FInal SOL: Trip Memories

This Is For The Trip

This is for the trip. For the airplane and the boats. This is for the bubbles and the grass. This is for the who-knows-what's and the who-knows-where's. This is for getting lost. For getting found. This is for being spies and koalas. This is for the elephant, and the whale, and the earrings. This is for the flight simulators. For chasing rainbows and playing tag. This is for the same put-two-fingers-by-your-ear-and-wait. This is for the pictures and the journals. This is for the rain and the heat. This is for earth, fire, water, air, and cosmos. This is for the green and the blue. This is for ourselves and our futures. This is for the firsts and the lasts. For the beginnings and the ends. This is for Obama and the beavers. This is for red chalk and fluid. This is for running and floating down the river. This is for bruises and cuts. This is for mud and waking all day. This is for the city. For the bay. This is for the orchestra and the quarters. This is for the burgers and the statue with his hand in the air like he's trying to catch something. This is for bunk beds. This is for the marble and the wood. This is for that-one-time-we-did-that. Don't you remember? This is for the candy, for iced tea and Cheetos. This is for change and improvement. This is for the frogs and caterpillars. This is for the shoes and the messes. This is for the ropes course and the swing. This is for ga-ga and nicknames. This is for the memories. For the goodbyes and the thank yous. So there you go. Thank you. That was for us.

Sophie's World

This past week I spent some of my time reading Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. The story begins when Sophie Amundsen opens the mailbox to find an envelope addressed to her. She opens it to find that the only thing inside is one sentence: "Who are you?"  In pure disbelief, Sophie launches into confused questions. Still trying to understand, she looks in her mailbox again to find a second envelope. The letter inside reads only "Where does the world come from?" In the time that follows she receives anonymous letters and packages containing essays and stories that toss her into a crash course through philosophy. The philosophic questions and ideas begin to take up the majority of her time but none of her family members seem to ever question anything. This book teaches philosophy, and is still a continuous story about a girl, a stranger, a mailbox, and a postcard.

I got pretty far into this book about a year ago and have just now started to restart. I would recommend this book to most people although I am not sure if others would be interested in reading it.

Time and Again

Finney, Jack. Time and Again. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1970. 

This past week I started reading Time and Again by Jack Finney. This book is set in New York in two different time periods. It tells the story of an artist who joins a mysterious government program and travels back in time. I am very much enjoying this book but am not finished with reading it. I like the first person telling of the story and how unique the plot is. I am enjoying learning about both of the time periods that this book is set in. The dialogue is descriptive and interesting and the characters are not cliche or boring. Overall, I am excited to finish this book and would definitely recommend it.

SOL9: Trip Prep

I am so excited for our trip to DC but there are still some things that I have to do. First of all, I have to finish packing. I need to pack clothes and money and pencils and games and a sketch pad and my poetry book and some other things too. And even though I am going to be packing all of these things, there is a very good chance that I will overpack, forget something, or both. Trip prep is difficult and slightly stressful to think about for me so I decided to write a poem.

Don't forget
And make quit sure
To take your meds
For they're the cure

Don't ask dumb questions
Don't talk too loud
And bring a coat
If you see clouds

Finish journal pages
Don't break the ships
We love you so
Now have a nice trip!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy

Adams, Douglas. The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy. New York: Harmony, 1980.

This past week I read The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy by Douglas Adams. This is a classic book that tells the tale of a man living in England who is taken away from the Earth by a good friend of his who is actually from another planet but has been stranded for fifteen years. The two are picked up by a stolen space ship and travel across the universe. I enjoyed reading this book because of its interesting characters and quirky worlds. Adams is fantastic at creating unique and creative settings and plotlines that are different from other books in a similar genre. Overall, I enjoyed the comedy and writing in general of this book and would recommend this to most people, even those who have already read it.

 

 

Also, I am currently reading Time and Again by Jack Finney

SOL8: Poems

Here are a couple poems that I've written in the past couple of weeks. Some you may have seen and some maybe not; but I hope you like them.

Bird
A bird
Is bleak,
Or bright,
Or brown.

A bird
Is through,
Or broken,
Or silver.

A bird,
Is indifferent,
And undecided.



In My Pocket
A pen that clicks
Some tape that sticks
A paper clip
A mint

A silver thought
A tin robot
A document
To print

A black-ink pen
Vermillion wren
A tiny ball
Of lint

A dragon cave
A child saved
A drawing in
Full tint



Koi Pond
Golden fishes
Cool in springtime sweetest-
Dreams of lemonade.



Road from Veneux to Moret- Spring Day
(based on the painting by Alfred Sisley)

The road
the path
from which
none stray
is smooth
and cool
on such
a day

The trees
above
throw shade
below
protect
ing ground
from harsh
 a blow

And none
dare tear
through breeze
so blue
as sweet
Moret
in sight
anew.



A Cat Called Mewster- A Limerick
There once was a cat I called Mewster
Who at church would sit straight in his pewster
And the people did rave
Of the sermons he gave
And the way that he purred Halleluster



For Whom the Garden Grows
Walking through tranquility,
A tiny pair of shoes,
A dainty child made from the wind,
To dance with Solitude,

Petal-soft weighed thoughtfulness,
A song of Roses true,
A flick'ring, careful candlelight,
Softly glowing through,

And as she stepped if mesmerized,
Forget-Me-Nots blushed blue,
She sat upon a bottle-cap,
As Tulips bloomed anew.



Well, I hope that you guys enjoyed reading these poems, and you can expect more in the future!

The Road

McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. 

This past week I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. This is a post apocalyptic book about a boy and his father who are traveling along "the road". Their world is an altered version of America, set some time after a great catastrophe. The man and the boy go through a long list of challenges on their way to no place in particular, and risk their lives nearly every day. They are threatened by both humans and forces of nature while their time together on the road slowly draws to a close. I enjoyed reading this book because of how unfamiliar the world and characters are even though it is set in America and the characters act in a familiar way. I am still a little bit unsure about some parts of the book and how I feel about them just because it was so unique. Overall, I thought that this was a good book with an interesting plot, and I am not sure if I liked it or not.

 

 

 

P.S.

I am currently reading The World is Yours to Change by Daisaku Ikeda

Rose Under Fire

This week I read Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein. Rose Under Fire tells the story of an American woman who transports planes during WWII. She is doing pretty well until she is captured by Germans and sent to a concentration camp created for women. There, she has to find a way to cope with her new surroundings and then try to find a way to escape. She finds new friendships and learns about herself. I enjoyed reading this book because I could relate well with the main character. The plot was interesting and I liked the perspective. I would definitely recommend this book to most people.

SOL7: Little Petal Poem

Here is a short poem that I wrote today about a lonely flower petal. I hope people like it!

Little Petal
Little Petal
On a flower
Why won't you speak with bees?
Why won't
You answer
Questions?
Or chat with all the trees?
And Little Petal
On a flower
Why won't you share your smile?
Why won't
You laugh
At jokes?
Or maybe walk a mile?
Oh and Little Petal
On a flower
Why won't you share a dance?
Why won't
You sing
A song?
Or watch the lilacs prance?
Yes, and Little Petal
On a flower
Why won't you drink your tea?
But Little Petal
Most of all
Why won't you talk to me?

More Finished Books

Here is the sequel to my previous post about finished books. This is just my final thoughts on A Northern Light. If you would like to read my previous summary, it is also available.

Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. San Diego: Harcourt, 2003. Print.

I enjoyed reading this book mostly because of the main character and the setting. The main character was not the most creative but I still enjoyed reading about her and the things that were happening to her. I also liked how well the character fit in with the setting. She has the perfect kind of personality for the story and the small town that it is set in. I also liked the mysterious element because it made an otherwise bland story much more vivid. 

SOLC31: The Big Implausible

I did it. I actually managed to complete this thing. To finish a challenge that I originally thought to be impossible. Well, not exactly impossible, more like implausible. But I suppose that "doing the implausible" is what humanity strives toward in all that they do. And girl plays with dog and dog plays with ball but ball plays with nobody. Because that is our endless humanity. Our one singular breath that soon joins the millions that have gathered in the skies. The earth and the heavens together as one. And what is the goal? We don't know do we. I did this because I had to, but also because I wanted to. I wanted to complete that which is a so-called implausible. And so I have done it. So I say goodbye, and fare thee well.

SOLC30: Wrapping Up

Today is not the final day of the March Slice of Life Challenge, tomorrow is. Yet, I still feel the inclination to wrap a few things up. So here is me wrapping up before tomorrow's final goodbyes. Just a few comments, thoughts, observations, questions, and lessons learned.

 I think we found out. I hope Dr. Seuss's birthday was great. Perhaps I will find the bird again some day. poemcrazy really did teach me a lot. It just so happens that Kitty was off in the gardens tending to the radishes that where much in need of being tended to. Tanzi deserves to be taken out more. Why did I put the poor dog in a box? I need to read so much more. Eating fruits is a good thing to do. That baby guppy has grown so much. I should finish A Northern Light. I should fix Titan's ladder someday soon. Magnetic poetry can be good. I should blow bubbles again. I forgot about all of those little stories. I should spend more time outside. Poetry can be as creative as you let it. Fantasy books are exciting. I've gotten pretty good at using my characters. I miss children's books. Why did I ever stop drawing? I loved winning that tournament. Rhyming is difficult. The Cardinal came before the cardinal. I still have many more books to finish. I am no longer going to have the chance to post a dedicated Thursday Scribble. I love our new home. I should really go outside more. Death is scary. It's not over yet. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

SOLC29: Heaven

Do you believe in heaven? The afterlife? The underworld? Reincarnation? Or do you think we just lie there sitting and waiting in eternal nothingness? And what do I believe in? Well, I can’t say that I’m sure. There are so many thoughts from all kinds of people who state their beliefs. And we can’t just go in and ask a dead person, they have plenty of things to deal with as it is. Even if we could ask them and hear their answer people would argue. Some will say yes, some will say no, some will scream, and some will sit and write a criticizing article. People will spend all of their time worrying about what happens when they die instead of returning to their lives. I guess that’s why I don’t ask about heaven. I don’t want to. I just don’t. I want to keep on rolling with my own life. Who needs all that confusion and chaos anyways? I’m perfectly happy without those thoughts.

SOLC28: The Color Green

The Color Green
The safe
The secure
The beautiful
The meaningful
The way grass grows
The way flowers bud in the morning
The way that the veins in leaves are drawn out
The way birds call for each other high in the treetops
The way the sunlight above the clouds touches down on the hills below
And the way that breezes of spring reach through all emptiness inside of you and find the good that is hidden therein

SOLC27: New Home

There is that same light feeling in the air. It is warm outside even though the leaves left the street and the city as a whole a while ago. It has been a month since I was last here, I had been sleeping on the floor with the dogs for so long that they had seemed to accept me as one of their own. This new place is quiet and hollow. Like a book with blank pages, but I know it won’t be for long. We will turn this building into our home. Just like the last one and the room in my grandmother’s house that we have been sleeping in for the last few months. We only have to start writing.

SOLC26: Thursday Scribble

Because this is the last Thursday Scribble for the March challenge, I have decided to include three of my latest scribbles. Enjoy!

 

Clouds 

Cotton summer clouds

Forming shapes in creamy blue oceans

Marbled tones of periwinkle

Lead to

Endless hours of time

Spent searching the heavens

For clubs and hearts 

Hide and Seek
Hide
and Seek
for Hours
and Hours
and Hours
and Hours
if Only
Time
Forgave

Persipitation
Splishity-Splash
In Careful Rain
Dreaming
Of the Summer Sun
As Glistening Bubbles
Tap the Surface
Of Crystal Puddles

SOLC25: Finished Books

This past week and this coming week I am finishing a few of the books that I have not yet finished. The books that I have finished this past week are The Te of Piglet and Egg & Spoon. The following is a brief summary and an explanation of my final thoughts about these two books.

The Te of Piglet is a sequel to The Tao of Pooh. It teaches some elements of Taoism using characters and stories from Winnie-the-Pooh. This book had a creative premise and was also educational. I loved the way that the author took the original characters from the stories and developed them into something more. The book was enjoyable to read because it was entertaining and humorous as well as an interesting non-fiction book.

Egg & Spoon is another book that I have recently finished. It tells the story of two Russian girls leading very different lives who are brought together after the disappearance of the firebird. This book was written by the author of Wicked and had a very unique style to it. It was creatively narrated and was told in both third and first person. Although the story was technically a children’s book it was still incredibly enjoyable for me.

SOLC24: Trying Questions

 

I have some trying questions for you. Now, you must not feel forced to answer them but please give them a moment's thought:

• Which came first? The cardinal, or the Cardinal
• Why green?
• Why did whales choose water?
• Why are there capital letters?
• Who made capital letters?
• Who thought that making a different way of writing letters was a good idea?
• Did capital or lowercase letters come first?
• Why do I care so much about capital letters?
• Why are clocks so loud when one is in an empty room?
• Why do people care about trees falling in the woods?
• Why are there so many tours of stupid places?
• How does fake wood look real?
• How did someone find out how to cook things?
• Seriously was someone just like "Hey lets throw our resources into a fire and see what happens"?
• Why can't I stop thinking about capital letters?
• How could I have gotten so far in life without learning that the word criteria is plural?
• Why do we have silent letters?
• Did someone just put a g and an h in some word somewhere and decide that it looked cool?
• What's the deal with evolution?
• What will happen when I die?
• THIS STUPID CAPITAL LETTERS THING IS REALLY ANNOYING ME WHY CAN'T I LET THIS GO? AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Okay, I think that is enough of that for one day. That's all that I have to say.

SOLC23: Rhyming

There is no better use for time, then taking moments for a rhyme. For what good use is writing bland, when one can rhyme to make it grand. The matching sounds create a joy, that patterns almost corduroy. With colors painted magic'ly, and seeming like a symphony. So people love to match the words, to help the worms to eat the birds. Or get the plates to smash the spoons, the Earth to spin around the moon. So people rhyme around the world, watching words together swirled.

SOLC22: Volleyball

Running back to the court, I realize that we still have time to warm up. We warm up are arms, and as soon as I'm ready to go I hear it. "Captains!" The two of us jog to the edge of the net and here a short speech about how we should know the rules by now so they shouldn't have to be explained and what our names are. We do a quick round of rock paper scissors to see who gets first serve. Darn, not us. We are told that that's all and we wish the other girls good luck. They take five minutes to practice and we watch. These girls are good, but I think that we're better. They serve and we continue to watch them, keeping track of whose serves are the best. Next, we take our five minutes. They watch as we work on our passing and hitting. And they still watch as we serve. Soon, our five minutes are up. We get our line-up from our coach and then line ourselves up along the edge of the court. The whistle blows and we all walk forward, waving. We turn and wave to the other side. We high five the other team below the net and say good luck. Finally, we cheer and give each other high fives, ending with our final battle cry. "Denver, you know!" I run out onto the court and stand by the net. I hope this goes well. The winner of the tournament depends on this game.

SOLC21: Drawing

Personally, I spend a pretty good amount of my time creating art. And I have been doing even more recently, after a pretty long amount of time where I didn't do very much. But these past few weeks I have been drawing so much more. And I'm actually doing pretty well. I've improved a good deal and have started drawing for enjoyment not just because I have to. I have started to draw a larger variety of things as well. Here are some examples of the things that I have drawn recently:

 

 

What do you think? Is there anything that you've drawn lately?

SOLC20: Children's Books

I am a huge fan of children's books. They teach lessons while also sharing the stories of small animals and people and objects who have adventures of sorts. That could mean the little bear in the ill-fitting red shirt, or the little girl falling down a hole. These adventures could be simple things, a panda living out a year of seasons in Haiku. Or it could be the simple daily conquests of a little hamster. They are both enjoyable and timeless. With both tiny chapter-books and picture-books the characters are loveable. We all appreciate the characters in picture books because of how much they teach us and all of the things that we have watched them endure. They have inspired us to be whatever we want to be.

SOLC19: Thursday Scribble

Today's Scribble is something that I made because I am so excited for spring. It is featuring Mr. Pink and Hart. I also have a short poem to go along with it.

 

Spring

To smile in Spring

With Tulips and Swings

Grass green

And Book in lap.

SOLC18: The Black Cauldron

 Alexander, Lloyd. The Black Cauldron. Wisconsin: Western Pub., 1985.
This past week I read The Black Cauldron. I enjoyed reading this book because I haven’t read a fantasy book in a while and this was a nice way to read it again. This book is about an assistant pig keeper named Taran who is assisting in the stealing of the cauldron. The cauldron uses the stolen bodies of the dead and turns them into the cauldron-born. These are warriors created by the cauldron who cannot be killed. I enjoyed this book because it was different than all of the other books that I have been reading lately. The story was unique and the characters were well developed. Overall, I liked this book very much because of both the storyline and how different it was for me to read.

                                       

SOLC17: Book Spine Poem

For my slice today I decided to create a book spine poem. I got this idea from my teacher who saw it on some other blogs. For those who don't know, a book spine poem is a poem that is created using the titles of books. I made mine out of some of the books in or class bookshelves. Here is the poem that I wrote:


The World is Yours to Change

Once Upon a Curse
Absolutely Normal Chaos

Things Not Seen

The Odyssey
The Spectacular Now

SOLC16: Springing Blooms

The snow on the ground begins to disappear into the soil below. The mulch on the ground gaining a reddish color, as water seeps through the gentle seams. And soon, the faint purple blooms begin to appear through the shining silver crystals. Small green leaves in the shape of waxy triangles become the neighbors of the snow-laden trees that tower above them. And along with the purples come pinks and yellows. Until the greys of chilling frost vanish along with the frigid winds of winter. This is what brings the pastel petals into the blue skies and crisp mountain air.

SOLC15: Mini Memories

For today's slice I am writing what I call mini memories. These are seven memories that consist of only a few sentences and are inspired by a word. I used a random word generator to get these seven words and then wrote a bit about something that comes to mind when I read the word.

Lighthouse
As the fire slowly dies into embers on the sand, the gentle breeze tosses the tiny dune-grasses back and forth, and back and forth. The waves pitter patter along the rocky shore, carefully burying my feet so that every spot is covered. I open my eyes and glance across the tide-pools; seeing a tall silhouette rising above the shore.

Christmas
The huge truck stops in front of our houses, singing songs of joy and holiday cheer. The back is filled with bales of hay and people who we gladly join. My tiny hands are cold, but I don't mind because in my fingers is an even tinier candy cane.

Letter
Okay, so I am supposed to write myself a letter. What do I write? I'll just say that I am having a great year and I hope things are great for me as well and that sort of thing. Okay... Done. Should I put something in it? I guess so but what do I put. How about this piece of grass. There, all done. That was uneventful.

Laundry
The laundry machine is confusing. First you have to put stuff in it. Then you have to fill up the detergent slot. Next you turn this little dial to say what kind of clothes they are. Then you have to hit this button. WHY IS THIS SO CONFUSING?!

Cow
Oh my goodness. It's a little baby cow. It is so adorable. What do we do next? Wait... What? Why are we putting the little baby cow on the leash? In what world does that make sense? Well now we have a cow on a leash. Never thought I would see that happen.

Champagne
HAPPY NEW YEAR! We shoot confetti into the air and cheer as loud as we can. We watch New York do the same and here the sounds of glasses clinking below.

Palace
Completed. My own tiny castle with its own tiny garden. Out of stuff I found here at the base of a tree. Some might see it as a random scattering of twigs and rocks; but in my young mind it is nothing less than a palace.

SOLC14: The Little Girl

Once upon a time there was a little girl who played in two magical gardens. She could spend hours at a time in each garden. In the spring she would plant flowers and look for bugs and worms. In the summer she ran through sprinklers and blew bubbles. She jumped in piles of leaves and ate cookies in the fall. And in the winter she built fortresses out of snow. Of course, this was when she was very young. The gardens couldn’t shield her from growing older. She was a little bit taller every day, and beginning to enjoy new activities. Reading in a little metal chair or trimming the leaves off of herbs and picking tomatoes. She was still the same girl though. She would still jump in a pile of leaves and throw snowballs. But things weren’t quite the same as they used to be. She watched the squirrels in the big trees and the spiders in the bushes. But there hadn’t been bubbles for what seemed like ages. Things were slower, and the girl visited the gardens less and less. Until one day when she went out and sat down and looked at them. She looked long and hard and in her mind she said goodbye. She thanked them for what they had done for her. And she remembered all of the things that she had done there. Lastly, after a moment of silence, she took out a little plastic bottle and blew some bubbles.

SOLC13: Magnetic Poetry

In our classroom we have some metal cabinets in which we store various supplies. One of the cabinets (holding various games and paper plates) is covered in bumper stickers and poems. Yes, poems. Using magnets that represent one word each, we create poems. Here are some examples of the ones that are on there right now:

by Unknown

 by Me

 

by Me 

by Me 

by Amelia 

by Me

by Kate 

by Me 

by Kate

by Me 

 by Kate

 



 by Me

SOLC12: Thursday Scribble

Here is this weeks Thursday Scribble and poem. This Scribble is featuring Kitty and Titan. I hope you guys like it!

Kitty's so big,
The ground shakes with one purr,
Difficulties,
When one brushes her fur.
Titan's so small,
And cannot reach so high,
A ladder in turn,
For that spot by her eye.

SOLC11: A Northern Light

Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. San Diego: Harcourt, 2003. Print.

This week I read A Northern Light. I thoroughly enjoyed this book but was not able to finish it this week. This book is about a word loving sixteen year old girl living in the North Woods. She dreams of going to school in New York but has to stay in her hometown to help take care of her family after her mother dies. So Mattie gets a summer job at the Gilmore hotel. The summer is basically normal until a Grace brown gives her a stack of letters and tells her to burn them. Soon after, Grace's body is retrieved from the lake and Mattie finds that it wasn't just a coincidence. I have enjoyed reading this book and am excited to finish sometime soon. The characters were nice and I even learned some new vocabulary words.