Best of/Worst of

My favorite poem that we read this year would probably have to be "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth.  It was so peaceful and when I closed my eyes and imagined the view that Wordsworth described it took my breath away.  My least favorite poem would probably be "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by Keats because it was so long and dull that I could just not get into it.  It didn't interest me.

My favorite short story was "Story of an Hour" because it was so different, yet not so different that I lost interest.  The ending was great and the main idea of the whole story was so simple that it kept me reading.  My least favorite short story was "Cathedral" because it was very dull and did not do anything to make me want to keep reading.

I think that any English 150 class should read Death of a Salesman.  I really the last third of the class where we read this.  I love the ideas and themes put into this play and how it can be made to appeal to just about anyone.

Seeing the movies of both Bartleby and Death of a Salesman helped me to better understand the strange characters present in both of these stories.  I also love having a visual to compare to what I read and what I see in my mind.

I don't really recall any special in class activities we did that seemed different from the ones we did every day except for the class period where we drew the story boards.  I suppose that that would be my favorite class activity just because it was something different form what we usually do.  My least favorite class activity would be when we discussed the different themes in Death of a Salesman.  We spend all this time discussing one random theme that I didn't even end up writing about anyway and, on top of that, we didn't even get to keep our notes for writing ideas.  All of this wasn't very helpful to me.

I don't feel that student presentations would interest me or really help me.  I definitely know that I would not want to present my stuff either.

The creative blog entries were pretty fun.  I really liked writing the sestina because it was more of a challenge, yet I wasn't completely lost because I had a specific pattern to follow.  My least favorite blog post  would probably be the one about making connections to "The Lottery" because we had already discussed all of this in class and people pretty much just said the same thing.

Grandpa Willy

My son, I know you’ve always been curious about your Grandpa Willy.  I now I’ve spent a lot of time complaining about your grandpa over the years, but now that you’re a teenager, it is time for you to know the truth.  Your grandfather was a great man.  He was a very hard worker—always on the road away from us, trying his hardest to support your Grandma Linda, me, and Uncle Happy.  Because of your grandpa, I know how important it is to work hard, because you get what you deserve. 

Your grandpa also spent a lot of hours out in the front yard with me playing catch.  My dreams of being a football player started with your grandpa, and he never once told me my dreams were out of reach.  He supported me with football, and he tried his best to support me with my life outside of football.  Sometimes his support was hard to see, but I know that he always wanted the best for me.

Once he started to go downhill, it was my turn to support him.  I tried getting work here in my hometown, so I could be close by to help my mom and him.  He had lost his job so money was really tight and I tried my best to help them.  However, he was a proud man and accepting money was not easy for him.

As I said, I know that most of your life has been spent believing that Grandpa Willy wasn’t a great guy, and that is my fault.  Your grandpa was a good, hardworking man and I know that he would be extremely proud of his grandson.  

Linda's Diary

May 10, 1940

I love having my three boys home.  With Willy home from work and my two sons home from school, all feels right in the house.  It warms my heart listening to Willy talk to the boys about sports and the Chevy, although I sometimes worry about Happy.  He just doesn't seem as Happy as his name implies.  I hope he is not being overlooked by Willy and me, as we focus too much on Biff and his future.  Ben stopped by today and we all had a nice visit with him.  Willy seemed very interested in Ben’s success, wanting Ben to share his secrets with the boys.  I just hope the boys find their way in the world and succeed, doing everything they ever dreamed they could.  

November 23, 1949

I just don't know what to do with Willy anymore.  He went and crashed the car again.  Money is tight and I'm not sure how we are going to be able to afford fixing the car this time.  With the boys back, maybe they can help.  I'm not sure about Biff though, as him and Willy seem to be at odds.  Willy just can't get passed Biff's lifestyle and the way Biff works his jobs.  Willy is always trying to help around the house.  Just last night  he was scraping paint off of the shutters.  He is a good man, but I'm just not sure how much longer I can take his fighting with the boys and his random zoning out.      

The Lottery

     In "The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson, the theme of stoning comes up.  The characters in this story thought it was perfectly natural to stone a fellow community member to death.  The children eagerly gather rocks in to piles before the drawing starts.  In the short film some of the children even try to gain a head start to the stoning by shoving some of the smaller rocks in their pockets.  This is a very odd theme to come up in this type of short story, especially since stoning isn't all that popular in the United States.  I think it is interesting that stoning comes up in this story for two reasons.  The first reason being that the concept of stoning is seen in the Bible.  I'm not a religious person, but I know this from reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, where a woman dies by stoning.  The killer is very religious and we learn the reason: "A woman who is a medium or sorceress shall be put to death by stoning."  This leads me to the second reason I find the theme of stoning in this book to be interesting.  Thinking of death by stoning in the United States reminds me of one thing: the witch frenzy in Salem.  Some of the people who were thought to be witches during the Salem Witch Trials were stoned to death.  Because of these two reasons, the theme of stoning can also be related to the them of the concepts of magic and superstition and their place in society.  Perhaps the characters in "The Lottery" keep on with the stoning ritual because of the magic and superstition that comes with it.  It is implied in the story that the farmers have good crops every year, so maybe the stoning continues because the characters relate it to their good crops.

Facebook Page

Charlotte Gilman
"The Yellow Wallpaper"

1. John and I finally made it to our summer house.  It's going to be a great three months!

2. Just spending my day enjoying the fantastic views the country has to offer : )

3. Happy Independence Day everyone!  Had a great day with great company!

4. So happy to have gotten some writing done today.  Not even this distracting yellow wallpaper can keep me from it!

5. I wish John was here today...it's tough being a physician's wife :/

6. Being in this house every day makes me realize how important redecorating is!  Found some neat ideas on
Pinterest today...what do you think of this new and improved yellow wall paper?

7. Never mind about the new wallpaper...I have found that I am quite taken with the current wallpaper.  

8. This is our last day here.  It's been a relaxing summer but I am ready to be back.

9.  I've made a last minute decision to redecorate after all!  Can't wait for John and Jennie to see it!

10. Note to self:  There are much easier ways to take down wallpaper then simply trying to rip it off.  Here is a good link for anyone thinking of taking down wallpaper from DIY Network.

"Girl" to "Boy"

Mud is not food; a slug is not a pet; be nice to the dog; put your dirty clothes IN the laundry basket; keep your elbows off the table; your dad is going to teach you to mow the lawn and be sure to mow weekly; check the oil in your truck often; be sure to know how to change a flat tire; pay attention in Hunter's Ed; wipe that dirt off your face; make sure your shirt is tucked in for church; try your hardest; respect your elders; hold doors open; buy your mom flowers; treat girls with respect; take off your shoes so you don't track mud through the whole house; shower daily; don't forget deoderant; clean your plate at dinner; be sure to call your grandparents and tell them you love them; watch football on Sundays with your dad.

Dialogue

I sat on the couch listening to my parents reflect on their relationship before marriage.  This was their way of trying to comfort me after a bad breakup.  They began talking about the months leading up to their wedding, a time when my dad got cold feet and started second guessing himself, leaving my mom with no choice but to leave and stay at her parents’ for a while.

Well your mom broke up with me once, he said.

Nothing came from my mom.

She did? I asked.

Yeah she did, he said.

Do you remember when you broke up with me? he asked her.

No, when did I break up with you? she said.

When you left to stay with your parents, he said.

This got one of my mom’s famous looks.  You didn't know if you wanted to get married, she said.

You didn't have to leave, he said.

Well, I wasn't going to stay there, she said. 

You didn't stay at your parents’ very long, he said.

Well you changed your mind pretty quick, she said.

Why didn't you stay there longer? he asked.

Because you didn't want me to leave in the first place! replied my mom.

My dad knew he couldn't win, so he thought quick...

Well, the roads were bad, he said, trying not to laugh.

My mom gave him another one of her famous looks and I decided to chime in.

Wasn't it July, I asked?

Yes, replied my mom.

Test Prep 2

Alliteration

"the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words"

HERE is a great little site with alliteration examples!


"buzz," "zap," and "sizzle" are all examples of alliteration.  True or False?

Click here for the answer.

Test Prep

Paradox:

The definition from our book is--------
                   
                   "a statement that on the surface seems that it cannot possibly be true, but that turns out to be        
                    true after all"

and the example from the book--------
               
                    "One short sleep past, we wake eternally
                      And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die."

This actually clears nothing up for me...SO here is a nice little website that helps clear things up.

If things are still a little hazy, then try watching this youtube video

Howl Imitation

I saw the minds of my generation...

Afraid to go camping because of lack of cell service.  Eyes widening, wondering how they were going to spend their time.  Forgetting about Pictionary, camp fires, s'mores, and night swimming.  Trading it for Facebook and not realizing that the people sitting in front of you are the ones that matter.

Who sit in class and disrespect their teacher and everyone around them.  Talking to each other, phones going off in the middle of class, cheating on tests, and cheating through life.

Those who come into the pharmacy where I work.  Getting all their prescriptions for free through medicaid as I stare at their tattooed arms holding up their smart phone.  Taking their free prescriptions for granted.  Meanwhile the next person in line has to spend $200 on a prescription to help her son with the flu because her insurance doesn't cover that drug.

Who cut in front of you on the road, not realizing how rude and dangerous it is.  In a hurry to be on their way, yet drive so slow you want to scream.

I saw the minds of my generation become swarmed with reality TV.  Choosing Jersey Shore and Toddlers and Tiaras over news stations or popular movies.

Who choose shopping over family at Thanksgiving.  Standing in line at 7 pm on Thursday instead of saying Grace at a table full of good food and surrounded by the people you love.  Forcing those who work at these stores to be away from their families as well.

Who no longer appreciate the little things in life.

Bed

Warm and welcoming blankets on a mattress;
a cloud so easily accessible.

Sestina

Being out in the sunshine
with toes dipped in the water,
the ocean breeze on your back,
and working on your tan.
You could be strolling along the board walk,
or looking at the bright city lights at night.

When you're out at night
avoiding the sunshine
and out on a walk,
you can walk along the water
in the sand colored a beautiful tan,
with the city lights at your back.

To your home you can start to head back
to be tucked away for the rest of the night.
In your dreams, your mind wanders back to that sand so tan,
and the feel of your warm back bathed in sunshine.
Again, your dreams draw you back to the salty water
and again, you walk.

And the next day, you walk.
You walk back,
back to the water,
day or night,
rain or sunshine,
you walk back to that sand, so soft and tan.

And sometimes you leave the sand, so tan.
And through the beautiful city you walk.
The day is majestic with the sunshine
on your back.
And on goes the night
in the city along the water.

And in the city along the water,
with the sand a beautiful tan,
couples hold hands as they stroll at night
window-shopping at Pier 39 and listening to the seals by the board walk.
and before it gets too late, they head back
to get home to bed to wake up again to the sunshine.

But I stand alone by the water on the board walk.
I don't care about my tan or the wind at my back.
Or the nights spent by myself--I'm here for the sunshine.



Written with San Francisco, California, on my mind :)

Unexpected Ode

An Ode to Spoons

Wonderful
spoons
have
been there
though
it all.

They are
the bridge
that link me
to my favorite
food:
ice cream.

And they help me
eat my cereal
every
morning.

Lucky Charms,
Apple Jacks,
Golden Grahams.

It doesn't matter
what it is,
I can always
depend on them
to get the job done.

Eating yogurt
is not an issue
with them around.

However,
without them
eating yogurt
is near impossible.

It's okay
that I am dependent
spoons.

My only wish
is that I owned
more of them.

For to run
the dishwasher
every week
because I run out of spoons
is quite a hassle.

Litany Imitation

To my cat, Sylvester

You are the shadow in the corner and the swinging piece of string.
the friend and the foe.
You are the troublemaker
and the guilty one.
You are the smiles
and the laughs.

However, you are not the missing refrigerator magnet,
the dog you make run and cower,
or the spider you ate last week.
And you are certainly not good at hunting in the bright white snow.
There is just no way that you are normal.

It is possible that you are the chewed up paper bag on the kitchen floor.
maybe even the 30 aluminum foil balls hidden under the couch.
but you are not even close
to being quiet as you fling litter around at 5 am.

And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither a dog
nor a human.

It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
that I am the human.

I also happen to be the boss,
the food provider,
and the laser-pointer holder.

I am also the litter box cleaner
and the aluminum ball maker.
But don't worry, I'm not the spider eater and the string swinger.
You are still the trouble maker and the guilty one.
You will always be the smiles and the laughs.
not to mention the cat and--somehow--the best companion.

Mikayla: Simplifed

Hello everyone,
My name is Mikayla Moser and I am 19 years old.  This is my second semester at LCSC, where I am working toward a biology degree.  I plan to use this to get into a pharmacy program so I can fulfill my longtime career goal of becoming a pharmacist.  Right now, I am working as a pharmacy technician at Shopko here in Lewiston and I love it.  I am from Orofino, Idaho, which is just 40 miles away.  I'm really into sports, burying myself in a book, and watching How I Met Your Mother.
I look forward to meeting everyone!