As I look at the paragraphs I've posted throughout the year, I realize how much my home life effects my writing. In almost every blog I have an allusion to someone in my family, or a place that I remember as a child. Writing about home makes writing more meaningful to me, because it's personal and not something I usually share verbally. Writing is like an escape from solitude, even when you feel your loneliest, because even if you don't speak, you're still able to voice your opinion.
At the beginning of the year I would say I was a fairly good student. I did every blog, including extra credits, and each was done on time. As the year progressed though, my bad habits began to emerge when my home life became more stressed. I'm missing several blogs, and almost all of them are late.
A few weeks ago, I was actually failing half of my classes. I was so involved trying to straighten out my home life that school just slipped my mind.
My parents both gave me a proposal. My dad said that if I stopped skipping school, and passed all of my classes, that he would stop harping on me about seeing my mom. My mom, on the other hand, told me that if I did those same things, she would get me a puppy.
I can't wait for school to be out so I can get that puppy. I don't know if I've ever been so excited about something, honestly. I've always wanted one, but my dad says, "cats are cool, but dogs are dicks". I'm sorry if that quote is inappropriate, but it just seemed to fit, and it's an actual saying.
I learned a lot this year. Not necessarily in my classes, because I messed up A LOT after Spring Break, had a bit of a party fever, but from that I learned how important it is to stay on track and do your work.
Monday, June 13, 2011
A Memorable Assignment
Writing papers has always been something I don't struggle with. When this year came along, I started getting lower grades than I ever had on assignments, so therefore began to doubt myself. Towards the middle of the year we read a poem called "Shoulders", and that's the assignment I'm most proud of.
I expected to get a really low grade on it, so I remember not wanting to get it back. When the day came that you returned it to us, I was completely astonished to find out I got 100%. In fact, I don't think I've ever been more proud of a paper in my life. This is a little bit embarrassing, but I actually folded the paper so only the note you wrote, saying I was a good writer, was showing, and then I tacked it on my wall, because it gave me confidence on other assignments I was writing!
I expected to get a really low grade on it, so I remember not wanting to get it back. When the day came that you returned it to us, I was completely astonished to find out I got 100%. In fact, I don't think I've ever been more proud of a paper in my life. This is a little bit embarrassing, but I actually folded the paper so only the note you wrote, saying I was a good writer, was showing, and then I tacked it on my wall, because it gave me confidence on other assignments I was writing!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
A Good Experience With Poetry(late)
When I was in Mrs. Barber's class at Pioneer in third grade, she ordered all of my pupils and I a blank white book for us to put poems in. It took a few months, but eventually my book was filled, and I was so proud of myself. Our reward for writing a poem on every page was free time to color the cover of our book. I drew a tree on mine, with leaves of hearts hanging off of it. It almost looked like a Weeping Willow, but my own personalized version. I called it "Katie's Book of Poems" and gave it to my mom as a present at the end of the school-year.
My favorite poem was one that I had written about my grandparents house, and to this day it's my favorite place to write about. The poem was surprisingly mature for a third-grader, I realized over time, and that's probably why everyone loved it as much as they did.
I lost my poem book when I was evicted from my house on June 26, 2010, along with most of my other things. The book was upstairs on a book case, where my mom put only her favorite books, and since I was mad at my mom for leaving me, and letting our house be taken away from us, so I didn't include anything from her bookshelf in my plastic tub of things I was allowed to keep. Instead I put in a bunch of useless things. A computer, some of my clothes, movies that I liked, and a few video games. I really wish I would have put more thought into what was important, because I'll never get what was left in that house back. It's gone for eternity; probably in a landfill somewhere now.
Personally, I love poetry, and I love writing poems. I write all the time, yet I always throw them away once they're finished because I'd rather get rid of things by choice than have them taken away from me. I think poetry soothes the soul, and that's why music is so appeasing to the senses.
My favorite poem was one that I had written about my grandparents house, and to this day it's my favorite place to write about. The poem was surprisingly mature for a third-grader, I realized over time, and that's probably why everyone loved it as much as they did.
I lost my poem book when I was evicted from my house on June 26, 2010, along with most of my other things. The book was upstairs on a book case, where my mom put only her favorite books, and since I was mad at my mom for leaving me, and letting our house be taken away from us, so I didn't include anything from her bookshelf in my plastic tub of things I was allowed to keep. Instead I put in a bunch of useless things. A computer, some of my clothes, movies that I liked, and a few video games. I really wish I would have put more thought into what was important, because I'll never get what was left in that house back. It's gone for eternity; probably in a landfill somewhere now.
Personally, I love poetry, and I love writing poems. I write all the time, yet I always throw them away once they're finished because I'd rather get rid of things by choice than have them taken away from me. I think poetry soothes the soul, and that's why music is so appeasing to the senses.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Conflicts Within the Life of a Teenager
Well, alike my other blog, this one also happens to be late, so it makes it a little harder to do what's asked specifically.
Juliet, not allowed to marry her Romeo, is told to marry the man her father chose for her, Paris. Although she doesn't want to, it's against her will, whether it good or not. This is one of the many conflicts around love in this extremely romantic novel, and one that ends the lives of these star-crossed lovers.
When I was about 6 or 7 my mom taught my Sunday-school class. It was boys and girls, and my mom really wanted me to have a crush on this one boy, we'll call him Chris. Sometimes to make her happy, I would say I thought he was cute, but really I liked this boy named Garrett, whom she thought was a brat. I remember telling her I liked him one day, thinking she would flip out, but instead she laughed and told me she knew the whole time!
Romeo and Juliet didn't end that way, but then again, most similar situations have their differences.
Juliet, not allowed to marry her Romeo, is told to marry the man her father chose for her, Paris. Although she doesn't want to, it's against her will, whether it good or not. This is one of the many conflicts around love in this extremely romantic novel, and one that ends the lives of these star-crossed lovers.
When I was about 6 or 7 my mom taught my Sunday-school class. It was boys and girls, and my mom really wanted me to have a crush on this one boy, we'll call him Chris. Sometimes to make her happy, I would say I thought he was cute, but really I liked this boy named Garrett, whom she thought was a brat. I remember telling her I liked him one day, thinking she would flip out, but instead she laughed and told me she knew the whole time!
Romeo and Juliet didn't end that way, but then again, most similar situations have their differences.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Romeo and Juliet Comparison
I apologize for the late blog, the internet literally turned back on like ten minutes ago.
Although I could probably search for a story on the web for a similar story to Romeo and Juliet, I'd rather use a story that I know personally, my mom and dad!
A little more than 15 years ago, my mom was engaged to this guy whose name was Stewart. He took my oldest brother Will as his son, and they all planned to move into a house together. When summer came d the corner, baseball season started up, and my mom was on the same team as Stewart and his best friend, Kyle Gubbe. As the season went on, my mom and dad became closer, and Stewart and my mom became more distanced.
I'm an August baby, and although I really don't like to think about this, my parents got together for the first time that fall, and the outcome was me. My mom and Stewart were still together, but I was definitely my father's child.
My mom and dad weren't supposed to be together, my grandparents didn't like him(I don't really blame them) and he was bestfriends with my moms fiance; but in the end they were together, for the next 12 years or so. They weren't married until I was almost one, but their love lasted more than a decade. It wasn't quite as powerful as the love Romeo and Juliet shared, hence them not being together anymore, but at first my mom said their "love was lovely", and that's all that counts I think.
Although I could probably search for a story on the web for a similar story to Romeo and Juliet, I'd rather use a story that I know personally, my mom and dad!
A little more than 15 years ago, my mom was engaged to this guy whose name was Stewart. He took my oldest brother Will as his son, and they all planned to move into a house together. When summer came d the corner, baseball season started up, and my mom was on the same team as Stewart and his best friend, Kyle Gubbe. As the season went on, my mom and dad became closer, and Stewart and my mom became more distanced.
I'm an August baby, and although I really don't like to think about this, my parents got together for the first time that fall, and the outcome was me. My mom and Stewart were still together, but I was definitely my father's child.
My mom and dad weren't supposed to be together, my grandparents didn't like him(I don't really blame them) and he was bestfriends with my moms fiance; but in the end they were together, for the next 12 years or so. They weren't married until I was almost one, but their love lasted more than a decade. It wasn't quite as powerful as the love Romeo and Juliet shared, hence them not being together anymore, but at first my mom said their "love was lovely", and that's all that counts I think.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Connecting with Romeo and Juliet
Before we started reading it, I really believed that this story was going to be stupid and all lovey-dovey.. Well, it is lovey-dovey but that's part of it's beauty. At home when I'm reading I always think I know what's going on, or at least can generate an idea of some sort, but that idea completely alters when we read aloud in class. I'm really glad that we do because if not I would fail. Just like that quiz that we took, although I read the part I was supposed to, since we hadn't yet discussed it I was still confused and therefore got 3/10, when I really needed the points.
Like Romeo, I tend to rebel against my parents good-will, but the way I see it is that their good-will is different than mine. I like Juliet's character though, more-so than Romeo's. Instead of whining and complaining like Romeo does, Juliet obeys her parents for the most part, because she knows in the end that they have more power than she does.
Like Romeo, I tend to rebel against my parents good-will, but the way I see it is that their good-will is different than mine. I like Juliet's character though, more-so than Romeo's. Instead of whining and complaining like Romeo does, Juliet obeys her parents for the most part, because she knows in the end that they have more power than she does.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Pip's Quote, and a life altering day for me
"Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the information of the first link on one memorable day."
When Pip reconciles this quote, he means that what you do or think on just one day will change your life and perspective on something for eternity. Like a chain, one link is connected to another which is connected to another and so on, but the first link is what every other link is built off of, and will have an influence on all of the other links. The changes that occur in Pip's personality and ideas put in his head when he goes to Miss Havisham's house give him negative thoughts about his home and Joe. What Pip fails to realize is that Joe has always been there for him, and always will be. Someone like that doesn't deserve to be ashamed of, but Pip is ashamed anyways.
A life altering day for me was when I was told I was being evicted from my house, which had already begun to not be a home. It was last year and I just didn't know what to do with myself.. I didn't cry, but instead I just went straight to my room and filled a box of the things I valued the most. I mostly filled the box with pictures of my family when it was whole, and that was all I took. I didn't want to be reminded of the life that was being thrown away.
At the time my grandmother whom I wasn't very close to was living in our house with my little brothers and me, my dad was in jail and my mom was unheard of. I learned things in life aren't free, and it sucks. Every choice has a consequence, and my parents consequence of spending the money meant for bills on drugs and other unnecessary items was the loss of our home. I don't just mean our physical house either, I mean like the homey sensation you feel inside when you're with the people you love the most. Now, even with my dad living at my grandparents with my brothers and I, I still feel homesick constantly. This experience taught me that I need to look out for myself though, and I'm glad for that. I get to school on my own everyday without assistance aside from the city in which I live, and I never have to ask for money, I find ways to get it on my own. Being evicted made me realize that my parents can't support me, so I need to support myself. And I'm much more independent because of that.
When Pip reconciles this quote, he means that what you do or think on just one day will change your life and perspective on something for eternity. Like a chain, one link is connected to another which is connected to another and so on, but the first link is what every other link is built off of, and will have an influence on all of the other links. The changes that occur in Pip's personality and ideas put in his head when he goes to Miss Havisham's house give him negative thoughts about his home and Joe. What Pip fails to realize is that Joe has always been there for him, and always will be. Someone like that doesn't deserve to be ashamed of, but Pip is ashamed anyways.
A life altering day for me was when I was told I was being evicted from my house, which had already begun to not be a home. It was last year and I just didn't know what to do with myself.. I didn't cry, but instead I just went straight to my room and filled a box of the things I valued the most. I mostly filled the box with pictures of my family when it was whole, and that was all I took. I didn't want to be reminded of the life that was being thrown away.
At the time my grandmother whom I wasn't very close to was living in our house with my little brothers and me, my dad was in jail and my mom was unheard of. I learned things in life aren't free, and it sucks. Every choice has a consequence, and my parents consequence of spending the money meant for bills on drugs and other unnecessary items was the loss of our home. I don't just mean our physical house either, I mean like the homey sensation you feel inside when you're with the people you love the most. Now, even with my dad living at my grandparents with my brothers and I, I still feel homesick constantly. This experience taught me that I need to look out for myself though, and I'm glad for that. I get to school on my own everyday without assistance aside from the city in which I live, and I never have to ask for money, I find ways to get it on my own. Being evicted made me realize that my parents can't support me, so I need to support myself. And I'm much more independent because of that.
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