Snow.

Fingers frozen on the glass

Watching, waiting, falling fast

Inches build as hours pass

Blanketing streets and rooftops, covering the grass.

Sticking to the cold, hard ground

Building up while coming down

Once green and orange now white and brown

Altering the beauty without a sound.

The clouds shut with nothing more

Beeping, salt burns away the floor

Immediately taking down the new decor

but never the same as it was before.

Clearing, blue skies find their way

waking the sun for a new day
of melting the trace of winter away
and bringing closer the colors of may.

"What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers." - Logan Pearsall Smith

I think this quote means that a good author can convey his point without directly saying it. It reminds me of the "showing not telling" method that we are told to try using. Smith might mean that what he likes in an author is the less obvious meanings or messages that he can infer from context because the author has given enough description and imagery.

My Favorite Short Story

I was having so much trouble trying to find a "favorite short story." I thought that there must be a short story that I just couldn't think of, so I decided to look up a list of short stories. I noticed a lot that I had read, but didn't really like. I also noticed a few that I did like a lot. I probably haven't read enough to have a favorite, so I decided I would read a few before writing this. I came across a story called "A Telephone Call" by Dorothy Parker. I wound up loving it. I felt that it was relatable and I understood this girl's mentality waiting for the phone to ring. My eyes wanted to jump to the bottom of the page to see what the end would entail. I forced myself to read the story without reading the ending first, just to find out that the ending was ambiguous. I usually hate ambiguous endings, but I actually really liked this one. I think depending on your own mentality and view of hers is how you will decide what you think happens in the end. I thought it was a pretty cool story.

We should all value our education more!

Do you think young people today value their education as much as Sara Smolinsky does? Why or why not?

I don't think that young people today value their education as much as Sara Smolinsky does. Having an education, especially where we live, is part of every person's life. We all go to school and we all learn, take tests, and most of us try to get good grades, however, there are young people who do not care about school or education. This is unlike Sara, who is unusual for having an education, causing her to value everything she has learned. It is possible that young people don't care because we are not only forced to go to school, but the burden of college and having a decent career is thrust upon us at such a young age. I believe that as we get older we value our education more, as we enter the "real world." It may not seem like it now, with questions like "when am I ever going to need to know this?" in your head, but it will all pay off in the end. Education is important for jobs, careers, to be successful...or if you just want to have an educational conversation and be taken seriously!

"There's nothing hard about writing. All you have to do is sit down and open up a vein." -Walter "Red" Smith

I somewhat agree with this quote. For some people, writing comes naturally. The words flow out and make poetic sentences, whether describing their emotions or just telling a story. On the other hand, there are people that are great writers but it takes them time and hard work to produce a satisfactory end product. For me, I love to write but it does take time for me to be satisfied with what I have written. I'm sure there are people out there that feel like writing is something to terrible and difficult that it is like "opening a vein." Sometimes certain people are better at writing specific things. For example, I love writing poetry and I think I am good at it however when it comes to putting a simple sentence together (to sound the way I want it to) it could take me forever. Everyone is different, with different levels of thinking and vocabulary skills, therefore some find it harder to write...and some just plain don't like writing!

Bread Givers Reflection

At first, I thought the book was boring. The more I read in depth, the more into it I got. I really like the style of writing. As I read and am keeping an eye open for passages, I see multiple ones that I could use. Many of the passages use meaningful similes. As far as the content, I like reading about the recurring theme of the Patriarchic family. I am curious to see what happens and what these girls decide to do.

Thanksgiving Top 10 (11) List!

I am thankful for...

1. My family

2. My friends

3. Music

4. 5. Food

6. My fish, Javier

7. "Bubbly"

8. Strikegently

9. Summer

10. Barack Obama

11. LOST