and I am absolutely intrigued by the storyline. This show has actually inspired me to incorporate some of the scandals into my stories that I plan to write for this class. I’m a little sad about just now starting Gossip Girl, and wanting to use it into my stories, but better late than never right? I feel like I can use so many specific scenes from the show into my writing.

My favorite characters are Vanessa and Nate—so far. I am also very interested in Chuck and Blair’s relationship, and watching how the writer develops their character as the seasons go on. I’m only on season two. Haha. I had no idea this popular tv show was actually a book! I think I might have to read it because the show itself is so interesting, I can’t imagine what the book is like. I’m a firm believer on books being better than the films.

Another concept I would like to utilize in my stories inspired from this show is the idea of social media. This show is a prime example of what social media can do to someone, and how one post can become very ugly. Those of you that have seen the show know exactly what I’m talking about. I would like to incorporate how social media in today’s world has such huge influence on lives into my upcoming stories. As mentioned before, Blair and Chuck are interesting characters. I feel like they would be perfect characters to add into a story of love. There are so many options for my own writing with being inspired by this show. I am super excited to see what I come up with, and seeing my stories come to life! Wish me luck!

Reading Notes: The Old Woman and Her Pig (A)

 

Pigs

Picture by Thanos Georgiou

Source: Flickr

“The Old Woman and Her Pig” was an interesting story I have never read before, or heard about. My favorite part was the end where everything falls into place with all the things the old lady asked the animals she encountered to do with a riddle like paragraph, and gets home that night. I thought this was so different. I liked how everything that happened previous to the end of the story was built up for that ending. I think this is a unique writing technique I could use in my own version of this story.

Something I would like to change is the relationship between the pig and the lady. I want their to be a friendship between the two in my own story. I think this would create a happier vibe. I want to keep the rest of the animals because they were all interesting characters in the original story. I also would like for my main character to encounter bigger obstacles on the journey.

I found this story to be an opportunity to think of better strategies to better my writing. I’m looking forward to writing something of my own with the help of this interesting little story. I thought the repetitive theme was also something fun to read. I could picture this story being told to kids, and them catching on what the words would be next.

One thing I think my readers would really appreciate is the attachment to the pig I want to portray after the old lady buys the pig because let’s face it—pigs can be adorable little animals. I’m excited to see what I can do with the theme, writing technique, and characters as I write my own version! Wish me luck! 

Bibliography: Joseph Jacob's English Fairy Tales: The Old Woman and Her Pig

Week 5 Story: The Three Little Pigs

Three Little Pigs

Picture by Diane Michaud Lowry

Source: Flickr

Once upon time there lived three little pigs! One was a pinkish white, the other a very pink, and the last was a pretty dark brown. They lived in a really nice barn with the chickens, horses, and even spiders! The barn started to fall apart as time with by, and the the three little pigs had no place to stay once the barn was all gone, so they decided to go on their own adventure to find a new house! The three little piggies were now adult pigs ready to find their new homes.

The first pig was in search of a house made from straws, so he went to find some straw when a nice old man in the woods gave him his pile of straw, and said, “Don’t forget to say no, no by the hair of my chiny chin chin once you are inside your house.”

The little pig walked back the to the other pigs confused. The second  pig wanted a house made from furze, so he came across the same old man, and the man said,  “Don’t forget to say no, no by the hair of my chiny chin chin once you are inside your house.”

Finally, the last pig wanted a house made from bricks. He too went on a search to find some bricks when he came upon the same old man in the woods, and once again the kind old man said, “Don’t forget to say no, no by the hair of my chiny chin chin once you are inside your house.”

As the three little pigs were building their house they were all wondering why the man told all of them the same thing.  Perhaps it was a little riddle he told everyone they thought. Little did they know, this rhyme was going to save them from a big bad wolf. 

Bibliography:  Joseph Jacob's English Fairy Tales: The Story of the Three Little Pigs

Author's Note:  

  This was one of my all time favorite tales to hear and read as a kid. The original story was about an old sow that had these little pigs, and told them to go seek their fortune when she was unable to keep them anymore. The three little pigs went to go build their new homes after that. The man in the story gave them straw. The second man in the story gave one of the pigs furze, and finally the third man in the story gave the last pig bricks. Each time the house was built by the pigs a wolf would knock down the new homes except for the one made from bricks. I changed the story to have one nice man telling the pigs a riddle that will come in handy when the wolf tries to knock down their homes. The riddle is supposed to be magic to save the pigs, but the pigs have no idea about that until they are wanted by a bad wolf.

Reading Notes: Fairy Ointment (B)

Magic Wand; Flickr

I thought this story was interesting, and a little weird. I just never pictured ointment to be part of a fairy-tale like story, but I guess that’s what makes this story unique and different. One thing I definitely want to change is the ointment part. I know that is the main part of the story, but I want to change it to a magic bubble! I want what the ointment does to the baby and the nurse to be something a bubble does when it hits the eyes of the baby and the nurse.

I think this will be more fun than an ointment doing the magic. I thought the nurse was also an interesting character. I would like to add in her internal thoughts into my own story because I found myself wondering more about her personality and her intentions while I was reading the original story. My favorite part was when she tries to see what the ointment does for herself. This reminded me of the popular phrase “curiosity killed the cat.” I feel this was the moral of the story. I would like to include this phrase into my story.

I did find this story to be not something I liked as much, but it did show how different fairy-tales can be. I can’t imagine how many more tales I have not readin my childhood after reading this. This story makes me want to read more fairy-tale like stories! 

Bibliography:  Joseph Jacob's English Fairy Tales: Fairy Ointment

Reading Notes: The Three Little Pigs (A)

 

Wolf and Piggy; Wikipedia

Wow, this is one of my favorite classic stories! This tale definitely took me back to my childhood. My favorite part as a kid was actually the wolf he was so mean. I wanted him to stop being so mean to the piggies. I guess this is my chance to finally have the ending be what I wanted as a little kid. I’m super excited!

I feel the majority of people are familiar with the story of the three Little Pigs. That being said, I want the familiarity to still stay, but change up the ending and possibly the three piggies! I had no idea this was such an old classic tale. I also did not know it was an English fairy tale—learned something new today! I feel this will be so much fun to rewrite because theirs history behind it, and I see myself telling my own kids in the future the same tale. I might even be able to tell them my own version!

I want to include a family in my story for my main characters. I think this will make the story a little bit more interesting and complex. I also want to include more dialogue between the characters. One thing I want to keep the same are the phrases “no, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin” and “The I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in.” I think these are classic phrases that have to be included! I’m super excited to go back to my childhood as I write this story, and share it with you all. Wish me luck! 

Bibliography:  Joseph Jacob's English Fairy Tales: The Story of the Three Little Pigs

Growth Mindset: Beyond School

 

Gifts

Picture by: Kelvin Kay

Source: Wikipedia 

I think the Growth Mindset idea can be applied to many things in life beyond school. That being said, I think I have the strongest growth mindset when it comes to my relationships in life. I'm a daughter, sister, friend, girlfriend, mentor, etc. I feel all the roles I play in my life are very important to me. Growth mindset in this area of my life is strong because I am constantly working on ways where I can improve to be a better daughter, girlfriend, sister, etc. Sometimes when I can't make it to a family dinner, or go home for the weekend, there is a part of me that makes me want to make up for not being present. Some specific ways that I try and be a better daughter is by going home more, helping my mom in the kitchen when I am there. I try and be a better sister by helping her with scholarships. I try and be a better girlfriend is by communicating more, and giving my attention to just my boyfriend when we talk. Another huge part of me is that I show love with gifts. I love writing letters, sending meaningful presents, and creating things that have meaning behind them. 

I think my strong growth mindset in this area of my life can be useful in school by thinking of different ways I can improve being a better student. I think I could make a list of easy, efficient ways to improve when I do my school work, and what the next is to accomplish my main goal. My main goals as a student include making good grades, connecting with my professors, and being a future dentist.

Famous Last Words: A Good Week

Fort Worth, Texas

Picture by Matt Pasant

Source: Flickr

Hi Everyone! Wow, we’re already in week 12 of the semester. Considering I’m a senior, that is a good but scary thought! I’m reflecting on my week last week, and I have to say I had a pretty calm week. It was not test week for me, and I didn’t have that much homework—this is rare. Overall, school has been going well! I’m in Introduction to Logic this semester, and a lot of people made me feel concerned about being in this class because it’s such a different course to take. I’ve never had any previous knowledge before taking this class, and I’m very science brained. That being said, I’m surprised at how fast I am catching on with the area of study in this course. It is very different, and almost like basic programming. It’s starting to get a lot more challenging, but I’m ready to tackle a challenge. I feel a lot better about this course as the weeks are going on. I finally got my portfolio up and running, and I’m FINALLY catching up. I’m looking forward to building my portfolio.

Aside from school, I went to visit my boyfriend’s family this weekend, and saw my parents! He lives in Forth Worth, Texas, and this was my first time visiting. It was a very relaxed weekend, and I had tons of fun! My family came to Norman, and we went out to eat together. I think family time is very important, and this weekend I had time for that. This week is going to be a little different, but I’m ready for what’s to come as I start preparing for finals. The class that I’m the most worried about is my Organic Chemistry Lab. I’m going to start preparing this week because there’s a lot to know and practice. Wish me luck!

Week 11 Story: Love and Happiness

Tiara

Picture by Unknown

Source: Flickr

The updated version of this story is available in my portfolio. The link is included below. 

Love and Happiness   

 

There once lived a king and a beautiful queen in a small village. The couple was very much in love. The villagers adored their love for one another, and admired their work in the village. From feeding the underprivileged to welcoming in new residents to the village, the kind and queen were always the kindest, most generous couple.

The king and queen struggled having kids. It was important for the king to have a son in order to rule the village in the future, but there was no son or daughter. On a bright sunny day in the village, the king was watering his plants in his lavish garden filled with the most beautiful flowers, and every possible vegetable you could think of. As the king was thinking of what to order for breakfast this fine morning, his wife came rushing to him saying he was going to have a child! He dropped his coffee and picked her up in joy. They danced the day away. He treated her to a lavish dinner in their palace. She could have not been happier. They slept in peace knowing they were finally going to have a child.

As the wife was giving birth, she passed away, and the baby girl survived. Her little angel had bright blue eyes, and golden hair. She asked her husband to remarry because their daughter would need a mother to raise her.

The king remarried a beautiful brunette with a beautiful smile. They soon had two kinds—a boy and a girl. The new mom treated Elizabeth, the stepdaughter, terribly. She made her clean the whole palace by herself as her stepbrother and stepsister watched her clean from morning to night. Elizabeth wasn’t allowed to have any friends or leave the palace. As she was cleaning one day, she found a note from her mother.

The note said, “Dear Elizabeth, I hope you are all grown by now. I hope you are happy, and living like the princess you are. My one wish as I looked into your eyes was for you to have an adventure, fall in love, and do all things that make you happy.”

As Elizabeth continued to reread her note, she decided she was going to escape the miserable life her stepmother put her in. One bright an early morning, she escaped and left with three things—her mother’s note, a flower from the garden, and water.

As she continued to travel, she ran out of water, and stopped at a nice coffee shop. Her worn out clothes, pulled back hair, and worn out boots embarrassed her. She came to the register for some water. The young man handed her water, and looked at her in awe. It was love at first sight. Elizabeth said thank you and left.

The man ran after her, and asked her where she was from, and he soon realized she was a princess. He took her to his house immediately. Gave his spare clothes to her, and asked her what else she needed, and she asked for nothing. This was the most anyone has ever done for her.

She stayed at his house for weeks. They cooked, cleaned, danced, and gardened together. They traveled the world together. They soon fell in love. Her mother’s one desire came true, and Elizabeth lived a happy life with the love of her life. 

Bibliography:  Stith Thompson's Tales of the North American Indians: The True Bride 

 Author's Note: 

The original story was based on a story about a stepmom treating her stepdaughter badly by making her pick berries that are impossible to find in the cold. She comes across family as she is looking for berries, and they give her the power of spitting out gold. She comes back to her stepmom and has the ability to do this, and the stepmom asks her to go back and find berries. She then returns to the same place, but this time her power is gone, and she no longer able to change her old, worn out clothes into nice clothing, and spit out gold. I put a twist on this story by making it a love story with somewhat of the same concept—a stepmom mistreating her stepdaughter. I used love as the symbol of happiness in my own story. I hope you all enjoy reading my twist on this fairy-tale like story as much as I liked writing it for you. There may not be any magical powers, but love is a power in itself, and that is what I am portraying in this story with my main character not really knowing what love and happiness are. Enjoy!

 

Reading Notes: The True Bride (B)

 

Tiara, Wikipedia

This story was very interesting because there were so many emotions as I was reading this story. At first, I thought this was going to be a Cinderella like story, then it was a happy story with hope, and finally it was just sad and a bit disappointing. However, at the end of the story it says the story continues! This made me excited for some hope for the poor girl in the story. I think this is something I can use in my own story where I write the first half one week, and perhaps the second half in an extra credit reading.

My favorite part about the story was when she had a whole new outfit, and was able to spit out gold! That was such a different idea. I think I would like to keep the idea of gold in my own story. I would like to change up how she had to pick berries. Instead, I would like to have her go pick some bizarre things like other rare fruits found in different countries.

I’m super excited to write this story because I get an opportunity to go back to my childhood, and write a princess like story of my own. I think this will be so much fun. If I don’t end up writing a “to be continued” story, I would like to change the end to something happier, and have a happy ending to my first story about a princess. I’m looking forward to this story! 

Bibliography: Stith Thompson's Tales of the North American Indians: The True Bride

Reading Notes: Legend of the Corn (A)

 

Earth; Wikipedia

Wow, this was a fun story to read. I think I would like to keep the concept of con in my story, but also add in how corn can be used for cereal. There will be a family with a corn farm, and how they struggle to survive. I think this story will allow me to write a more serious plot, which I don’t think I have done just yet. I’m looking forward to writing about cereal, because who doesn’t love cereal?

I also would like to keep the buffalo in my story! It would connect my story to the original, and I think it would be a nice element to add. It would be a buffalo that the family in my story owns with the farm. I think I would like to have the buffalo talk, as well. Some of my favorite things about this story was how a plant can give so much. I think this is something we take for granted sometimes. I feel we tend to overlook natural products, and how important it is to save these natural food because in the future they may become scarce due to global warming and business industries. I’m looking forward to writing about this topic.

Bibliography:  Katharine Berry Judson's Myths and Legends of the Great Plains: Legend of the Corn