Final Blog 07/23/11

Has 25 days come and gone already?  Well I say it’s about time! In writing blogs for the last 25 days, I can honestly say, I have grown to hate writing.  I know that is not the point of this exercise but that is what it has accomplished for me.  I didn’t like to write to begin with and having to do it every day has just made it worse.  Also, I don’t like sharing my writing with the world and doing the blog has not helped that either.  Maybe if I was just writing for the teacher every day it wouldn’t be so bad but writing for the world is not what I want to do for a living or even just for a class.  This was supposed to have increased my writing fluency and I guess it possibly has done that to an extent.  I still feel like I have a hard time coming up with topics to write about and sometimes even if I can come up with a topic, I have a hard time having enough to say about it.  I tried the writing prompts and did do a couple of them but most of them I either didn’t feel comfortable with or didn’t feel like I could come up with enough to write.  I think I was able to write the most when I just wrote about my life and all that is going on but I am leery of putting too much information out there for the world to read.  I realize that probably the only people that will ever read that blog are my classmates but there is the possibility that anyone could so I didn’t want to put too much personal information out there.  I don’t feel like I got very much feedback so I don’t have any idea what I need to improve on.  If would have been more helpful to receive feedback at least weekly.  

We didn't show 'em today 07/22/11

My alarm started sounded at 5:30 this morning.  I hit the snooze until 6:00 and then had to take a quick shower and get ready to leave.  Today is our first game at the Show Me Games.  My son is in going into the fifth grade next year and this is the first time he has played.  We left the house at 7:00 and met up with the rest of our team.  We all put “Go Jays” and such on our windows and headed to Columbia from Marshfield.  There were six cars in our convoy and the lead driver was not a slacker.  I was going 80 mph trying to keep up.  We past several highway patrolmen and I can’t believe we all made it with no tickets.  We were able to make it in plenty of time for our noon game.  I don’t know if the boys were just out of their element or what the problem was but the game didn’t start out too well.  The other team was up four to nothing within the first couple of minutes.  By half time, we were losing eight to thirteen.  I didn’t think that was too bad because we weren’t playing too well.  We were making bad passes and just not handling the ball well.  I knew we were a better team than that so I thought we might be able pull it out in the second half.  Unfortunately, apparently the other team was not playing their best during the first half either.  After the second half started, we didn’t score for several minutes but the other team did.  We ended up losing 34 to 13.  Ouch!!!!  Well, it was a learning experience.  Tomorrow we have two games so hopefully they can be a little more competitive.  We are having fun anyway but it’s definitely more fun to win!

Just another blog 07/21/11

I am struggling again with a topic to write about today.  I am so tired and feel like the stress of life is really getting to me today.  I was up late last night getting my place essay submitted and doing things around the house.  I think I probably got to sleep around midnight and was up by 5:30 this morning to start working.  I went ahead and took the puppy to the kennel today because we will not have time in the morning.  I have to admit, it has been nice not chasing after her today but I do miss her.  I had to take a half day of vacation from work today so that I can get as much homework done as possible before leaving for our trip to Columbia tomorrow morning.  I double checked the hotel’s website and they do have wifi so I will be able to do homework I just won’t want to.  The boys had practice today.  They are going into the 5^th grade and they scrimmaged a team that is going into the 7^th grade.  I was pretty impressed with them.  The older team scored more but they didn’t just run away with it.  I think if we can hold our own against a team two years older, we should do ok at the Show-me Games.  Even if we don’t win, it will be a great experience for the boys.  They are all excited about staying at the same hotel and swimming.  One of the boys has some idea about them all bringing nerf guns.  I’m not sure how that is going to work but I guess as long as they don’t get too wild with them, it will be ok.    Just a couple more blogs and I will be done for this summer class.  I am really looking forward to a break.

Sugar is not so sweet 07/20/11

I still think my puppy is trying to drive me crazy.  This week since my son has been gone; it’s been just me and Sugar spending way too much quality time together.  She is doing really well with her potty training but she is just too busy for me.  I am glad that I work from home so that she doesn’t have to be kenneled all day but I actually do have to work and it is hard to do and watch her too.  She cannot be trusted to just stay out of trouble.  In the living room, we have a stuffed bobcat and she has been trying to chew its tail off and chews on the wood that it is attached to.  She has chewed up the bottom of my curtains in the living room.  We have a wooden rocking chair in there that she chews on the rockers.  Other than that, she’s pretty good in the living room.  Her food and water is in the kitchen, so she does ok in there as long as I keep the closet door closed where we keep the trash.  We have finally broken her – I think- from trying to jump up on the cabinets.  We have to keep the doors to the bathrooms closed because she will get into the trash and there will be toilet paper everywhere.  She likes to lie on the tile floor in the laundry room but she gets in trouble in there.  That is one of the places she chewed part of the trim off the wall and part of the wall.  She also chewed up a rug I had in there.  When I lock her in my office with me she will play with her toys for a few minutes and then commence to chewing on whatever she can get her teeth on.  She has chewed the trim in that room too.  Monday, I put her outside on her leash while I was trying to cook supper.  I heard her jump on the door and I knew she couldn’t reach the door on her leash so I went to check on her.  As soon as I opened the door she came barreling in soaking wet!  She had somehow gotten off her lease and decided to take a swim in the pond.   

Life 07/19/11

My son has been gone to church camp for two days and I miss him a lot.  Today I got finished working at about 2:30 and was so tired that I took a nap!  I was thinking this is my last day before he gets back and then there won’t be any naps so I might as well take advantage of it.  I was also thinking that I have so much English homework, I don’t know if I will be able to get it all done.  I knew if I was tired, I wouldn’t get much done either.  So now I have had a good nap and I am drinking a diet Dr. Pepper to help wake me up.  This is my last day of somewhat relaxation for the next two weeks.  Tomorrow, when I get done working I have to go pick up my son.  I’m sure he will talk for an hour or two about his time at camp.  Thursday we have basketball practice, have to take the Puppy to the kennel, and get everything packed so we will be ready to go to the Show Me Games in Columbia bright and early Friday morning.  We play three games Friday and Saturday and then that determines if and when we play on Sunday.  Vacation Bible School starts this Sunday evening so hopefully we will be back in time for that.  I always help in the Pre-school Crafts room and usually help a lot with the prep-work, decorating and planning.  This year, I wasn’t able to help with all that because of school but hopefully I will be able to be there for the actual crafts.  With finals, work, and VBS next week will be intense.  Then I have one week of work and the next week we are going to the lake.  I am looking forward to that little vacation!

More about my place 07/18/11

I have been working on my “place” paper this afternoon and I feel like I have writer’s block.  I can’t decide what to write about.  I know that my place is the lake and I have written some about that but I have been so many times and have so many memories, I am not sure which one to focus on.  There is the time we were there with some friends and we had our boats together.  Our friend Matt was getting some bait out of our boat to put in his and had one foot on his boat and one on ours and they started drifting apart.  I so wish we had a video camera for that!  We laughed so hard at him.  He nearly did the splits before he gave it up and allowed himself to fall in the water.  I think that was the same weekend that he saw a snake by our camper and screamed like a girl!  That was definitely his weekend to get picked on.  There was also the time that we were there and my husband caught about a 40 pound catfish on a rod and reel.  My youngest son was probably about 5 or 6 and that fish was as big as he was.  He just kept saying, “Dad, that’s a monster!”  We have had many instances where we have had to fight the raccoons.  They almost always get at least some food of ours.  One time they actually got into one of our coolers, opened a package of bacon and ate the whole thing, raw of course.  Another time they got a whole cantaloupe and took the top of it off just like they had used a knife.  They ate the whole inside and just left the shell.  The last time we were there we had some of the puppy’s food in a storage container outside and they figured out how to get the latches undone and the lid off.  They ate every bit of her food and I had to go to town to buy more. The raccoons are not one of my favorite things at the lake but they are amusing.  Some of the best times we have are sitting around the camp fire with friends and family just talking and relaxing. 

Church Camp 07/17/11

Today is the day my son leaves for church camp.  I am a little sad because he will be gone for three days and I will miss him.  I am excited for him though and know that he will have a great time and hopefully learn more about and get closer to God.  I can only remember going to church camp one time when I was a child.  We went to Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  I was probably about the same age as my son is now which is ten.  I may have been a little older.  It is funny the things that you remember about an experience.   I remember riding the bus down there and riding horses and swimming there.  I also remember some of the church parts.  I went to a very conservative Baptist church when I was a child and this church camp was no different.   The girls were not allowed to wear shorts.  We could wear skirts or what they used to call and maybe still do call coolots.  They were kind of like capris but fuller like a skirt with legs.  I remember one time we were in the sanctuary and there was a woman talking to us about men wearing shorts.   I can still see the room and everything in my mind and this lady talking about how she didn’t want to see men’s hairy legs.  I don’t know why I remember that so vividly.  Weird. I don’t remember hearing sermons about God’s love but I remember the sermons about Hell and damnation.   I do feel that we should have a certain fear of God’s wrath but I think the main thing to focus on is His love.  I know that the church we go to now does focus on that so I am not nervous about my son going.  I know a lot of the leaders that are going and he is in good hands. 

Truman Lake Facts 07/16/11

Today I did research on what most people refer to as Truman Lake.   It is one of my favorite places to be and I learned a lot of interesting facts about it and its history.  For example, it is the largest manmade lake in Missouri.   It was originally called Kaysinger Bluff Dam and Reservoir in 1954 when construction was authorized but construction didn’t begin for another ten years in 1964.  Then in 1970, it was renamed Harry S Truman Dam and Reservoir after the former president from Missouri.   I was surprised to find out that construction of the lake took fifteen years and was not completed until 1979.  I had no idea that it took fifteen years to make a lake.  Apparently, it took years of planning and roads, cemeteries, railroads and even towns had to be relocated.   One of the most interesting facts that I learned was that the south-west portion of the lake makes up part of the Weableau-Osceola Structure.   I have been to Weableau and Osceola before but I had never heard of this “structure”.  I really thought Osceola was only known for its cheese.   It turns out that it is believed to be a 310-340 year old meteorite impact site caused by a 1200 foot meteoroid.   I guess they say believed to be because no one was around at that time to witness it but it is a 12 mile circular area.  It is one of the fifty largest known impact craters in the world and the fourth largest in the United States.  In the Osceola area they still have round rocks that they believe were created from the impact.   They call them “round rocks” or “Missouri rock balls”.  They are almost perfectly round.  I am putting a picture of one below.  The website I was looking at said they could be found frequently on the ground.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truman_Reservoir, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Missouri_round_rock.jpg, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaubleau-Osceola_structure

Things I am afraid of 07/15/11

From the creative writing prompts – list 20 things you are afraid of.  Pick one fear and write about it.

1. The dark

2. Tornados

3. Bad guys

4. What drugs do to people

5. Cancer

6.  Losing someone close to me

7. Dying

8. Being all alone

9. Failing

10. Being a bad parent

11. Being a bad wife

12. Not getting into nursing school

13. Not being able to succeed at nursing school

14. Getting old

15. Traveling alone

16. Losing my mind

17. Getting fired

18. Satan

19. Big vicious dogs

20. Never living up to my potential

With the tornado in Joplin being so recent, I think that is a very real fear of mine.  I am really thankful to have a basement.  We only have one bedroom down there.  When the forecast is calling for storms, we will usually all go sleep down there.  That way we don’t have to worry about waking up and taking cover.  I have not been to Joplin since the tornado but from what I have heard, being in a basement doesn’t give me as much of a security feeling as it used to.  I’m sure that it is safer than being upstairs but I think that kind of tornado could get you anywhere.  I hope that we never have to deal with that kind of destruction.  I have always been afraid of tornados.  The wizard of Oz used to scare me to death as a child.  Of course, I might be remembering being afraid of that bad witch or maybe even the munchkins.  I do remember that they always played it on TV in the spring when tornadoes were more likely.  I remember one time as a child that I woke up in the middle of the night and my family was taking cover but they left me in bed asleep!  My mom said they didn’t want to wake me up.  Seriously!  I guess that’s why we always sleep downstairs if there is a threat of a storm; I don’t want to get left behind again.

Things that make me happy 07/14/11

1. A smile or a hug from one of my kids.

2. A back rub from my husband.

3. When my husband does the dishes.

4. When my husband does the laundry.

5. Let’s face it, when my husband does any kind of housework!

6.  Hearing a child laugh.

7. Going to the lake.

8.  A good book.

9.  Having time to read a good book.

10. A good movie.

11. Having time to watch a good movie.

12. Watching my kids play sports.

13. An A on a paper, test or assignment!

14.  A nice long nap.

15. A rainbow

16. The sunshine especially after several days of rainy dreary weather.

17. Ice-cream on a hot day or a cold day.

18. Listening to a good song on the radio.

19.  God’s promises.

20. Getting something done that I have really dreaded like finishing my I believe essay.

Most of the things that make me happy are the simple things in life.  After listing all these things, I realized not one of them really had to do with money.  Money is really nice to have that’s for sure but it doesn’t buy happiness.  The things in life that mean the most to me and make me the happiest, I already have.    

The Mystery Continues 07/13/11

If you read my blog last week, you found out about a mystery animal visiting my house at night and leaving messes on my front porch.  We were unable to positively identify the type of animal leaving the droppings so we have been putting my husband’s game camera out at night in hopes of catching it in the act.  I am a little sad to say that I don’t have any mystery pictures to post.  I am sad only because I really want to know what it is.  The good news is that there have not been any messes on my front porch since then.  There was one pile left on the lawn but, unlike the other piles, my husband did think that one looked like it came from a dog.  I guess I should have taken pictures of the previous evidence.  Maybe someone would have been able to identify it by looking at that.  We will continue to put the camera out at night and hopefully we will eventually get a picture.  It may have just moved on or found someone else’s front porch that it liked better.  My husband did say that someone he works with has been seeing a bear near here.  The guys at his work are pretty good about making up wild tales though so I don’t put too much stock in what they say.  Regardless, I really hope that is not what it is.  The piles are big but not big enough that is would be a full grown bear.  I think of bears like I think of snakes though.  If there is a baby one around, there is sure to be a momma around somewhere close too.  I don’t want to come face to face with a bear of any size unless I am at the zoo! 

My Place 07/12/11

If I imagine a place where I would rather be right now, it would be the lake.  It is the most relaxing place that I can get to go to.          The smells of the lake can be good or bad.  Early in the morning you can walk around the campground and smell everyone’s breakfast.  Usually you will get a good whiff of bacon.  Sometimes later in the day you can smell the familiar aroma of people barbequing.  If you walk down to the shore when they throw the left over fish parts, you will not enjoy the smell.  Sometimes it is so strong it will make my stomach churn.  The bathrooms that I go to are flushable but there are some that are not and sometimes just walking by, you can smell the horrid stench of human waste.  I try to stay up wind from those.  What are the sounds you hear at the lake?  Often times I can sit outside and just hear nature, birds chirping and squirrels rustling.  When there are more people there, those sounds get drown out by people talking, boats roaring across the lake and kids playing nearby.  When we go out on the lake, you can hear the waves hitting on the boat.  Sometimes you can hear a fish splash nearby.  If I am riding the tube behind the boat, you will likely hear me screaming.   When one of us catches a good fish you will hear us squeal with delight.   What do you see at the lake?  While at the camp ground, you will see people sitting around a camp fire at night or playing horseshoes during the day.   Often, people are just relaxing and sitting in lawn chairs.  When we go out on the lake, you can see water, water, water.  You might see a fish jump up out of the water.  At certain times, there are so many white bass busting up out of the water that it looks like the water is boiling.  That is a sight to see and the look on the kids’ face when they see it is a joy to watch!  You see people fishing and riding on water toys.   What do you feel at the lake?  A lot of the time you feel wet.  This can happen in several different ways.  The most obvious is by swimming.  You can also get wet by the water whooshing up over the boat as you are driving down the lake, by someone splashing you or by getting caught in the rain.  One of the best ways to get wet is in the shower because after a day at the lake, you will probably be one of the things that smell.

Review of Who is Driving 07/11/11

I enjoyed reading “Who is Driving?” by Kelly Anthony.  I don’t, however, enjoy writing research essays.  I realize that research essays are not assigned to simply torment students.  That doesn’t change the fact that they do though.  On one hand, I like that fact that there is not just one way to write a research essay.  On the other hand, I am one of those students who would love that step by step how-to guide she wrote about.   There is a lot of useful information in “Who is Driving?”  One thing that I picked up on was that we should write about what we know and what we want to about.  I think that’s the best way for the student to really get something out of the writing the essay.  If I were to write an essay on why grass grows better in some soil than others, I would be bored to tears.  However, writing an essay on the best soil and way to grow flowers would actually interest me.  The only problem with that is that I don’t know that much about growing flowers.  I have a black thumb.  I do want to learn more about it though and a research paper would be a good opportunity to become more informed.  I understand what she was saying about finding something that matters, something of interest in every topic studied.  “It will change your college experience and you will become educated”, I agree with that completely.   So I know that research essays aren’t assigned to bore or torture the student but why are they assigned?  If there is one thing I know for sure after reading this it’s that, “We write research essays to create new knowledge”!  I know this because it was stated many times in the essay.  It’s like that old economic saying.  What’s the most important thing when looking at real estate?  Location, location, location.  So, if it’s said three times in a row, it must be important!

Blogging 07/10/2011

I must say, when I read that we have to blog every day for 25 days, I was less than thrilled.  I do not enjoy writing.  It is almost painful for me.  I have to admit though, so far, it hasn’t been as bad as I had imagined.  Today, however, I cannot think of anything to write about.  I have looked at some of the writing prompts but couldn’t find anything that really jumped out at me.  So I thought I would just blog about blogging.  The point of the blogging assignment is to gain fluency.   The definition of fluent according to thefreedictionary.com is able to express oneself readily and effortlessly.  Well, according to this definition, I am not fluent.  I am a pretty quiet person and not great with expressing myself verbally but when it comes to writing, I am even worse.  I think my main problem is coming up with what to say.  Once I figure out what I want to say, it’s not too difficult to put it into words.  I just have so much trouble with getting to that point.  I don’t know if the blogging is helping but I guess at least it isn’t hurting.  I have blogged about essays I’ve read, about things going on in my life and about my past.  I am leery of putting too much personal information out there for all the world to read so I get stuck.  I think one of the most frustrating parts of the blogging experience is in posting comments to other people’s blogs.  It took me several hours to get it to work the first time and I have been trying again with no luck.  I don’t think that making comments will make me a better writer but if I can get 30 extra credit points, I need to do it.  Hopefully, I can come up with some new topics to write about this week to make my blogging more productive.  Stay tuned.

Memories 07/09/11

Yesterday I wrote about Saturday morning cartoons and how they have changed since I was a kid.  This got me thinking about other things from my childhood so I thought I would take a little trip down memory lane tonight.  I remember waiting for the ice cream truck to come down the street ringing his bell.  I know there are still a few of those out there but you don’t see them as much.  I remember the banana seat on my bicycle.  I remember riding my bike all over town delivering papers.  I had a paper route for several years starting when I was about 11 or 12.  I remember the first time I went off the high dive at the swimming pool.  I was scared to death!  I think I must have traumatized myself because I am terrified of heights now.    I remember my brother used to fart in my bed just to make me mad.  Boys are so gross aren’t they?  Speaking of my brother, I remember the time he spray painted my face black.  He had found an old can of spray paint that just barely had any in it.  He was painting one of his cars with it.  I was being the ever annoying little sister and saying, “Let me see, let me see”.  He finally got tired of listening to me and turned the spray can toward my face and said, “Here, see it”!  I’m sure he got in trouble.  I was pretty good about getting him in trouble.  Like the time he locked me out of the house so I took the broom that was on the front porch and broke the window.  He actually got in trouble instead of me.  I was the only girl and I was very good at convincing my mom that it was all his fault.  I remember drinking 7up when I had an upset tummy.  It still makes me feel like I should be sick if I drink it.  I remember my grandma washing my mouth out with soap for back talking.  I remember her “switching” me for other things.  I don’t remember what I did to get the punishment but I sure remember the switching.  I remember we had to work for what seemed like days to work off enough money so we could go skating on Saturday.  Hope you enjoy my trip down memory lane.  I remember when I used to want to stay up late.  Now, I can’t wait to get to bed and I think now is a good time to go.

TGIF 07/08/11

Thank goodness it’s Friday!  I remember when I was a kid that feeling of being out of school for the weekend.  Saturday morning was the only day of the week that I ever wanted to get up early.  Of course, I had to get up to watch my favorite cartoons.   My mom still talks about how as kids, my brother and I, would be up at the crack of dawn on Saturday but any other day of the week she practically had to drag us out of bed.  I don’t think Saturday mornings are the same anymore.  It used to be that if you slept in, you missed the cartoons.  They were only on in the morning.  With cable and satellite dish, kids have access to cartoons 24 hours a day.  That’s not to say that I let my kids watch cartoons 24 hours a day but they are available and I think that makes Saturday mornings seem less special.  The shows have changed so much too.  I used to watch Looney Tunes, The Flintstones and Scooby Doo.  Now they have Sponge Bob and Team Umi Zoomi.  I’m not even sure about the spelling on that.  They have Dora to teach you a little Spanish and there’s another one that teaches Chinese but I’m not sure of the name of it.    I think it’s good that they are using cartoon to teach kids.  I think the only educational programs they had when I was a kid were Sesame Street and The Electric Company.   I won’t be getting up in the morning and watching cartoons and my son probably won’t either.  We will probably sleep in a little and then head to Springfield for basketball games.  I usually start working at 5 a.m. during the week so Saturdays are now my only day to sleep in.  Funny how that has changed since I was a kid.

Bumming 07/07/11

I am bummed out today.  My husband got tickets right behind home plate for tonight’s game at the Springfield Cardinals.  I was planning on going but decided that I have way too much homework to do.  I know part of it is because I took several days off to go to the lake.  I still did my blog writing every day, drove to McDonald’s every day to submit it and worked on my I Believe Essay but that was about all the school work that I did.  Now, I am paying for it.  So instead of me going, my husband is taking a friend and his son along with our youngest son.  They will have fun but I will be stuck at home working on this class and my other class.  It’s just a matter of prioritizing and I would rather get an A in my classes than go to a ball game.  I’m sure that there will be a lot more fun things that I will have to miss while I am in school.  This is not the first and certainly won’t be the last.  Hopefully I will get everything done so that I can go to my son’s basketball games this weekend.  I feel guilty if I don’t go to those and I enjoy them more than watching the big boys play anyway.  His ball team will be playing in the Show Me Games the weekend before finals.  I am nervous that I will have too much school work to enjoy myself but I am going regardless.  They will have wifi in the hotel so I will be able to do homework in between games if I have to.  Summertime is such a busy time and I feel like I am just missing so much taking two classes.  Hopefully this will be the last summer that I have to do that.    

It's a Mystery! 07/06/11

There is a mystery at our house.  We have some sort of animal leaving us little “gifts”.  Well, they are not really that little and they aren’t gifts that you would want or where you would want them.  The first time we found one it was on our sidewalk.  It looked like a small cow patty.  It was small in comparison to a real cow patty but still probably five or six inches in diameter.  It was kind of blob like.  We figured it must have been left by a large dog although that isn’t really what it looked like.  A few days later, my husband took the puppy out to potty in the morning and there was another gift on our front porch!  It was very similar to the first one and totally disgusting.  Our sidewalk is concrete and our front porch is too.  Why would an animal be doing this on concrete?  Typically dogs choose grass to defecate on.  Anyway, we were gone for the weekend and happy to come home to nothing unusual.  Last night we were out until about midnight at a couple of late ballgames of my son’s.  When we got home, I took the puppy out to potty and there was another pile on my front porch!  It was a little more solid than before and had some parts that were more shaped like balls.  It was not tubular like a dog and the balls were about two inches in diameter.  I’m not really that familiar with animal scat so I googled it.  It’s not as easy to identify as you might think but my friend swears it’s a bear!  We are going to set up my husband’s game camera tonight so hopefully we can catch the offender in the act.  It may take a while but if we do, I will post the pictures on my blog so you will want to check back.  If anyone has a suggestion as to how to identify the offender or keep it from doing this, please leave me a comment.      

First Drafts 07/05/11

When I read “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott, I was really surprised.  Of course, the title was an attention getter but the surprising part was her saying that nearly all writers have shitty first drafts.  I honestly thought that a lot, if not all, professional writers could just sit down and write something good.   There would be some editing and revising but basically the first draft was good, not shitty.  I know that some writers suffer from writer’s block from time to time but I thought that for the most part, a professional writer could just come up with something to write.  That’s kind of why they are professional writers, because they can come up with something to write easily and because they do good work the first time, not having to rewrite and rewrite.  I don’t know why I thought that but I did.  However, people like me suffer from writer’s block on an ongoing bases and have to rewrite and rewrite everything.  I will even start something, hate it, pitch it, and start a totally different topic.  I guess that is what professionals do too.  Maybe the difference is that I do not enjoy writing and I really don’t like sharing it with the world.  It feels so personal to me and I would really rather no one read what I write.  Having to write and publish my writing on a blog is quite torturous.  I just feel so self-conscious.   The other difference at least with me and this author is that she said her first draft is usually twice as long as it should be.  Mine always seem shorter than needed and I go back and kind of fill in the blanks.   She goes through her first drafts and takes out everything she can.   For me, there is some deleting but mostly adding.  Even though I have a lot of differences, this story made me feel much better about my writing attempts and gave me some much needed confidence.

Lake Days 07/04/11

Yesterday was a wonderful day at the lake.  The thirteen of us camping together consist of friends and family.  I’m not sure what the temperature got up to but it was hot and humid.   We didn’t let the heat bother us though, we just applied more sunscreen.  We pulled the tube behind the boat and almost every took a turn including myself.    Our friends have jet skis so we all took a turn or two on those too.  That was all in between the fishing.  My husband likes to catch catfish on jugs.  I am not sure how many we ended up with over that last couple of days but it was more than enough to feed us all plus my friends parents that came up for the day.  We tried fishing with a rod and reel some too but didn’t have as much luck.  Also, the kids seem to be a little more interesting in playing rather than fishing.  The last time we went out to try fishing, we had to come back in because it started to storm.  We had been looking forward to watching the fireworks shot off over the water but they were rained out.   The lightning and thunder put on quite a show but it wasn’t the same.  We ended up huddled under a canopy trying to avoid the rain and making smores with a little gas grill because it was way too wet for a fire.  It was fun and the kids all enjoyed it.

 I think our camping trips with our kids will be memories for them that will last a life time.  They already have so many great memories from past years.  Just like last year when the storms came in and we didn’t get off the lake in time and had to sit through it.  It poured so hard that we couldn’t even see to drive.  I don’t think I have ever been that wet in my life, not even in the shower!  That was not a great memory at the time but now we can look back on it fondly.  They have other stories about the big fish that got away or the one we caught and a ton of stories about the raccoons getting into our food.  They are smarter than you would think.  Yes, yesterday was a great day at the lake and I look forward to many more years of memories there with my friends and family.

 

Funerals 07/03/11

I really liked the I believe essay “Always Go to the Funeral” by Deirdre Sullivan.  I think the older generation believed this much more than my generation and younger.  I know it seems like my mother goes to every local visitation of everyone she has ever known.  She has to go sign the book.  She doesn’t always go to the funeral but she does go to the visitation or viewing as it is sometimes called.  I liked how the author related going to a funeral to life and doing what you really don’t want to do because it’s the right thing to do.  I do not like going to funerals.  I cannot imagine that anyone does.  It is an obligation and you go because it’s the right thing to do.  There are many things like funerals that I do because it’s the right thing to do but I don’t really want to.  There are a lot of days that I don’t feel like working and I could call in sick or just take the day off but I don’t feel like it’s right to call in unless I am really sick.  I know there are a lot of people that call in if they have the slightest sniffle.  I think it’s a matter of work ethic and I don’t think the younger adults have much work ethic.  Of course, I know several people my age that don’t have much work ethic either so maybe it doesn’t have anything to do with the generation maybe it’s just the times.  Another thing that I really don’t like to do but I do out of obligation is visiting people in the hospital.  I feel horrible for not wanting to go and usually do because it’s the right thing to do.  That has more to do with just making the time to do it than actually disliking it.  I think that is the problem with a lot of people.  Our lives are so busy and our children are so busy, we don’t feel like we have time for things like hospital visits and funerals.  I agree with idea of this essay that it is important to make that time, do what is right and always go to the funeral. 

Credo 07/02/11

I believe in making dreams come true.  The sky is the limit and you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.  I think of the marathon runners that have artificial legs.  No one would have ever believed that they could actually run marathons.  There are also people who have no arms that do everything with their feet and live very full lives and even have and take care of children.  This is amazing to me.  They are faced with such adversity and make dreams come true so why can’t I?  Right now my dream is to become a nurse.  You may think that is a goal, not a dream and maybe they are one and the same in this instance but for me at almost 42 years old it seems like only a dream.  There have been a lot of times over the last 6 months since I have gone back to school that I just didn’t think I could do it.  I have to reassure myself almost daily.  I have not been in college in over fifteen years.  I have a family and have to work full-time.  That’s my adversity and it’s hard.  It’s scary completely changing your life at my age but I am so excited about it and I believe I will make that dream come true.

Possible Credo 07/01/11

I believe people should love more and hate less.  I think the world would be a better place if we all followed this basic principal.  There are certainly people that I don’t like but I try to find the good in people and to love them.  This can be really difficult with some people and sometimes it’s definitely easier to love someone from afar.   I try to have a positive attitude toward life and instill that in my children.  I try to show my children that you shouldn’t be mean and hateful.  I try to show my children to love more and not hate at all.  I am sure there are times that I fail miserably but I try and I think that is the point.   That is not to say that you should just agree with everything and everyone.  You can disagree with people and should stand up for your beliefs but you can do so without hating.  I think this is based on a statement that I have heard at church often.  That is that we should hate the sin, not the sinner.  Also, some people hate groups of people without even knowing them individually.  If you were a racist, you might hate a whole race just because of the color of their skin.  I really believe the world would be a better place if we could all love more and hate less.      

So This Was Adolescence 06/30/11

The reading I chose was “So This Was Adolescence” by Annie Dillard.  It is a dark, somewhat scary, story about a 16 year old girl in despair.   She just didn’t know how to control all the emotions that comes with being an adolescent.  It doesn’t appear that there was anything going on with her family or friends that would cause her to be so angry.  She doesn’t write about being bullied, teased or abused.  She writes about the anger, boredom, and helplessness that she felt just from being an adolescent. 

Her anger really spoke to me.  I can remember having similar feelings of anger when I was that age but not to this extent.  She talks about when she was angry wanting to kill someone or bomb something.  To take out her frustrations, she would literally whip her bed with a belt every day.   I think a lot of teenagers have these intense emotions and don’t know how to handle them and this often leads to drug and alcohol use.   Her outlet was a little bizarre but at least it seemed to have helped and wasn’t destructive to her or others.

                She talks about how she would play the piano so loudly that she damaged the keys and strings.  She banged on the steel-stringed guitar until she bled.   She had to have it loud.  I relate that to the blaring music I listened to as a teen.   It gives me a headache now but at the time it was sort of mind numbing.  The louder the music, the less you have to think about emotions, feelings and just life in general.  While just listening to loud music might help some, I think making your own music would feel so much better.  I can imagine how the pounding of the keys and the guitar strings could be very therapeutic.  

                I thought it was odd when she wrote “I got so excited I looked around wildly for aid; I didn’t know where I should go or what I should do with myself.  People in books split wood”.   I am really not sure what she meant by that.  I can understand that when people get excited, they want to release that energy somehow.  Often people do some sort of physical activity like running or exercising but I never thought about someone splitting wood for that reason and I cannot ever remember reading a book with that analogy in it. 

This reading is not something I would typically read.  I enjoy things a little more on the light side.  This was depressing.  I felt her helplessness and hopelessness.  I think that is what a writer wants, for you to feel it not just read it.  She accomplished that for me when she wrote, “Black hatred clogged my very blood.  I couldn’t peep, I couldn’t wiggle or blink; my blood was too mad to flow”.  I could feel her anger and despair.        

 

               

                 

Know Your Audience 06/29/11

What did I learn about my audience from the Know Your Audience discussion board?  I learned that my classmates and I have a lot in common but are different on a lot of levels too.  The only question that absolutely everyone agreed on was about whether or not they would choose to be a boy or girl if given the choice.  Everyone choose to remain the sex that they currently are. 

If we could live anywhere in the world, most of us would not be in Missouri but spread out in all corners of the earth.   Most people chose somewhere they had visited but some, like me, chose a place they only dream of.  The reasons were diverse but a lot were because of the lifestyle, either the relaxed atmosphere or the hustle and bustle.   Lakes, rivers and oceans were the favorite choices for scenery.

For the most part, if we had a million dollars, we would be pretty responsible with it.  Most would buy a house and a car or two, pay off bills and save.    This financial responsibility also shows in the reason we are attending OTC.   Most of us are here because of the low cost. 

Most people when asked who in their family they would trade places with for a day chose someone they look up too.  However, when given the option of trading places with anyone, a lot people chose a famous actor or actress.  So if we follow that logic, actors and actresses are the people we look up to?  That’s a scary thought. 

If we could change something in our life most would have worked harder in high school or earlier college days.  Others would like to repair family relationships.   The most surprising answer I found was Michael’s response to what moment or experience he would relive.  Most everyone chose a moment that was joyous and happy.  Michael said he would want to relive basic training.  From what I have heard about how hard basic training is, I was surprised that he would want to go through that again.  I can tell based on his reasoning, he is hoping it would be better the second time around.

Now that I know so much about my classmates, how will that impact my writing?  Well, a lot of my classmates like fantasy books like Twilight, Harry Potter and Trueblood.  Knowing that helps me know what they might enjoy me writing about.  We are a diverse group of people but we are all connected in the fact that we are all students.  We all face challenges and have regrets.  I hope to relate to those similarities in my writing.    

I believe my puppy is trying to drive me crazy

I believe my puppy is trying to drive me crazy.  She is the cutest little thing.  Her name is sugar because at one time we thought she was so sweet.  She is a yellow lab and about 3 months old.  She is not so sweet anymore.  She is an inside dog and we are having quite a time getting her potty trained.  She will go to the door sometimes but if you don’t get her right then she will wet.  Then other times she will just pee where ever she is.  But that is not actually the part that is driving me crazy.  She will chew on  anything and I do mean anything.  She tries to chew the trim off of my walls!  She loves underwear and not the clean ones either!  She only weighs about 15 pounds right now so she’s pretty small but she can jump up in the kitchen and grab stuff off the cabinets.  We have never fed her people food but I guess she knows that she would like it because she is always trying to get our food when we are sitting at the table.  One night we were eating dinner and could hear her at our feet and looked down and she was chewing the table leg!  If you get on to her she will look at you with those sad little puppy dog eyes like, what??  Did I do something wrong??  Then at other times she knows she is doing wrong and she has something she is not supposed to and as soon as you get up to take it away from her she runs with it.  She is really fast too!  She also likes to hide under whatever she can get under.  I guess she likes confined spaces but she does not like her kennel so I don’t know what that is about.  I think we are going to have to get her into obedience school or I am going to be completely gray headed.  We have had other labs before but not with the personality that this one has or the chewing habit that she has.  She is certainly a challenge and since I work from home, I am the one that gets to take care of her most of the time.  I really think we should have named her Marley from the movie.  She looks just like he did and she does a lot of the same things like he did.  She is just out of control sometimes!   I am hoping that she will grow out of it before I completely lose it!

word count 434

This I believe

1. I believe I am a good mother.
2. I believe I am a good wife.
3. I believe in Jesus.
4. I believe my husband loves me.
5. I believe I will be a nurse some day.
6. I believe my children will succeed.
7. I believe in fairytales.
8. I believe there is something good in everyone.
9. I believe there is something bad in everyone.
10. I believe in the need for a good education.
11. I believe in making dreams come true.
12. I believe that not everyone tells the truth.
13. I believe that smoking is bad for you.
14. I believe that there is a cure for cancer out there somewhere.
15. I believe that there is a cure for AIDS out there somewhere.
16. I believe that tulips are my favorite flower.
17. I believe you should be involved in your child's education.
18. I believe people should love more and hate less.
19. I believe the world would be a nicer place if people did # 18.
20. I believe that I am having trouble coming up with things to believe in now.
21. I believe I will be sucessful in this class.
22. I believe in good friends.
23. I believe that blood is thicker than water and you are stuck with your family, like it or not.
24. I believe that my puppy is trying to drive me crazy.
25. I believe in hot cocoa on a cold day and iced tea on a hot day.
26. I believe that absense does make the heart grow fonder.
27. I believe this is my last statement because my 10 minutes is up!

Jung Typology Test

The Jung Typology test indicated that I have an ISFJ (introverted sensing feeling judging) personality.  I wondered how accurate it would be because I had a hard time answering some of the questions.  They were not all right or all wrong and had words like often and usually.  However I think for the most part, it was pretty spot on.  It indicated that above all I have a desire to serve others, that I am a methodical and accurate worker, that I have a high work ethic but family is the center or my life, and that I have a few close friends that I am ready and able to help on a moment’s notice.  The results gave a list of occupations that would be suitable to my personality type.  One of those listed was nursing.  I was really pleased to see that since that is what I am going to school for now.  Others listed were social worker and education, both of which I have seriously considered.  Now, with all this being said, how does it affect me as a writer and a student?  I am an introvert and that makes this blog very uncomfortable for me.  I don’t mind sharing with close friends and family but sharing my thoughts and feelings with the world is just something I don’t want to do.  That is one of the reasons that I don’t have a Facebook.  This is certainly not something I would do if it wasn’t an assignment.  I think my personality and my work ethic makes me work hard.  I want to succeed not just for myself but for my family.   The test didn’t really reveal anything new to me but just confirmed what I already knew about myself.