Free Journal- Giving Back on Earth Day
Gosh! I completely forgot to post a Journal entry on Earth Day! Well, better now than never! What exactly does Earth Day mean to you? A day to rejuvenate and feel at ease with the land? A time to take action and improve our ecosystem’s stability and condition? How about both of these? What can we do to help improve the daily life of our planet Earth? How about recycling? Recycling is probably one of the most efficient and positive ways we can influence positive changes in the world.
Also, why not try new water consumption options? Instead of drinking bottled water day-in and-day out (even I do it), why not try a water-filtration system like a BRITA or PUR water filter. You save money and you save trees to!
Anyways, I just wanted to mention that on Earth Day, we should all take the time to appreciate what little we have left of the wilderness in our world and come to understand exactly just what we can do better improve the stability and welfare of our being. After all, actions of the present influence the actions of the future.
Free Journal- It’s Starting To Look A Lot Like Spring!
Well everybody, it finally looks like the weather is starting to look and feel more like Spring! The heat is decreasing, the wind is becoming a nice, rippling breeze, and the azaleas and other flower species are springing from the soil! It definitely is a beautiful picture and a very inspirational sight for writers and photographers. It’s a great time to spend some leisurely time outside so go outdoors and start exploring!
Free Journal- Over Already?
School has finally set in once again and the anxious teenage school goers are once again in the process of learning. Surely, these are the happy thoughts teachers are thinking right about now, however, I am sure the students aren’t! So how was everyone’s Spring Break? Did anyone go anywhere exotic or anything? I traveled to Savannah for Spring Break and had a wonderful time at the Oatland Island Wildlife Center. I highly recommend this wildlife center, it was a true pleasure to go visit it.
But it isn’t that longer before Summer gets here so let’s finish up and get on to Summer Break!
Journal #8- April Fool’s Day!
Well it’s Finally April Fool’s Day! Has anyone been pranked by any jokestsers yet? If not, watch out for a prank may fall across your path sometime today. Whatever you do, don’t fall for the “what’s that on your shirt” prank. That’s the oldest one in the book! Instead, come up with a great April Fool’s Joke like this one from CNN:
http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=426673&hpt=C2
Crazy stuff huh? Good luck everyone!
Assignment #10- Creating a Story from a Character (Part 2- The Story)
*A Gift From The Heart*
The evening rays cast shadows against the auburn cabin at the peak of the emerald green hill. Jonquils lay among the hillside, perching form their grassy homes while a concrete bird bath at the top attracted larks and robins as they descended for their evening bath.
Smoke emitted from the concrete chimney, its vapor traveling high over the tops of the spruce trees of the forest, its oaken odor wafting. Lights illuminated the interior of the cabin as the wooden latch of the doorway unlocked. A mother’s voice reminding her daughter not to stay out to late echoing down the hill.
Stepping from the lighted shadows of the cabin emerged a young girl, her sandy brown hair lifting with the gentle gusts of the March winds. The birds, sensing the girl’s presence, ascended towards the crimson Vermont skies above as a grin etched across the girl’s face, observing her surroundings, the youngster proceeded down the hill, skipping and avoiding the flowers she had so carefully planted. With a roll, she tumbled down the hill resulting from a careless trip on an ill-placed rock. Shaking the grassy stains from her clothes, the girl muttered and set about her way once again, her destination just as free and wayward as her spirit.
Crossing the creaking wooden bridge across the whitening brook, the girl made her across the standing wooden fence and headed into the neighbor’s pasture, greeting the bovine residents as she entered their abode. Crossing the adjacent fence at the other side of the pasture, the young girl made her precarious journey across the train tracks. She knew her mother forbid that act of tomfoolery and would never allow her presence on that devious steel structure.
Skipping merrily across the iron bars of the tracks the girl pranced with a dancer’s lively spirit. Crows down the tracks waltzed and pecked at various tidbits of crumbs on the ground. A sudden smell embraced her nostrils, the smell of charcoal and firewood. Her youthful senses abounded at the new branch of opportunities given to her. She must investigate! Without a thought, she headed through the grassy path on the other side of the tracks, following the rustic scent at the same time.
Willows loomed over the crimson sunlight path of the concealed woods. Dim lights flowed from an opening in the spiked brambles looming in front of her. As she painstakingly picked her way through the aggravating monstrosities of the natural world, the young lass followed the approaching light, her curiosity growing to its peak.
A trailer home park greeted her eyes as she stepped through the brambles. She was in a new environment. Vicious dogs chained to wrought-iron leashes savagely barked at the girl from a distance. Frightened, the girl turned to head back home when she witnessed a young African-American boy sitting next to the “rabid-like’ beasts from the underworld itself. The young lad stroked the dogs hackles, still raised to their peak.
With a soft whimpering, the dogs slowly backed away and returned to a small shed next to their posts. The boy sullenly sat down next to the shed and began writing in a small notebook. Approaching the boy from the side, the young girl startled the young man and backed away from her slightly.
“What are you doing here all by yourself?” The young girl asked the boy. “Oh… I… I… was just… petting my dogs. “What’s your name?” stated the girl, enthusiasm growing in her eyes. “Oh, I’m Tom. Tom T. Shiftless to be exact.” Replied Tom, gaining the confidence to greet the girl with a slight shy grin. “What’s yours?”
“My name’s Laura Nell Crater and don’t you forget it bud!” Exclaimed Laura tapping her new friend’s nose with friendly intentions. Tom laughed and the two youths sat down on the grassy knoll of the trailer home and chatted their hearts out with never-ending topics like school, food, and movies. Before long, stars dotted the celestial easel in the sky and it was time for Laura to head homeward.
As Laura said her goodbyes to her new pal, she looked into Tom’s soft, light brown eyes. He appeared to be disappointed of her departure and longed for her continued presence. “I’ll come back tomorrow okay Tom?” Stated Laura, attempting to reassure him and uplift his spirits. “Okay, replied Tom, his hopes lifting and realizing the truth to her words.”
Laura once again traversed through the shadowy brambles of the forest and occasionally glanced back at the diminishing light, at her friend who still stood on the grassy knoll of his impoverished environment, writing truthful words of admiration and kindness in his plaid diary of the girl who had enhanced his lonesome life and gave him the gift he always wanted, friendship.
Assingment #10- Creating a Story from a Character (Part 1- Character Profiles)
-Character 1-
- Name: Laura Nell Crater
- Sex: Female
- Age: 12
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Occupation: 7th Grader
- Hair Color: Sandy Brown
- Eye Color: Hazel
- Character Description: Laura is an adventurous 12-year-old with a taste for adventure and a limitless passion for friendship. Laura lives down the street from Tom and the two soon become best buds. Laura lives in a small log cabin in Vermont.
-Character 2-
- Name: Tom T. Shiftlett
- Sex: Male
- Age: 10
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Occupation: 5th Grader
- Hair Color: Black
- Eye Color: Light Brown
- Character Description: Tom is a shy boy who has lived a sheltered life isolated from friends. His new-found Laura, opens his eyes to the outside world while the two develop a friendship that surpasses all boundaries. Tom lives in a poverty-stricken trailer park down the road from Laura.
Free Journal- The Luck O’ The Irish!
Been seeing a lot of GREEN lately? Well, St. Patrick’s Day is right around the bend and before we know it, little men with green petticoat and Cheshire grins will be popping up in fields with their copper pots of gold.
Speaking of which, I remember when I was in Elementary School, we were assigned to create a Leprechaun Capturing Device and place it in a certain part of the classroom in hopes that we would catch one, we would lure them with a cutout pot of gold. The devices were left overnight, and if luck praised us, a little green stuffed man would be in the device. It was a really creative and interesting assignment.
Free Journal-Vacation anyone?
I know it is a tad early to be speaking of vacation, but I was just wondering where would you guys like to go on vacation? A sandy beach surrounded by palm trees, an urban metropolis filled with pollution, maybe Mars?? Where would you go?
For me, I would go Northwest towards the Yukon. Cold temperatures, endless tundra, and vast hillsides call to me like a fresh Dr. Pepper. Well, that wasn’t a very good comparison but you get the idea. In the Yukon, I believe that peace is in the natural surroundings. Wildlife abound and beauty surrounds you when you are there. Camping anyone?
Free Journal-Spring Is Coming
Is it just me or is the presence of winter getting bit tiresome and tedious? The 32 degree weather and the ever-looming clouds of rain seem to be a little gloomy for the beginning of March don’t you agree? At last though the weather is inching up towards the 70 degree mark and the sun is beginning to show its bright and cheerful face once again.
Unfortunately, we all know what comes in warm weather. MOSQUITOES!! OH NO!! Yes, the dreaded creatures of miniscule size will hatch from their earthen burrows and sap the blood from your soul! Well, not your soul anyway, but I sure do hate them! Anyway, everyone have a nice start to Spring and a happy St. patrick’s Day on the 17th!
