Author's Note: Today when I was trying to think of a topic for my poem I was looking out the window. I saw the land behind the school where there are sometimes cross country meets for high school. I decided to take that thought and write a poem about the feeling of victory. My focus is voice.
Hitting the hardest serve,
Leaping that final hurdle,
Making the winning shot,
Winning the game for your team,
That's the feeling of victory.
Hitting a home run,
Kicking the winning goal,
Crossing the finish line,
Finally winning everything.
That's the feeling of victory.
Making the best team,
Passing the hardest test,
Having the highest score,
Being the best out of everyone.
That's the feeling of victory.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
The 5 People you Meet in Heaven
Author's Note: In my lit. group we are reading the book The 5 People you Meet in Heaven. In the book, Eddie is a lonely old man who lives in regret. One day while working at the amusement park, he's killed trying to save a girl from a broken roller coaster. When Eddie gets to Heaven, he meets 5 different people, each of them teach him a different lesson. I wrote this piece explaining what my lessons would be. My focus is word choice.
"Live your life, where your funeral is easy to do," my pastor said one night at youth group after a girl died in a tragic event. The point of this quote was to tell the audience to think about their actions and attitude. For example, Eddie regretted so much from his past, and his attitude showed it. Kids were afraid of him. Everyone can learn from Eddie in this book. The book can give everybody a different outlook on life.
In the book, Eddie meets up with five different people. Each person was either impacted by Eddie, or Eddie was influenced by them. The first person he met was the Blue Man. When Eddie was little he was playing with his new baseball in his yard. The ball rolls in the street, and Eddie carelessly runs to retrieve it. He runs in front of a car to get it. The driver slams on the brakes and avoids hitting him. Eddie thought the incident was forgotten and continues to play. But it wasn't. The driver dies shortly afterwards of a heart attack. The lesson he taught Eddie was that we are all connected; nothing happens by accident.
Even though Eddie didn't struggle with it too much, patience would be my first lesson. Patience is a life skill. In school you have to be patient with other students and teachers you might not like. In your adult life, you will have to work with people you might not get along with.
The second lesson I would learn would be the impact of my attitude. Although it was not one of the lessons he learned in Heaven, it was one of the things Eddie struggled with as well. After his wife died, Eddie lived without meaning. His attitude impacted everyone. I can have a really negative attitude. This book helped me put in perspective how it can affect other people.
Lesson number three would be how bad procrastination can be. This lesson doesn't necessarily relate to one of the lessons Eddie learned. Every week, I wait till the last minute to finish something. This is not the best idea. Not only is it a bad habit, but most likely, the work isn't the quality it should be.
My fourth lesson would be the lesson of forgiveness. This lesson is very similar to the third lesson Eddie learns which teaches Eddie to let go of his anger towards his father. His dad abused him when he was young, and Eddie never got over it. Forgiving someone is hard to do. According to dictionary.com (2011), "To forgive means to cease to feel resentment against." After talking to Ruby, the third person he meets in Heaven, Eddie finds his father and forgives him.
My fifth and final lesson would be the importance of hard work. Eddie never had a problem with this. He resorted to doing this after his dear wife died. This was how he escaped reality. For me, it's not doing too much hard work, but too little. I can learn from Eddie's example -- to work hard, but not make hard work your life.
Eddie can help us all learn different lessons by putting life in perspective. If he would have had another chance, he would have forgave his dad earlier. This would have erased the stress felt by his mom, his brother, and even himself. This book makes you think what you struggle with in life, what are the five lessons you would learn, and how would you going to change them.
"Define Resort." Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <dictionary.reference.com/browse/resort>.
"FREE SUMMARY The Five People You Meet In Heaven STUDY GUIDE/BOOK NOTES/CHAPTER ANALYSIS by Mitch Albom." TheBestNotes.com - Free Study Guide Book Notes Online Literature Summaries Booknotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/Five
"Live your life, where your funeral is easy to do," my pastor said one night at youth group after a girl died in a tragic event. The point of this quote was to tell the audience to think about their actions and attitude. For example, Eddie regretted so much from his past, and his attitude showed it. Kids were afraid of him. Everyone can learn from Eddie in this book. The book can give everybody a different outlook on life.
In the book, Eddie meets up with five different people. Each person was either impacted by Eddie, or Eddie was influenced by them. The first person he met was the Blue Man. When Eddie was little he was playing with his new baseball in his yard. The ball rolls in the street, and Eddie carelessly runs to retrieve it. He runs in front of a car to get it. The driver slams on the brakes and avoids hitting him. Eddie thought the incident was forgotten and continues to play. But it wasn't. The driver dies shortly afterwards of a heart attack. The lesson he taught Eddie was that we are all connected; nothing happens by accident.
Even though Eddie didn't struggle with it too much, patience would be my first lesson. Patience is a life skill. In school you have to be patient with other students and teachers you might not like. In your adult life, you will have to work with people you might not get along with.
The second lesson I would learn would be the impact of my attitude. Although it was not one of the lessons he learned in Heaven, it was one of the things Eddie struggled with as well. After his wife died, Eddie lived without meaning. His attitude impacted everyone. I can have a really negative attitude. This book helped me put in perspective how it can affect other people.
Lesson number three would be how bad procrastination can be. This lesson doesn't necessarily relate to one of the lessons Eddie learned. Every week, I wait till the last minute to finish something. This is not the best idea. Not only is it a bad habit, but most likely, the work isn't the quality it should be.
My fourth lesson would be the lesson of forgiveness. This lesson is very similar to the third lesson Eddie learns which teaches Eddie to let go of his anger towards his father. His dad abused him when he was young, and Eddie never got over it. Forgiving someone is hard to do. According to dictionary.com (2011), "To forgive means to cease to feel resentment against." After talking to Ruby, the third person he meets in Heaven, Eddie finds his father and forgives him.
My fifth and final lesson would be the importance of hard work. Eddie never had a problem with this. He resorted to doing this after his dear wife died. This was how he escaped reality. For me, it's not doing too much hard work, but too little. I can learn from Eddie's example -- to work hard, but not make hard work your life.
Eddie can help us all learn different lessons by putting life in perspective. If he would have had another chance, he would have forgave his dad earlier. This would have erased the stress felt by his mom, his brother, and even himself. This book makes you think what you struggle with in life, what are the five lessons you would learn, and how would you going to change them.
"Define Resort." Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <dictionary.reference.com/browse/resort>.
"FREE SUMMARY The Five People You Meet In Heaven STUDY GUIDE/BOOK NOTES/CHAPTER ANALYSIS by Mitch Albom." TheBestNotes.com - Free Study Guide Book Notes Online Literature Summaries Booknotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/Five
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Snow
Author's Note: We just had the first snowfall of the season! I love playing in the snow, so I decided to write a poem about it. My focus is voice.
Flurries of snow fall all around
Melting as soon as they hit the ground
Images of playing
Run through your mind
Instead, you're stuck inside
Taking tests.
But soon, they will be done
Inches of snow will be on the ground,
School will be closed
And you will be outside
Playing in the snow
Stress
Author's Note: This week is the week of volleyball tryouts. I have camps almost every night in order to prepare for them. So, this week is really stressful for me. I decided to write a poem about it. I tried the Diamante form. My focus is voice.
Stress,
Busy, Rushed
Running, Hustling, Racing,
Fret, Hassle, Easy, Calm,
Sitting, Sleeping, Resting,
Free, Slack,
Relaxed
Fret, Hassle, Easy, Calm,
Sitting, Sleeping, Resting,
Free, Slack,
Relaxed
Monday, November 7, 2011
The Holidays
Author's Note: Over teacher's convention, my family and I went Up North. While we were up there, we went to this Halloween festival/ craft fair, where my mom got this really good smelling candle. The candle smelled like a Christmas tree. It made me think of how fast the holidays are coming and how much fun it is to decorate for them. I focused on word choice in this piece.
Currently, there are over 100,000 people employed in the Christmas tree industry. This is about 8 times the population of Pewaukee. So many people are needed because up to 36 million Christmas Trees are produced each year. (That would be enough trees for each person in Wisconsin to have about six trees!) Christmas trees are a big part of celebrating the holiday. Families love setting up the trees and putting delicate ornaments on them. Decorating for Christmas is so much fun, because I love the memories that it brings back.
Setting up decorations means so much to me because I love tradition. The definition of tradition is: the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. My mom has an advent calendar that has been handed down to her by her mom. There are 25 pockets on the calendar. In each pocket, there is a handmade ornament along with a poem about the ornament. My sister and I take turns on who gets to put it up. This is one of our many Christmas traditions.
All families have their own customs. Some watch movies. Some put up their tree together. Whatever it is, each family has a tradition of their own. This makes the holidays special. Christmas also brings families together. For some families, this is the only time of year they see each other. With all that goes on with Christmas though, we can't forget the real meaning of why we celebrate it. We celebrate the birth of Jesus. Why do you like Christmas?
Currently, there are over 100,000 people employed in the Christmas tree industry. This is about 8 times the population of Pewaukee. So many people are needed because up to 36 million Christmas Trees are produced each year. (That would be enough trees for each person in Wisconsin to have about six trees!) Christmas trees are a big part of celebrating the holiday. Families love setting up the trees and putting delicate ornaments on them. Decorating for Christmas is so much fun, because I love the memories that it brings back.
Setting up decorations means so much to me because I love tradition. The definition of tradition is: the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. My mom has an advent calendar that has been handed down to her by her mom. There are 25 pockets on the calendar. In each pocket, there is a handmade ornament along with a poem about the ornament. My sister and I take turns on who gets to put it up. This is one of our many Christmas traditions.
All families have their own customs. Some watch movies. Some put up their tree together. Whatever it is, each family has a tradition of their own. This makes the holidays special. Christmas also brings families together. For some families, this is the only time of year they see each other. With all that goes on with Christmas though, we can't forget the real meaning of why we celebrate it. We celebrate the birth of Jesus. Why do you like Christmas?
" Wisconsin's population growth ." Department of Workforce Development. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/oea/articles/populationgrowth_0304.htm.
"Christmas Tree facts - fun and true." Christmas Tree Farms, Tree Lots, Hayrides, Sleigh Rides and Other Winter Fun . N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. http://pickyourownchristmastree.org/facts.php.
"Pewaukee, Wisconsin (WI 53072) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders." Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, house prices, home value estimator, recent sales, cost of living, crime, race, income, photos, education, maps, weather, houses, schools, neighborhoods, and more. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. <http://www.city-data.com/city/Pewaukee-Wisconsin.html>.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Chocolate
Author's Note: I wrote this persuasive piece telling the reader why they should eat chocolate. My focus is sentence fluency.
Did you know that chocolate can be good for you? Studies have proven that small amounts of dark chocolate can keep your heart healthy. Cocoa contains antioxidants that help prevent some diseases. Chocolate is not only good for you but it is good to eat, too. This makes chocolate one of the most famous candies on the planet.
Chocolate comes in so many different forms. Today, America's top selling chocolate is the Snicker's bar. It consists of peanuts carmel, and milk chocolate. If you don't like peanuts, then you could try M&M's. Small pieces of colored milk or dark chocolate. So many varieties make chocolate easy to love. My favorite kind of chocolate would be the Reece's Peanut Butter Cups. These are made of milk chocolate
If you want chocolate that is healthy for you, try to find one with more cocoa. The more cocoa there is in the chocolate, the less sugar there can be. Also, there are more antioxidents in chocolate then almost any other food. It's nice to know that when you are eating one of your favorite treats, it can also be healthy if eaten properly.
The reason why some people don't like chocolate is because of it's sugar content. Even though the typical amount of sugar in chocolate can be high, it is lower then other foods. I think that as long as chocolate, along with every other food is eaten in proportion it can be a healthty snack. One of my favorite shows, the Biggest Loser, focuses on this. The point of the show is to lose weight. But, the trainers also give the contestants tips on how to stay fit at home. All of them really want the contestants to get that once in awhile you can still have your favorite snack as long as it's eaten in proportion.
Did you know that chocolate can be good for you? Studies have proven that small amounts of dark chocolate can keep your heart healthy. Cocoa contains antioxidants that help prevent some diseases. Chocolate is not only good for you but it is good to eat, too. This makes chocolate one of the most famous candies on the planet.
Chocolate comes in so many different forms. Today, America's top selling chocolate is the Snicker's bar. It consists of peanuts carmel, and milk chocolate. If you don't like peanuts, then you could try M&M's. Small pieces of colored milk or dark chocolate. So many varieties make chocolate easy to love. My favorite kind of chocolate would be the Reece's Peanut Butter Cups. These are made of milk chocolate
If you want chocolate that is healthy for you, try to find one with more cocoa. The more cocoa there is in the chocolate, the less sugar there can be. Also, there are more antioxidents in chocolate then almost any other food. It's nice to know that when you are eating one of your favorite treats, it can also be healthy if eaten properly.
The reason why some people don't like chocolate is because of it's sugar content. Even though the typical amount of sugar in chocolate can be high, it is lower then other foods. I think that as long as chocolate, along with every other food is eaten in proportion it can be a healthty snack. One of my favorite shows, the Biggest Loser, focuses on this. The point of the show is to lose weight. But, the trainers also give the contestants tips on how to stay fit at home. All of them really want the contestants to get that once in awhile you can still have your favorite snack as long as it's eaten in proportion.
"Chocolate." Veronika Love. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2006. <www.veronikalove.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/chocolate.jpg>.
"Types of Chocolate - Facts About Chocolate." Facts About Chocolate - Everything about Chocolate. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. <http://www.facts-about-chocolate.com/types-of-chocolate.html>.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Life
Author's Note: In my lit. group, we are reading the book The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. The main character, in the book has just died and is in the after life. I decided to write a free verse poem on why we should enjoy life.
Cherishing the time that's spent,
with everyone around you,
enjoying life,
while you are still fortunate,
to have it,
So live it up,
treat everyday as if it were your last,
Because, you never know,
One day,
It will be.
Cherishing the time that's spent,
with everyone around you,
enjoying life,
while you are still fortunate,
to have it,
So live it up,
treat everyday as if it were your last,
Because, you never know,
One day,
It will be.
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