Last Blog Post of Freshman Year!!

You know when you go to the doctor and they ask you how your pain is on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the best and 10 being the worst? Well I am a level 5 towards reading. Or your parent asks you to do a thumbs up or down rating that new, gross food you just tried as toddler because they refuse to feed you pizza everyday. Well I am the kindergartener that puts her thumb up to the side and gets nagged that a side ways thumb "isn't a choice or feeling." Reading is something a person loves to do instead of binge watching Netflix or its something that a person argues and gets their phone token away for a week because of. Both dilemmas aren't my life. My relationship with reading is so, so. I like doing it when I find a engaging book but other times I don't like doing it because I have so much other things on my mind that I can't concentrate or I just don't feel like reading. It is so, so. I am a reader who will read five pages but then stop and question myself what did I just read? I'll answer to myself I have no idea. So ill have to go back to where I lost my brain and re read the five pages I some how didn't comprehend. I like when someone recommends a book to me because I am very bad at picking a book to read myself. This summer I am going to try to read at least 2 books that I actually will read and enjoy so reading can have the opportunity to change my perspective from a side ways thumb to a thumbs up.

Blog: "- noun 1. a website containing a writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and or links to other websites." This definition I found on my dictionary.com app is a perfect summary of Mrs. Leitsch's guidelines for our blog. But I don't believe it depicts the purpose of the blog. Over the course of this year I didn't mind blogging. I thought it was a fun mandatory way that I could try out new writing techniques, be creative and share my opinion about the books I read without it being right or wrong. It did take some time to write each one but I found this semester that if I put a reminder on my calendar app on my iPhone, I could keep track with each posts' due date and it held me accountable. The first semester I didn't feel like Mrs. Leitsch made the guidelines and due dates strict enough so there is a big difference between my first couple of posts to now the last few. But this semester I confidently think I put in a lot of effort into them all and will get a good grade because they are Honors English "worthy."



2014-2015 Freshman year at Mason High School that carries 4,000 students each preparing themselves for the next greatest four years of their lives has been eye opening. I have learned so many things about the world, my future in the making, and most importantly myself. In middle school I was transitioning into being independent and adjusting to a more rigorous school load. But throughout those two years there weren't many positive people in the school trying to nourish us and help us along the way. This year though I have stepped out of my comfort zone and made many really good friends but also realized how much most of the teachers care about us their students and want to do anything they can to help us achieve success. Because of these attitudes I have actually really enjoyed coming to school. I also have explored what I like and dislike in school on the matter of subjects or classes. I'm happy that I have made sort of a outline for myself for the next three years of high school that I can follow so I can be successful but also enjoy what I am learning. I am a high academic student who always over achieves on any homework project or test but I have recognized that it is a positive thing that I am characterized that way. Many of the new friends I have made are people who motivate me to do better and push myself. But probably the thing that has opened my eyes up the most is time. I have realized that it is going by so quickly and I need to do a better job of cherishing even the small moments and not wasting any of it, seizing every opportunity. Soon I will be off to college away from my family and where I have spent my whole childhood. That makes me sad. But I am excited for the future I have been envisioning this year and look forward to making decisions that will help shape it.

Second to Last Blog Post

Over the course of the dreaded PARCC testing I finished a book and I am in the middle of one right now. I am a pretty slow test taker. I finished the book called When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. When my mom brought me this book home I was really intrigued because it has a vibrant abstract cover with streets and objects that I was assuming may symbolize something in the book. I may have mentioned this in one of my other blog posts but I am totally a person who judges a book by its' cover: sometimes its good sometimes its bad but that's just how I categorize different books when I'm at the bookstore. In the first couple of chapters you meet the main character's, Miranda, mom, friend Sal and a mysterious laughing man.
At first when the main character started describing this laughing man I thought to myself what am I reading because the way she describes him is mysterious kind of sketchy but also quirky. Along with this unique stranger she continuously receives notes asking her to send the location of her spare apartment key. That was another red flag that someone or that laughing man may be stalking her. At that point in the book k was a little on the fence to continue reading but I did. I won't give away what happens at the end because it is something that any reader wouldn't probably expect. I liked the book so much that I typed the title into Google and it brought up a little blurb about how the author Stead wrote this book about a newspaper article published in New York about an old man with amnesia and it also said that she used inspiration from A Wrinkle in Time another high metal book that I remember reading in 5th grade. If you do read this book which I encourage you to do look at the way the author writes it and her techniques but also try to look for ties between that book and  A Wrinkle in Time. Here is a website that gives a detailed summary of the book so that would be easier to connect back: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/wrinkle/

Column Post

"Something to remember for Thanksgiving"

By: Mary Schmich

 

The writer wants the reader to feel grateful for what you do have but also be generous to those who do not have that many things when reading the poem. Schmich uses a personal story to help compel the feelings that she is trying to hit home with the reader. Overall the whole story makes me feel this way but towards the end it really became apparent. When the author says, " I think that's why the memory surfaced when I was thinking about Thanksgiving." When she talks about Thanksgiving it reminds me about the meaning of the holiday: being thankful for the things you do have, small or big. I think this is why she incorporated the name of the fall holiday in the title.

 

The idea the writer wants the audience to remember the most is when her dad states, "'We don't have money. But we are not poor. Poverty is a state of mind.'" This statement sums up Schmich's story about wanting money to buy a treat even though her dad didn't have that kind of money to buy the luxury with. I have never heard of poverty described in the way her dad describes it so I think that's why it is the most important point of the story that will stick with readers.  I believe her dad is trying to say that even though they may not have as much money as average families they stole have many things to be blessed about.

 

The purpose of the column is to entertain the audience and make them think about their perspective of life differently. Mary Schmich uses playful terms like "Nutty Buddy" and "ice cream man" to help readers visualize their childhood and have a happy tone to engage readers. She also mocks her father behavior and rules forbidding "Curse[ing]. Lie[ing]. Leaving light on in empty rooms or dirty dishes in the sink." I found this amusing because I can some what relate to her father to my father. This also made me want to read on and eventually discover her point she was trying to get across with a personal story.

 

The author uses syntax and diction choices to support her message and purpose by mixing playful language a serious topic and using creative techniques that engage readers. Two syntax choices she used in her column was repetition of the phrase "Nutty Buddy." The paragraph that begins with, "I wanted a Nutty Buddy like I'd never wanted a Nutty Buddy before..." was my favorite paragraph of the whole piece because the repetition really emphasized the delicious treat and made me think that maybe the column would be about it. Another syntax technique I thought was excellently utilized was the fragmented sentences along with punctuation. She used this technique throughout the whole piece. Three words that I thought were good diction choices were "vista," "flip-flop," and "ferocity." The first word I thought was a unique and sophisticated way to describe the house and porch. The second word gave me an emotional connection because instantly when I hear the word flip flop I think of summer and sunshine and happiness. The last word I thought was a very good, elevated word choice to describe her anger. The author's writing craft really made the column more engaging and fun to read.

 

The value of this column is very important to society today because often people are greedy and selfish about their materialistic items and not the opposite: giving. The column reminds society about a very important idea when Schmich puts her dad's philosophy into her own words, "no matter how little you think you have, there's always enough to give some away, and no matter how little you think you've gotten, you may understand later that it was huge." I see this message being carried through by charities collecting items such as food, clothes and books to give to the poor. This is a more literal connection but also kids that are sick in the hospital, homeless people and people who don't have the best jobs always have a positive attitude even though their life isn't as great as some other people on this planet.

 







7th Blog Post

Over spring break I went to California! It was a lot of fun but I didn't have much time to read so I am going to blog about a book I have read in the past its a short book but I really enjoyed it. The name of the short story is Gifts From The Sea by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock. I got this book because of the cover. I am totally someone who judges a book by a cover. My philosophy is if the book doesn't look appealing why read it? The cover shows the ocean and a hill with a little white and red house above the sea. The background is a warm peach color that fades into a teal. This cover made me want to read the book.
The short story is about a girl named Quila who has just recently lost her mother. She lives with her father on the hill so he can take care of the lighthouse. One day a baby girl comes a float to their shore and the father and Quila name her Cecelia which means the title of the book Gifts From The Sea. Another person comes float a couple of years later and knows Cecilia. How does this stranger know Cecilia? Will he or she destroy everything that Cecilia has mended between Quila and her Father's lives? Read this book to quench your curiosity, it will take only a couple of hours.

6th Blog: Poem

I am going to blog about a poem I found on the Internet for my blog post this week because I finished    My Sister's Keeper and don't want to give away the end. But I may say the ending exceeded my expectations because it was very different then the movie. I highly recommend this book. It would be a great read over spring break! The poem I choose is called I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud. I couldn't paste the whole poem so the name of the poem has a hyper link connected to it that will take you to the poem. It is written by William Wordsworth. Do you see the irony in his last name?

I choose this poem because when I read it I visualized things that reminded me of spring and since spring break is soon I thought it would be a good topic to talk about. My favorite line in it is the last line. "And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils,"(Wordsworth 4). I think this line makes the theme of the poem apparent and it gives a very pretty visual. Another line I like is "Ten thousand saw I at a glance,"(Wordsworth 2). I think William is really clever when he switches the order of saw and it. After I read the line I re-read it thinking it should be I saw. But I realized that he intended to do that showing his writer's craft. I also like the word jocund he uses. It means "cheerful;merry;glad,"(dictionary.com). I think this poem shows examples of many good writing techniques such as diction, imagery and rhyming. It was fun blogging about something other than a novel, I encourage you to try it!

5th Blog Post

I just finished Fahrenheit 451 by Rad Bradbury so I'm picking up where I left off in My Sister's Keeper. The 6-day PARCC testing has allowed me to have a lot of time on my hands to get far in the book. I am on page 156 and still really enjoying it. It's really engaging because of the different conflicts each character describes in their chapters. Jodi Picoult, the author, writes a very inspiring novel, at least in my opinion it is using a tragic but common disease: cancer. I can sort of relate because one of mine and the rest of my family's really good friends' daughter had a spinal disorder that caused her to have trouble walking and living a normal life. Her name was Paige and was about 5 years younger than me but I still loved to play dress up and Barbies with her. The doctors could never figure out what exactly was causing her disorder but she went to physical therapy and appointments trying to find a way to battle this constraint that was holding her back from being a little girl. In 2010 she very sadly passed away. Even though she was sick her smile and kindness didn't show it. In her honor many people that were special to Paige founded a non profit foundation called Paige's Princess Foundation to raise awareness and money for Children's Hospital so doctors and nurses can help kids with disabilities have technology and equipment in order to reach the goal of living as normal and happy life as possible. Paige may not be able to be with her family and friends physically but her spirit and strength inspires me everyday.

In the book Kate Fitzgerald has leukemia cancer. It takes a toll on her body but she still smiles, plays with her sister and brother, blows bubbles, goes to the beach, goes to prom, goes on dates and lives life to the fullest. Kate in a way reminds me of Paige. I think the theme of the book right now is no matter how hard life may be there is always something happy at the other end that is worth fighting for. Through tough things it makes individual people stronger and cherish life even more.


Here is the website of the foundation for more information there is a 5k run every spring that's a ton of fun: http://www.paigesprincessrun.com/



Dover Beach Post (4th Post)

         I walked away from Montag and Mildred's front door as I wiped my wet cheeks with my silk sleeve. Mrs. Bowles drove away trying to avoid me. I rode with her to Mildred's but I didn't want to now after my emotional scene. My heels clamped the sidewalk as I sped up faster and faster. My heart beat sped up faster and faster. I sat on the lawn of a stranger's home but they would probably be consuming themselves with TV like the rest of our society. Why did I allow Montag to read me that poem? I'm a rule follower. It just makes me feel guilty about my marriages. I miss Pete. Retreating, to the breath of the night wind. What if he doesn't come home I will be all alone. I sobbed harder. This is the only marriage that has worked in a long time. I think I have happiness but what if it is all lies and I'm not seeing something. Mathew Arnold just was married to the love of his life and is already doubting that it will not last. I breathed heavily trying to catch it. Where do me and Pete stand? Retreating, to the breath of the night wind. For all I know he could be dead in combat. Maybe Montag is right: books are insightful pieces of information unlike television. What am I saying? I must be crazy. Books are illegal I am crazy. I closed my eyes and pictured Mathew in a movie of the poem as I recovered. The waves crashed against the sand as the tide brought them all back home. Dover Beach.
2 Weeks Later
"Hello Mildred! How are you?" I say hiding my letter behind my back.
"Good good. Are you okay? I haven't seen you since uh you cried after Montag read us that poem." Mildred sympathized.
"I'm okay. I had a little bit of a panic attack on a nice fellow's lawn but I have made some important decisions lately that I think will make me happy. I'm going to the post office now where are you headed?" I confessed while staring at the edge where the sidewalk and grass met each other.
"I am heading home. Soap Oprah Marathon is on in ten. Got to go! Hope to see you soon." Mildred yelled as she rushed away.
"You too!" I said processing the time of events. As long as the war doesn't get to us.
1 Week Later
            My hands were brown from the rifle but I tore the letter open anyways. It was from my lady. It read:
             Dear Pete,
                    I am sorry we are not together for me to explain this to you. Over the past three weeks I have put a lot of thought into are relationship and don't believe that it is right. I know I am not the expert on marriages and more on divorces but someone and something has taught me that we can never be happy and in love with someone because the world always brings pain and suffering just like waves moving pebbles. I will always love you.
                                                             -Mrs. Phelps