Extra Reading Diary - Saints and Animals

For this reading diary, I am finishing the unit Saints and Animals.

The Fish Who Helped Saint Gudwall - I appreciated this story for all the imagery that was provided.  As a person who can somehow be cold in rather warm weather, aka 70 degrees, I was able to picture what the shore line is like the winter and how miserable it must have been.

The Welsh Coast (Wikimedia)

The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe - I enjoyed this story because of the tale itself.  It reminded me slightly of the story-line in the movie The Jungle Book.  I felt bad for the wolf-mother and the wolf-brothers, because all they wanted to do was get Ailbe back and the Prince was just trying to help.

Saint Ailbe and the Wolf-Mother (Stanford)

The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe (cont.) - I liked this story because it was a happy ending that the first half of the story was lacking.  While not much happened, it was still nice to have all of that come together and to not leave any pieces hanging.

The Ballad of Saint Athracta's Stags - This story had a nice, romantic feel, for the fact it was made as a poem and not as a story.  While there was a story overall, it was a nice change to have this one become a poem instead.

The Ballad of Saint Felix - I liked this story because it was in the format of a poem, just like the last one.  It is also allowed the good guys to be victorious while the bad guys were unable to do what they wanted.

Saint Felix (Wikimedia)

The Ballad of Saint Giles and the Deer - The picture painted at the beginning of the story is something I would very much like to experience.  It just seems so relaxing and calming and definitely something anyone would enjoy.

Saint Giles and the Deer (Wikimedia)

Saint Francis of Assisi - Saint Francis was a great inspiration to many people and it is great to read a story that goes more into detail about his life.

Saint Francis of Assisi (Wikimedia)

Saint Francis of Assisi (cont.) - This is another story showing why Saint Francis was such a great man and one who should both admired and used as an example for other men.

Saint Francis of Assisi (end) - Just like the others, this story is a great example of Saint Francis and the kind work he was able to do for others in the world.

Week 3 Storytelling: Where did Caramel go?

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Mackenzie.  She was a very bright child and very hard working.  She had big dreams for the future and wanted to grow up and be the best person she could be.  She liked the idea of possibly being a doctor or a lawyer, or something else successful like that.  However, she just couldn't decide which one she liked the best.  So she worked as hard as she could in school in order to do whatever she wanted when she grew up.

Mackenzie went to Saint Maria's School for Girls, which was a boarding school that her aunt had brought her too.

Saint Maria's School for Girls 

(Wikimedia)

The headmistress, Headmistress Elizabeth, was rather fond of Mackenzie.  She saw the little girl's determination and work ethic, even at such a young age.  Headmistress Elizabeth always encouraged Mackenzie whenever she could and took special favor with her.

The other girls, who were in the same class at Mackenzie, had become jealous of the attention that Mackenzie was receiving and of how well she was doing in her classes.  They were lazy girls who never wanted to do any work, so the fact that Mackenzie always wanted to do work for class, made them not like her even more.  They always wanted to find a way to cause Mackenzie to not look as good in class.  They tried calling her mean names, but she would just ignore them.  They tried ignoring her, but she was unfazed by it.  They slyly tried to convince her to break into certain rooms after hours, but she knew that was against the rules so she did not.

All of the girls thought and thought and thought of a way they could get Mackenzie into trouble.  Finally, they decided they should trick Mackenzie into thinking she did something that she did not do.  And they all knew the perfect way to do that.

At Saint Maria's, each class had a pet for an entire year and each of the girls took turns caring for it.  They would bring it to the classroom each day, feed it and play with it, and then at the end of the day the girl would take the pet back with her to her dormitory room.  Every week the girls would rotate so someone else would take a turn taking care of the pet each week.  That particular year, Mackenzie's class had a hamster for a pet.  Everyone was so fond of the hamster, they decided to name it Caramel for the color of it's coat.

Caramel the Hamster

(Wikimedia)

The girls decided to use Caramel as a way to make Mackenzie get into trouble.  So they waited and waited and finally it was Mackenzie's week to take care of Caramel.  She was so excited!  She brought Caramel back to that first night and made sure she was all cozy and snug in her little cage.  Then it was time for dinner.  Mackenzie left her room and headed down to the dining hall.  The other girls used this opportunity to come in and take Caramel from her cage.  They knew that is Mackenzie, who was usually so responsible, had lost Caramel then she would be in big trouble.  So they took Caramel and left her wandering the hallways of the dormitory, far away from Mackenzie's room, and then proceeded down to dinner.

When Mackenzie came back from dinner, she saw that Caramel's cage was open and Caramel was not there!

"Oh no!"  She cried. "Caramel has escaped and will surely be killed roaming around this big school." So, in a flash, Mackenzie hurried down the hall in search of Caramel.  She had wandered up and down all of the nearby halls and rooms to try to figure out where Caramel had gone to.  After search for a while, Mackenzie still had not found Caramel.

However, luck was on Mackenzie's side.  It was currently quiet time, where all of the girls who attended Saint Maria's could either be in the library reading, or in the study doing homework.  Mackenzie usually finished her homework early and was normally so quiet that none of the teachers were ever concerned about where she went.  So as Mackenzie walked up and down the halls, she heard a faint squeaking.  Immediately she knew it was Caramel, for none of the other years had a similar pet and the school certainly did not have mice.  As quietly and carefully as she could, Mackenzie traced the sound along the hallways until she finally found Caramel, on the other side of the dormitory.  Mackenzie was so relieved Caramel was not harmed, that she rushed her back to her cage and gave her an extra ear of baby corn to have that night.

The next morning, all of the other girls rushed to class early.  For they certainly did not want to miss an opportunity to see Mackenzie get in trouble.  As they sat in their seats in eager anticipation, Mackenzie walked in carrying Caramel's cage.  They were shocked to see Caramel, alive and well in the cage as well!  Mackenzie put the cage in it's appropriate spot and sat in her seat, ignoring the shocked expressions on the other girls' faces.  She knew that the other girls were the ones who had put Caramel on the other side of the dormitory, no hamster could travel that far, but did not say anything.  She was much to patient and kind to hold any anger against them at all.

Author's Note: This story is based on the story Saint Kentigern and the Robin.  In this story, Kentigern is a boy who is doing well in school.  The other boys who are in school with him are jealous of his success.  They try to find a way for the teacher to get mad at him.  They use the fire that is supposed to remain lit by Kentigern and pour water on it.  Kentigern is able to light the fire, thus thwarting the other boys' attempts to do well.

Reading Diary Part B - Saints and Animals

For part B of my Reading Diary, I realized that I mistakenly chose a random unit to use, and did not think to look at the unit we were supposed to be choosing from.  That is my mistake so I am correcting it, the best way I can by choosing the unit Saints and Animals.

Saint Kentigern and the Robin - I enjoyed this story because in the end, the good guy won.  The boys were trying to get Kentigern in trouble, were unable to do so.

(Wikimedia)

Saint Kentigern and the Robin (cont.) - I liked this story for reasons similar to why I liked the story above.  It not only allowed the good guy to be successful in the, but also the mean boys were punished for what they had done.

Saint Blaise and His Beasts - I liked this story for it reminded me a lot of Snow White.  Saint Blaise was a good man who was able to talk to any of the animals and thus help them to become better animals.

(Wikimedia)

Saint Blaire and His Beasts (cont.) - This story was inspirational for the fact that Saint Blaire lived so passionately and so strongly in his faith.

Saint Comgall and the Mice - I liked this story because of Saint Comgall's presence.  His presence was one that made everyone love him and want to be near him.

(Wikimedia)

Saint Comgall and the Mice (cont.) - I enjoyed this story because Saint Comgall was friends with enough animals that he was able to help everyone in Ireland to prevent them from starving.

The Wonders of Saint Berach - This story was a happy story because Berach was not only able to help the situation with the cow and the wolf, but he was also able to make his way to find the apples and sorrel he needed to help the sick child.

The Wonders of Saint Berach (cont.) - I was enjoyed this story because Saint Berach was able to help his monastery, stop the rich man from trying to take over his land, and he was also able to teach those boys a lesson.

Georgian Folktales - Reading Diary Part A

For this reading diary, I chose to write about the Georgian Folktales unit.

Master and Pupil - This story was interesting for the part at the end where the pupil was constantly thinking of ways to get away from his master.

Fate - I enjoyed this story, for it reminded me of the story of Oedipus where Oedipus' mother tries to make him avoid his fate, however he ends up fulfilling his fate.  That is the exact same thing that happened in this story, when the prince tried to avoid it, but ended up fulfilling it.

The Serpent and the Peasant - I liked this story for the fable that was told at the end.  It is a fable that is very true of the life most people currently live and what happens around them.

(Wikimedia)

The Two Brothers - This story also tells a story about how people live through life.  Most of the time, we do not heed the cautions that are given to us by other people who have been through the experiences we have been through.  Even though we know that they know better, we still believe that we will be unharmed in the situation.

The King and The Apple - I liked this story for the mystery and intrigue that it included with the story.  It was a story that kept me reading and guessing the entire time.

The Three Precepts - This story was memorable because the wise man, took the young man in, taught him for three years, and helped him learn all of these wise things to help make him a success.  However, the man did not pay attention to those so it caused the young man to lose his wealth and end up dying due to his not paying attention.

The Cunning Old Man and The Demi - This story shows that sometimes the clever person is not always the good person in the story.  That then causes the person who is just trying to do right by the world to be punished for the other man's cleverness.

The River in the Story (Wikimedia)

The Shepherd Judge - The story is almost a fable to show what happens when people treat each other with justice and dignity.  While the judge did not partake in the man's bribe, he did pay attention to both sides of the story and was able to give a fair judgement.  That fair judgement led to him regaining his eyesight.

The Priest's Youngest Son - This story shows the value of listening to one's parents, no matter how old you are or in what condition they may be in.  If the youngest son had not listened to his father, then he would not have been able to marry the beautiful princess and he would not have been able to save his mother from the illness she suffered from.

Mingrelian Proverbs - I thought these proverbs were very interesting to read.  Though some of them I did find it hard to understand what they were specifically talking about.  I feel like that might be due to the fact that I am not living in Mingrelian culture.

Mythology and Folklore Topics Brainstorm

Topic: Sorcerer and Witch Stories From Around The World

Comments:  I love the idea of magic and how people use it to manipulate the world around them.  I am always fascinated by what wizards and witches do with their magic to those who do not have magical gifts.  

Possible Stories: I could make a story about a sorcerer and/or a witch where they are put in a situation that is inspired by one of the other stories I have read.

Sample Story Comments: This story also is a good example of what happens to sorcerers and when they use their magic.

Sample Story Title: The Sorcerer of the White Lotus Lodge

Book Title: The Chinese Fairy Book

Book Author: Charles Wilhem

Year: 1921

Topic: Children and the people around them

Comments:  A lot of stories have children in them.  I always have found the stories with children interesting for their opinions and experiences.  

Possible Stories: Not only are children a great way to communicate a message, but it is easy to create a story that can do whatever you want it to do.  

Sample Story Comments:  This story exemplified why it is great to have children in a story.  They have the ability to cause you to be heartfelt over them, and feel bad for them.

Sample Story Title: The Little Lamb and The Little Fish

Book Title: The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales

Book Translator: D. L. Ashliman

Year: 1998

Topic: Prince and Princesses around the World

Comments:  Many stories in the fantasy world have tales of princes and princesses.  Those tales are the ones that have always intrigued me and wanted me to read on more.  I want to create a story that is like the ones I have read in the past.

Possible Stories:  I could create a story involving a princess that wants to go explore the world in some form or fashion.

Sample Story Comments:  I liked this story for the fact that it added the princesses and marriage but it was not a very typical story that some people would sometimes expect.

Sample Story Tittle: How Nsassi Got Married

Book Title: Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort

Book Author: Richard Edward Dennett

Year: 1898

Topic: Marriage

Comments:  Marriage always adds a certain amount of complexity to the story, no matter what is happening elsewhere in the story.

Possible Stories: The story I could create could involve marriage and then some long-lost lover from the past coming back to stop the wedding.

Sample Story Comments: This story was a story that showed a different side of marriage and brought a certain complexity to a traditional story.

Sample Story Title: The Eagle and Whale Husbands

Book Title: Tales of North American Indians

Book Author: Stith Thompson

Year: 1929

(Wikimedia)

Extra Reading Diary - Arabian Nights

For this extra reading diary, I chose to read the first half of Arabian Nights.


Scheherazade - I liked this story for the fact it took one town's tragedy and turned it into a heroic story of a girl who tries to save her village.  Hopefully the story will succeed.  I have yet to read Arabian Nights or hear how it ends, but I know that there will be quite a few entertaining stories along the way.

Scheherazade herself (Wikimedia)

The Merchant and The Genius - I liked this story for the fact that as the story draws the reader on, the reader experiences more and more anticipation to see whether the merchant will be killed or not.  Then, suddenly, another man offers to tell a story to delay the death of the merchant.  So the story then becomes a story within a story.

The First Old Man and of the Hind - I enjoyed reading this story.  For the story not only was entertaining and the son was able to survive, but the wife of the old man also received what she had done to others.

The Second Old Man and of Two Black Dogs - I appreciated this story very much.  I have a younger sister and I know how hard it can be to get along with them at times.  While my sister and I have never reached the point that the men in the story did, I am sympathetic to how they felt.

The Fisherman - In this story, I felt sorry for the old man.  He did nothing wrong and helped the genius, but all the genius wanted to do was kill him.

The Greek King and the Physician Douban - In this story I felt bad for the Physician.  While, yes, he did lie to the King to become rich, all he wanted to do was help the King get better.  And what does he get for that?  Someone wanting him dead.

The Husband and the Parrot - This story confused me only for the reason that it was a story within a story suddenly, and it did not have the transition that the other stories within the story usually have.

The Physician's Revenge - I enjoyed this story for not only was the Physician able to get his revenge on the foolish king, but also it shows that if you do not confront a problem head on, it will lead to greater problems.

The Sultan and the Fish - I was intrigued by this story because the story itself ended at a point that was very suspenseful and made me want to read on more.

The Young King of the Black Isles - I enjoyed the ending of this story because it allowed everyone to get who was innocent, to become justified in the end.  It also caused a woman, who was mean and vengeful for no reason, to be killed for the evil things she had done before.

The Seamstress Who Couldn't: Story Telling Week 2

Jane Dear was a seamstress known all throughout Chicago for being able to go to different locations and fix any item of clothing that needed to be fixed and make it look brand new.  She helped everyone from the most famous, including Oprah herself, to the people with minimum wage pay checks.  She was willing to work with anyone. Business was business after all, and she was not one to turn down any business she could get.

One morning she was woken up early to the ringing of her cell phone.

(Flickr)

"Hello?" She answered groggily, trying to piece together her schedule in her mind on the off chance she had forgotten an early appointment.

"Yes, is this Jane Dear, fashion repair?" a curt, gruff voice shot back at her.

"Yes it is.  Is there something I can help you with?" Jane was now jumping out of bed and grabbing her planner and a pen to write down whatever was about to be said.

"Come downstairs.  I have a car waiting for you.  My wife needs you to fix her dress as soon as you can.  I have breakfast waiting for you."

"You have what?"  Jane peeked outside of her window on to the street below and saw a black town car glinting with the barely risen sun glinting off of the top of it.  "I will be right down. "  As she hurried to get dressed, she felt slightly uneasy about the fact that someone was waiting at her home to take her somewhere,  And all for the sake of a dress.  But after all, business was business and she was not one to turn down business.  Besides, who know when it was going to help down the road.  Whoever this guy was, he seemed important and she could always have that knowledge tucked away in her back pocket.

She climbed into the car and saw an assortment of different of fruits, pastries and other breakfast type foods waiting in containers in the car for her.  The uneasy feeling she had about the appointment caused her to not be very hungry.  She did take a cup of coffee and nibbled at a scone while the car cruised along the highway to their destination.  When they finally arrived at the modest looking house in the suburbs, she stepped out cautiously and headed towards the door.

(Wikimedia)

Once inside, there was a woman sitting in the living room knitting what looked like a blanket while a pink layered dress was hanging from a stand in the middle of the room.  

As soon as Jane entered the room, the woman stood up and handed her a sewing kit.  

"Now use this sewing kit to help finish each layer as there are holes and tears.  You will also be here all day, we will provided food and other services you may need, but check every couple of hours on the work you have already done.  This dress can be a little tricky."  Jane was curious as to why the woman said that, but did not spend too much time thinking about it.  She had gotten a lot of weird requests in the past and this one was no different.  So Jane sat down and got to work.  Fixing a hole here, stitching up a tear there and before she knew it an hour had past.  

"I better go check my work."  Jane thought.  She went back to look at the previous stitches she had made and they were not there!  No matter how hard she stared at the fabric, she could find no previous stitch work.  She couldn't figure out what had happened, but decided to not spend too much time on it.  She still had a lot of work to do.  Jane continued along stitching and fixing wherever it was needed. Before too long, another hour had passed.  She went back to check her work and saw that the stitches she had made in the last hour, while tiny and very hard to notice, were just no longer there!  Jane wondered what could be so special about that sewing kit the woman wanted her to use.  Jane had brought her own kit but the woman had insisted that Jane use hers.  Jane looked around cautiously, wanting to try something but not wanting to get into trouble for it.  

Everyone else had left the room for the moment, so Jane decided to fix a small hole she had in her shirt.  In her hurry to finish getting ready on time, she had grabbed a plain v-neck and a pair of jeans. While the jeans were new and looked professional, the v-neck was a shirt that she had had for as long as she could remember.  It had quite a few holes in the bottom of it.  There was one particular hole that she always tried to fix but never seemed to find the time to.  Now she took the needle and some thread and fixed the hole.  As she stared at the hole nothing seemed to change.  So, she continued on with her work.  But about fifteen minutes later, she felt a warm, tingling sensation at the spot where the now fixed hole was.  She looked down and saw the stitches disappearing into the fabric of the shirt itself!  As she continued to watch the one spot on her shirt, she felt her body somehow become better!  She felt more graceful, more beautiful, and more confident in every single way!  She couldn't comprehend why she felt like this.  

Jane finished the rest of the work in record time.  She could not believe what was happening!  As soon as she finished, she started to head toward the door.  The man who had picked her up at her apartment suddenly appeared next to the door, and appeared to study her with a frown wrinkling his forehead. 

"Wait a minute, Jane." He said in the same curt voice he had used that morning.  "You didn't happen to use the needle and thread provided for you for some other item of clothing besides the dress did you?"

"I did, sir.  I used it to fix a small hole on my shirt.  It was getting in my way and I did not think it would be a big deal.  I am very sorry sir."  

"How dare you!  You have used magic that you should have never known about!" And with that, he wrapped her on the hand and showed her too the car.  Jane was confused as to why he did that and sat in the car on the way back wondering what happened and eventually dozing off to sleep.  When she was awakened, she looked in horror at her hands.  They had become gnarled and un-useable.  She was barely able to open the car door!  And with that Jane was never able to lift a needle or a pair of scissors again.

Author's Note:

I used the story Fairy Ointment as the inspiration for this story.  The story is about a woman who takes care of the elderly and the young if they are sick.  One night she awakened by a call from a man to help his wife care for the baby.  When they get to the house, the wife asks the woman to take care of the perfectly healthy baby. The wife says to put a special ointment on the baby's eyes every hour.  The woman does as she is told and then tries it for herself on one of her eyes.  It turns out the ointment allows the person to see the fairy world.  The next day the woman sees the man from the night before at the market.  She speaks to him and he becomes angry because he realized she used the fairy ointment when she was not supposed.  In reaction, he then makes the one eye blind. 

Greek Myths: Ovid I - Reading Diary B

The second part of my reading diary will be still focused on Ovid I from the Greek Mythology.

Echo -  This story was certainly an interesting story.  It did have a tragic ending for Echo, seeing that she could never talk to and touch the one man she loved.

(Wikimedia)

Narcissus - Narcissus's fate was certainly foretold by Bacchus.  It was because that he did not pay attention to Bacchus's prediction that he became a flower and failed to live a long and happy life.

Pyramus and Thisbe - It is a Greek myth version of the story of Romeo and Juliet.  A sweet story, which lasts longer in time than Romeo and Juliet, but one that is still sad all the same.

Thisbe at the wall (Wikimedia) 

Mars and Venus - It was an interesting story that had an ending where the just got what they deserved.

Perseus and Andromeda - This story was about turning Atlas into a mountain and then Andromeda is saved by Perseus who then becomes her husband.

Perseus and Medusa - In this myth, Perseus told the story about how Medusa was turned into the fearsome Gorgon that everyone knows about.

(Wikimedia)

Greek Myths: Ovid I - Reading Diary A

I chose for my reading diary A post to be focused on Ovid I of the Greek Myths.

Deucalion and Pyrrha - This story was the Greek Myth about the great flood that happened so many years ago and is so familiar to many cultures.  This story had many similarities to the story I am so familiar with, Noah and the Great Flood, but there were also quite a few differences that caused it to be a distinctively Greek Story.

(Wikimedia)

Io - I liked this story for the fact that it talked what led up to the creation of the peacock.  I thought that story was just a tragic tale of what happened to Io.  She never asked for any of that to happen to her.  She never encouraged it, she was purely the victim of other people's actions.

Io as a cow (Wikimedia)

Phaethon and the Sun - I liked this story for it followed a trail that many follow.  A path to find out where they come from and who are the people that created them.  While most people are missing a father or a mother, Phaethon had a father who was the Sun God.  The God that is the most important of all Gods.

Phaethon trying to drive the Sun Chariot (Wikimedia)

Phaethon's Ride - This story shows what all children want to do.  They want to step into their parents' shoes and make them proud.  While Phaethon does not have the ability to step into the Sun God's shoes, he certainly tries to give it his best effort.

The Death of Phaethon - I appreciated this story for the fact that it told what happened to the people related to Phaeton after his death.  The story shows that people change a lot after they lose someone who is important to them.  The loss of a valued person is definitely something that changes a person

Phaethon's Death (Wikimedia)

Callisto - I enjoyed this story for the fact of how it ended.  It was a good story that turned what could have been a tragedy into something that everyone could enjoy.

(National Gallery)

Semele - This story was a little confusing to me.  It may be I just don't understand the background to it, but I was confused by the phrase that Semele said.  Why did it cause all of that destruction and what became of Jupiter because of it?

(Wikimedia)

Famous Last Words: Week 1

I am not sure if this topic fits under the category for this particular blog, however it is a realization I have had over the past week and it is something I would like to share.  In college, a lot of the students, myself included are bogged down with all of the work that we need to do.  That requires us to not focus on something that is incredibly important to us.  What is this very important item, you ask?

What We Eat.

As college students we usually don't think about food until right when it is time to eat, and then we end up either eating something that we bought from fast food or we make something that is quick and easy because that is all we are able to do.  What most college students don't do is take a small amount of time to cook a couple of meals for a few days.  It not only takes out the stress of lines and waiting to get your food, but it also means you are able to make anything you want.  Not just what is available.  Some people may scoff at this idea, that I am just learning this now, but with how busy I have been these past few semester it can be hard to even take that into consideration.  I would just go from meeting to class to meeting without even taking two seconds to plan what food I would want, or even see if I could bring food for me to class.  

What changed?  The fact I actually took a moment to consider what it would take for me to plan out some meals.  Maybe 30 minutes of planning beforehand, a little consideration when I went to the grocery store, and then a small amount of time to cook whatever I have planned.  Not only has it changed my mindset when I plan my week, but it also has helped me practice more cooking skills.  Skills that I will definitely need when I am in the real world and no longer in the bubble that is college.

The cookbook that has some of the best recipes and tips

( Found at Imagesbn)

UnTextbook

The first story I found was the story from the Ancient Egypt unit called The Green Jewel.  I enjoyed reading this story because it was a story from Ancient Egypt, which is a culture I always enjoy learning about.

Found At Deviantart

The next story I read was from Arabian Nights and was called The Sultan and the Fish.  I enjoyed reading this story because of how the story was told and the intrigue that comes with the story.  I have heard about Arabian Nights before, but I have never had the opportunity to read any of the stories from Arabian Nights.

The third story I read from was the unit on Chinese Fairy Tales called The Girl with the Horse's Head.  I enjoyed this story for the fairy tale twist on a traditional Chinese process that I had heard how to do before.

The final story I read was from the unit on the Congo and is called How Gazelle Got Married.  I enjoyed reading this story because it wasn't just a traditional myth that people think of when they think of a myth.  I also just enjoyed reading the myth because it was an entertaining story to read.

Storybook Favorites

The first story I looked at is Tales From The Love Gods.  Ever since I was young I have always enjoyed learning about different myths from different cultures and seeing how they intersect.  I picked this storybook because it not only has romance, but it also combines two different cultures to talk about the gods of love.

The next story is Fairytale Case Files.  I have always been interested in mysteries and puzzles.  I also love watching crime shows on tv, the trying to piece together the puzzles from the perspective of the police always makes for an enjoyable puzzle.  The fact that the classic Grimm Fairytales that everyone knows has now been taken to be part of a mystery, makes it even more intriguing to consider, or at least thats what I think anyway.

The final story I looked at was The Three Goddess and Their Birds. I was intrigued by this title because of my history with Roman and Greek mythology.  Having studied Latin and Roman Culture for so long during my high school career, I have been able to read many different Roman Myths.  I have always been fascinated by Roman Mythology.  From the Gods and Goddesses to what they represented and what they did, I have always loved learning about them.  This storybook gave another insight into three of the goddesses and the birds that represented them.

(The Gingerbread House, Found at Wikimedia)

Introduction

My name is Meghan Fitzpatrick.  I am a senior at the University of Oklahoma.  My major is Psychology with a General Business minor.  I graduate at the end of this semester, which I can hardly believe is happening, and then I hope to continue on in furthering my education by going to graduate school where I will earn my PhD in School Psychology.

School Psychology is one of the smaller fields of psychology that is constantly growing and expanding so it is common for many people to ask me what School Psychology is.  The most simplistic way to answer that is to say that school psychologists help people.  To go a little more in depth into that answer, picture a school district.  Based on the number of school psychologists that there are in the United States, there is typically one school psychologist per school district.  Now picture a teacher that has a student who can be rather disruptive, or a troublesome student.  The teacher can ask the school psychologist to come visit with the student to help determine what is the root of the reason why the student is acting the way he or she is.  Now that not only is that psychologist helping the student, but they are also helping the other students in the class room and the teacher.  I want to be that person.  I love children, I love helping people and I love psychology, so this is my dream career.  School psychologists can work in the public education system or in private practice.  My ultimate goal is to work in private practice and to own my own practice.  However, I know that dream is quite a ways off so I will focus on first getting a job once I have finished graduate school.

I am currently taking 18 hours to graduate on time and also complete my business minor.  Along with the heavy course load, I also just started working two part-time jobs to help me save up for grad school.  I also am an undergraduate research assistant for one of the psychology labs here on campus and an active member of the organization Sigma Phi Lambda.  Those girls have just been the most amazing, Jesus praising, group of girls I could find on campus.  I have always been a busy-bee, so this work load is nothing new to me.  I am glad, however that this online class will allow me to have a little more freedom in my schedule since we can work ahead and work at our own pace, within reason.

I recently had the opportunity to be a maid of honor for my best friend as she was married on January 3rd.  The entire process was amazing to be part of and I feel blessed that she chose me to be part of her big day.  The wedding was here and Norman, Oklahoma at Wildwood Church and I cannot imagine a more God-fearing couple to get married.

(Me with the Bride, photo taken by Jillian Mueller, one of the other bridesmaids)

That is about all I can think to include.  This blog post probably rambled a little bit so I apologize for that.  Thank you for taking the time to read.

Week 1: Storytelling

There one was a happy, go-lucky fox that loved to take long walks through the woods.  He loved the sights and sounds that the woods provided for it filled him with joy and pride that this was where he got to live and spend all of his days.

One day the fox spotted a vine lying on the ground.

"I wonder what this vine is doing here." He mumbled to himself and decided to investigate where the vine led to.  So he followed the trail and a short while later, he found himself at the edge of a clearing where the vine led up one of the tallest trees that surrounded the clearing.  As the fox looked up at the tall tree, he spotted a bunch of grapes that were at the perfect point to be eaten.

"Now I bet those grapes will make the perfect afternoon snack.  I just have to get figure out how to get them down." He said as he determinedly stared at the grapes.  "I know! I can just jump for the grapes!  Yes they are high but I am as fit as a fiddle and certainly can reach them."  He then bent all four legs and prepared to jump as high as he could to reach the grapes.  The first try was not successfully.  "Gosh darn it!  Just out of reach.  Maybe if I get some momentum going, I will be able to reach them."

And with that he set off to give himself ample running space.  Once he reached a point that he determined was the appropriate distance, he turned and ran as fast as he possibly could towards the tree.  He jumped and reached out his neck for the grapes as far as he possibly could.  But alas, he was not able to reach them.

"Maybe I can reach it if I try again," he pondered.  So he tried again, and again, and again, and again. But every time, he was unable to reach the grapes.

(The fox tries to reach the grapes)

Finally he decided to give up.  "What's the point? I will never be able to reach those grapes.  And anyways, they are most likely past being ripe.  So they would be sour and not even worth eating."  And with that, he turned around and headed back to his little home in the woods to settle in for a nice cozy evening.




Author's Notes:  This is based off of the fable The Fox and The Grapes.  The story is from the book Aesop's Fables written by Anonymous and illustrated by Milo Winter.  The story is as follows:

      "A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along the              branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the Fox's mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.

The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but in vain.

Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.

'What a fool I am,' he said. 'Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour grapes that are not worth gaping for.'

And off he walked very, very scornfully."

I decided to make this story my own by taking a look at who the fox was and what his thinking behind getting the grapes was.  I wanted to make the fox seem more like a likable character instead of the cunning fox, that we all picture whenever the character of a fox is used in the story.  

Favorite Places

My Favorite Places

The two places that I would call my favorite places are Dallas, TX and Tahoe, CA.

Dallas, TX

Even though I never grew up anywhere near Texas, going to school in Oklahoma has given me plenty of reason to go down and visit Dallas quite often.  Not only does the city have the more suburban feel in the outlying areas, but the downtown area also gives Dallas the city-life feel that everyone expects from it.  It not only combines those two aspects, but it also has the Texas/country feel in a way that feels like home to me.  

The Downtown Arts District 

(Found at Wikimedia)

A view of Downtown at Night

(Found at StaticFlickr)

Tahoe, CA

My family went on vacation to Tahoe over the summer and I have to say, it was one of my favorite places I have ever been.  Not only was Lake Tahoe available from just about anywhere you went, but the weather was perfect the entire time we were there too.  North of San Fransisco, it was never too hot and also just cool enough to allow you to spend the entire day outside.

This is what the lake looked like every single day.

(Found on Wikimedia)

There were beaches and docks all around the lake.  

(Found at Wikimedia)

Introductory Blog Post

Hello Everyone!

My name is Meghan and this is my first blog post for Mythology and Folklore.  Since this is just supposed to be a quick message, I shall give a few introductory things.  I am a senior studying psychology, from Memphis, TN.  After graduation I hope to go to graduate school to earn my doctorate in School Psychology.  I hope everyone had a good break.