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.