Famous Last Words Week 7

With all of the snow and ice this week, I have been cooped up in my house because of work being canceled. It has given me a lot of free time to get my homework done though! I mean, with all of my classes being online, I am use to being at home most of the day working on my computer. My sister has had to do much of her homework from home too, so we have done work together and played some cards in our free time.

This week, I read stories from the South American Unit. I enjoyed the Nigerian Unit so much last week that I wanted to choose a similar one for this week.

Today in Texas, it is very snowy outside so my sister had her school canceled, which means we get to watch movies together all day! Her friends recommended us watch the movie, “The Good Lie,” because they came across it earlier this week when school was canceled then. It is about a few Sudan children escaping their tribe that was attacked by soldiers. They walked all the way to the Kakuma Refuge Camp in Kenya (almost 1,000 miles away), barefoot. They ended up staying there for thirteen years until they are sent to the United States. So far, I have really enjoyed the film so I do recommend it.

(The Good Lie - Designer Unknown)

My other classes haven’t been too stressful because I have had enough time to finish my homework. Next week, I have my second test in my Introduction to Marketing class, which I plan to start studying for this weekend. I had to read 100 pages in my book for my Languages Across Cultures class, which was called, “When Languages Die.” We are studying about the importance of keeping endangered languages alive because we loose information about the capabilities of human beings when different languages die.

Essay: Exploring the South African Unit

I read the South African Unit this week, and I really enjoyed it. Last week, I read the Nigerian Unit and like it very much, so I wanted to pick a unit that was similar for this week’s assignments. I started reading the More Brer Rabbit Unit, but the writing style was hard to follow, so I immediately switched over to the South African Unit after reading just the first story.  

(Elephant - Photo by Proimos)

In terms of my overall goals for this class, this unit did not fit in directly, but it did give me insight on how to end my stories with a short lesson. For the storybook project, I am basing my stories off of the Bible Women Unit and other stories from the Bible. My faith is a passion of mine, so I am very happy the Biblical units were assigned at the beginning because I think those first few reading really influenced the direction of my final project.

After reading the Biblical Unit, I formed some goals for the class. I wanted to read about different religions and cultures to expand my current knowledge base. I have already accomplished some of that goal, so I decided to switch over to a new type of unit. The Nigerian Unit helped open my mind on the different types of options out there for me to read for this class. I now see how I was limiting myself by strictly sticking to my original goals. I have now expanded my goals to incorporate a diverse set of stories. This way I can learn about different writing styles attached to cultures from around the world and explore funkier, less traditional writings. I still want to read about religions when they are options, but I do not want to put myself in a box.

This class can help push my routine-like, traditional nature.  

Storytelling Week 7: The Wisest Lion

In the open prairie, Lion and Bloke (the Only man) were wrestling with each other along with the animals that slowly arrived to watch. They were having a gay ol’ time when the rain came pouring down. Not a second when by before the droplets of water were coming down like bullets instead of fairy dust.

(Lion - Photo by Namibia)

Both Lion and Man knowing exactly where they needed to go, ran their separate ways without daring to tell the other their ingenious plan. Lion first ran to discuss his plan with his Mother to get one last ounce of confidence.

She immediately asked him where he had been playing all day. To which he responded he had been wrestling the Bloke, the Man. Startled by his response, she gave him some insight about the creature of the man.

She said, “Be on watch when around the Man for he has evil intent swimming amongst his thoughts. He acts, walks and thinks differently than you and I, so keep your guard up and never visit him again.”

With his eyes rolling and his head held high, the lion refused to listen to his mother’s advice for he knew he was far wiser than his senile mother.

Not long after this conversation, the lion ran to the rain-field to hide behind a bush, in the hopes of beating Bloke to the secret spot.

Whilst this occurred, the mother of lion quickly met with Bloke to finalize their plan. Bloke was going to give lion a scare to make him listen to his mother for her gut told her that her son would not obey her command, which is why this trickery was a necessity. Finishing their conversation with a short, but meaningful handshake. The two grasped the other’s hand or paw and said a short prayer.

Lion had already made it to his bush where he anxiously awaited the arrival of Bloke and his white dogs. A whistling sound was coming from the distance, but it was so faint, lion couldn’t make out what it was. Before he could think much longer, Bloke was just feet away from the bush. Lion pounced for the Man’s head, but was struck by the white dogs in mid air. Immediately, the Man let off a shot with his pistol, hitting lion in the right shoulder. Leaving the animal to fend for himself, the Man informed the lion’s mother to go look for him by the secret bush. She met him with a helping hand and carried him back to their den.

While on man is a rarity, not all men share the same love for the lion. Be careful who you trust and hold on to your mother’s teachings.

Author’s Note: Lion Who Thought Himself Wiser than His Mother was a story from the South African Unit in the Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook. The story is very similar to the one I just wrote, but it does not include a friendship with the mother lion and the Man, Bloke. I wanted to give the story more of a background so you see the relationships the characters have with each other even if all the characters in the story don’t know about it. The voice of the two stories is similar, but the lessons are slightly different.

Bibliography: Lion Who Thought Himself Wiser than His Mother. South African Unit. South African Folk-Tales. Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook. James Honey (1010).

Reading Diary B: South African Folklore

South African Folklore

When Lion Could Fly: I learned what a kraal was by reading this story – an African village of huts. Without even knowing the story came from the South African unit, you can pick up on hints like the word kraal and take a very educated guess what unit it is from. Coming from the knowledge I do have about lions, the story gives an interested twist to the history of the creature. Once being able to fly, but now since the frog broke his prey’s bones, he must hunt on all fours. This is how I picture the lion in his most majestic stance, hunting for its game to devour, on all fours, not flying.

(Lioness and Cup - Photo by amychyde)

Lion Who Thought Himself Wiser than His Mother: This one line comes from the mother lion:

"My son! That Man whose head is in a line with his shoulders and breast, who has pinching weapons, who keeps white dogs, who goes about wearing the tuft of a tiger's tail, beware of him!"

The way she describes the Man is fascinating. We look at animals by their features, but hearing a description of a human from an animal sounds quite odd. It is something I have never really thought much about. What do humans look like to animals?

In the end, the mother was right, but the Man showed mercy on the younger lion by letting him go after he had been shot. The Man’s white dogs were about to tear him apart, but instead of killing the lion, he taught him the lesson of listening to his wise mother.

Reading Diary A: South African Folklore

South African Folklore

The Lost Message: I thought the title of this story was very fitting, but did not give away the ending. I read the Nigerian Folklore Unit last week and enjoyed it so much I wanted to read similar stories. This is why I chose to read the South African Folklore this week. The Lost Message was the first story of the unit and it met my expectations. The story had a purpose. We now know why the ants live in discord because the beetle never delivered the message of unity to them. The names of the ant groups were entertaining so that made the story more interesting as well. For example, the last paragraph introduced the Insect-king. His name spoke right to his title and role in the ant’s lives.

The Monkey’s Fiddle: This story incorporated the infamous Brer Wolf, which was one of the other units I thought about choosing. Brer Wolf’s jealousy allows the reader to learn more about the animal democracy. The court of the Lion, Tiger and other animals get introduced and the court hearing begins. With the monkey about to be convicted of a crime he did not commit, he uses his wits and plays his fiddle. This is one of my favorite parts about these folklore stories is the cunning qualities and wit about the characters.

(Vervet Monkey - Photo by Landfair)

Tink-Tinkje: This whole story was about a game between the birds of the earth. The dialogue was easy to follow, and I learned some attributes about birds of today. This story, like The Lost Message, taught the reader something about reality of animals in the last paragraph.
 

Famous Last Words for Week 6

I just finished reading a creative story that taught me the lesson of reading the whole story through before providing the author with comments. One of the stories I read was from a girl in the class who wrote about a personified field named Okay. I was immediately so confused why she would name the field such an odd name, but the last paragraph of the story summed it all up and provided solace to my confusion. I was very impressed by the thought process the author went through to create such a colorful story for her portfolio.  

(Field - Photo by: Ragan and Massey)

My other classes have been a little stressful, but this week hasn’t been too bad. I had one test, which was not too hard. Also, I had a project that required me to discuss some questions with a partner in the class. It is an online class, which makes it difficult to get to know your classmates, but this allowed us to learn more about at least one other person in the class.

My favorite writing this week was my storytelling assignment about the moon. The story was originally from the Nigerian Folklore unit so it had a foreign flare to it by talking about bush people. The moon was an abnormal character because it talked and was made of meat. Normally, I think of the moon being made of cheese if it is to be made of any edible substance.

This week, I was convicted about perpetuating classism, so the good Lord helped me work on that. I was at my home group, and we decided to go to Denny’s for a late night dinner on Wednesday. There was a homeless man sitting in the lobby area when we arrived, so we invited him to eat with us. It was a pretty odd experience, but it helped me understand how to treat people fairly.

So, I urge you all to try something new and out of your comfort zone that blesses someone. It helps you re-organize your priorities.

Essay Week 6: Life With Brooke

This week has had its mountains and valleys. I have felt overwhelmed with this class and work, but I have also had great experiences in my daily routine. In my Languages Across Cultures class, I had my first exam, which I did all pretty well on. I was hoping for an A, but a high B will do!

The storybook assignment for this class is a long-winded one. You have to delve deep into your creativity to develop a story from scratch that is inspired by other stories and fits into your overall theme. I finished the first storybook post this afternoon, so that feels nice to have it completed and turned it.

In regards to the UN-Textbook readings, I really enjoyed the Nigerian Unit I picked for this week. I wanted to start reading more stories about animals, so this unit delivered that request. One of my favorite stories was, “How the Tortoise Overcame the Elephant and the Hippopotamus.” This story actually played a part in the decision of what animals I wanted to discuss in my first storybook post. 

(Elephant - Photo by: Promios)

I was telling stories with my fiancé the other night, so naturally I had to tell him about some from this class. One of those was “Why the Moon Waxes and Wane.” Both of these stories I’ve talked about stuck with me because they were clever and witty, but easily understandable. The story about the moon reminded me of the children’s story The Giving Tree, which might be one reason I liked it so much. The old lady in the story was similar to the young boy in The Giving Tree book.

There was a continuum of stories within the Nigerian Unit, from different animals to tricksters to the lesson of hope.

My other classes have been pretty easy this week. For my human relations class, we are discussing the idea of discrimination and how we perpetuate the problems. I gained insight to the ideas of racism and classism when I visited a homeless shelter last week. It is a topic that has been coming up in my home group and in my personal life as well. Our home group actually invited a homeless man to eat with us at Denny’s last night at 11:00 p.m.

Storytelling Week 6: The Giving Moon

A young boy would wander around the empty desert every night in the hopes of finding some food to fill his hungry belly. He had run away from his parent’s compound just months before because he felt he had become a burden. The whole family worked extremely hard to provide food for each other, but many nights the family members would have to switch off who got their stomach’s satisfied for the night. It was a disheartening environment, so the young boy decided to leave in the middle of a summer night to start a life on his own. This would hopefully allow his family to be fed more frequently.

(The Moon - Photo by Gregory Revera)

Becoming weary and exhausted, and quite frankly very hungry, the boy started regretting his decision to leave his home. He had searched night after night for small animals to trap or for some edible plants to sustain his energy until the next day, but each dawn he became more discouraged with his endeavors.

Sitting on a small rock, contemplating about his next move, the young boy noticed a bright light in his peripheral vision. Not thinking much about it, he stooped even further; until the light became so bright he could not look away. The young boy slowly turned his neck and head to the left where he gazed upon the moon, just feet away from his body.

The moon gave a soft smile and looking straight into his eyes asked him, “Why do you hang your head so low, young boy?”

With a long pause before the boy replied, he said, “I have been searching the desert for food all night long and have failed to find any.”

The moon heard his reply with anticipation because she had watched him every night as he heartily searched the barren land. She quickly replied in her mellow voice, “Young boy, come closer to me, for I am made of meat.”

The boy looked puzzled.

“Yes, it is true! Come take a taste,” the moon told the boy.

Walking over and touching the moon, the boy took a big chunk out of the left side of the majestic circle. He put the piece in his mouth, but as he swallowed, he tasted nothing. Looking up to the moon’s eyes, the young boy was about to speak, but the moon cut him off with her laughter.

“Young boy, you must believe I am made of meat in order for my substance to taste like meat and sustain your bones,” the moon quickly said as she giggled.

The boy squinted his eyes, wishing for the moon to turn into meat and slowly placed another chunk of the moon onto his tongue.  

The boy screamed with excitement, “It worked!”

The boy turned into an old man out in the abandoned desert by the grace of the moon’s kindness.

Author's Note: This story was inspired by "Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes" from the Nigerian Folklore unit in the Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook. In the story, there is a poor old lady who is starving and finds comfort in the moon's meat. Once the moon becomes so small, the townspeople get disappointed and angry. They end up stopping this exchange between the old lady and the moon, which leaves the woman hungry and the moon lonely. In my story,  I wanted to keep the moon character the same, but change the old woman into a young boy. After reading the original story, I was reminded of the children's story called The Giving Tree. I took the theme of the children's story and meshed it with the Nigerian folktale. 

Bibliography: Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes. Nigerian Folklore Unit. Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook. Elphinstone Dayrell (1910).   

Reading Diary B: Nigerian Folklore

Nigerian Folklore

Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes

This was such a creative way to explain the different shapes of the moon throughout the month. At first, I thought I read the line wrong when it said the moon was an old lady made of meat. As the story progressed and the old woman on earth started eating away at the moon, I was reminded of the children’s story called “The Giving Tree.”

I hadn’t heard of the story until about a year ago, so in case you haven't heard of it, I will give a summary so you see the connection. There was a boy who used a tree for shade, then throughout the boy’s life, the tree continued to give him his leaves and branches and finally gave him his trunk. The story is about sacrificial giving, and even when the boy turns into an old man, the tree still provides him with a stump to sit on as he ponders about life.

I was expecting the moon story to end similar to "The Giving Tree," but it had a different ending that made more of a scientific conclusion.

(The Moon in South Africa - Photo by Raramuridesign)

How the Tortoise overcame the Elephant and the Hippopotamus

As I read this story, I was trying to think of the best descriptive word for the tortoise, and as I read the word “cunning”, it clicked! I looked up the word to get the exact definition and realized this word meant using deceit to achieve one’s goal. The tortoise might have been using chicanery, but his smarts outwitted the large animals.

Similar to the previous story, both conclusions connected to some form of science. This one had to do with the biology of the tortoise being able to live in the water and on land.

Reading Diary A: Nigerian Folklore

Nigerian Folklore

The Pretty Stranger Who Killed the King

After reading the first paragraph, I noticed the word “skilful” was spelt with just one “l”. This looked odd to me so I decided to look it up in the online dictionary to confirm its spelling. I found out that “skilful” is the British spelling, which makes this spelling just as correct as the English version of “skillful.”  

The method Oyaikan, the witch, used to kill the king reminded me of the story in the Bible of the beheading of John the Baptist. In both situations, the beheading gave one party much pleasure while seriously affected the other in a clearly negative way.

Later on in the story, we hear about the king’s head wife breaking open the door to the king’s chambers to awake him. The idea of having multiple wives, with one being the head wife really saddens me because polygamy doesn’t cherish the intimacy of marriage.

Something I’ve noticed about the readings in this class is that a simple lesson is usually taught throughout the text, but isn’t summed up until the end. Also, the lesson isn’t announced with a lengthy paragraph, but instead, it takes just a simple sentence to express the profound idea.

Why the Bat Flies by Night

(Bush Rat - Photo by Katrin Solmdorff) 

This was such a clever story, and I think this quote really sums up my reasoning why. When the bush rat asked the bat why his soup always tasted so yummy, this is how the bat replied:

"I always boil myself in the water, and my flesh is so sweet that the soup is good."

After reading many of these stories, my mind itched to write zany stories that are so out of the ordinary.

Famous Last Words Week 5

This week has been a stress ball, full of work, homework assignments, wedding planning and pre-marital counseling preparation. My fiancé and I read through the first part of the first chapter of our pre-marital counseling book, “Catching Foxes,” last night. The content is on-point, but it is time-consuming and makes you dig deep into your past experiences, family dynamics and your views of God.

(Catching Foxes - Author: John Henderson)

This week I read the Tales of a Parrot story, which was a nice change compared to the last few weeks of reading. I didn’t really experiment with a new writing style this week, but hopefully when I start writing more of my final storybook project, I will get more motivated to explore different options.

As many of you know I work for a nonprofit called Serve Denton, and there was an interesting article that we came by. I have the link to the article typed below, but as a summary, there is a man who walked an insane distance to work everyday so a 19 year-old man in Denton, TX, decided to raise money to buy him a car. The ending is pretty phenomenal!

My fiancé showed me this song the other day. He sent it to me on Spotify so I know it is for sure located there, but I don’t know about iTunes. The song is called The Love You’ve Given, sung by Jack Garratt. I hope you enjoy this ethereal, airy song as much as I did. The ending is a bit odd, so just focus on the beginning section!

I have felt behind in my classes this week because I picked up a small job on the side where I package and mail merchandise for a comedy company.  It has been a blast to work there because the environment is pretty relaxed. Most people are cracking stupid jokes, so you are constantly laughing. I just have to do more homework at the end of the week now.



Link: http://www.today.com/news/donations-pour-detroit-man-who-commutes-21-miles-day-foot-2D80469480?cid=sm_fbn

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Essay: Assessing Tales of a Parrot

Tales of a Parrot was truly a joy to read through because it gave me a break from such serious writings. Coming from the two Biblical stories and the Buddha tales, I was ready for more of a light-hearted choice. The parrot was so intelligent that I had to look up multiple words in the dictionary to either confirm or better understand the definition of the words he used. The combination of the bird’s wit, humor and smarts made the dynamic story more interesting. It kept my attention because I really wanted to understand what the little creature was saying.

The addition of the small tales interwoven into the larger story was hard to catch onto at first, but the more I read, the easier it was to follow the format. 

I think the short description under Tales of a Parrot encompassed the whole goal of the story, so I felt confident in my selection.

I wrote my storytelling post off of the story, “The Elk and the Ass.” Immediately after I read it, I knew I wanted to change up the animals and incorporate a different lesson at the end. The lesson was short and to the point, but I had no problem understanding the setting, characters and sequences. All of this to say, this was my favorite story.

(Rocky Mountain Bull Elk - Author: MONGO (2009))

Tales of a Parrot surprised me because I was not expecting to read so many stories within one larger story. I was prepared to read about 20 individual short stories that did not apply to one another. This was how the Bible Women unit was laid out so I knew this format was an option. While most of the small stories were not directly connected with the main story, I still grasped the whole picture. Most of the time, the parrot was trying to teach a lesson to the humans, which was quite a paradox because the parrot actually had something intelligent to say.

Storytelling Week 5: The Mosquito and Hen

The parrot said:

    Back in the 18^th-century, there was a pesky mosquito and feisty hen that had the most unlikely friendship. Both creatures lived on an almost abandoned farm owned by Mr. Rogers. The barn was a ghost town because many of the horses were starving or had already died, and the other animals had been sold, all except one hen (the mosquito wasn’t really owned by anyone since he had free reign to leave when his little heart desired). 

(Garden - 18th-century painting - Author: Mal)

       It was a hot afternoon day when the hen said to the insect, “I am about tired of starving everyday. 

       Mr. Rogers is a decent fellow and all, but a hen has got to eat. I’m planning on laying eggs soon.”

       The mosquito replied with a mischievous tone, “I am getting a bit hungry too…”

       “Don’t even think about sucking my blood!” the hen snapped back.

After a long, tiresome argument, the two agreed not to exploit one another, but instead find relief somewhere else. So they ventured to the neighboring farms to find some birdseed for the hen and a few healthy animals for the mosquito to feast on.

To the right was Mr. and Mrs. Larky’s farm. They had a few dozen cows and horses, but nothing more, so that option was out. To the left was the Grizzly Bear Farm, yes, the farm only raised grizzly bears for people to come out and shoot their game. We didn’t associate much with those people.

       The hen said, “You don’t really have to guess why,” as she rolled her wing around in a circle next    

       to her head.

The next option was a fit for them both – the Chumnut family who lived just across the street! They raised cows, horses, chickens, donkeys, rattlesnakes, cats – you name it, they owned it. After a long rest at dusk, the two decided to go out in the middle of the night to prevent someone from hearing them.

They were now steps from the fence blocking the green pasture from the busy road. The mosquito, riding on the hen’s head, gave the bird a tap on the noggin and told her to head on over. One step, two step, three step……

       “OUCHHHHH!” yelled the hen.

       She continued screaming, “I just had a lightening bolt rattle my whole body - organs and all!"

Not long after, the ranch man came out of his house to see this chicken toasted from the shock of the electric fence.

He scooped her fragile body up in his calloused hands and carried her to his barn, where he proceeded to feed the hen some birdseed. That was all she really wanted.

The mosquito returned to his 

old farm with an empty stomach. No pain, no gain.

Author's Note: The original story, “The Elk and the Ass,” in the UN-Textbook (2014), was about two animals venturing over to a farm to graze the field together. The ass got in a giddy mood and decided to sing. This act woke up the gardener and master of the house. They then decided to take them prisoner.

The narrator, the parrot in “Tales of a Parrot”, told this whole story. He told this story to teach his master’s wife a lesson.

I changed it up to teach a lesson, but one about working for what you want (no pain, no gain). While the two animals should not have gone over to the Chumnut Farm to steal food or animal blood, the hen had to go through a full body electrical shock in order to get fed. The mosquito left with an empty stomach because he didn’t have to go through any pain to receive food (blood). This version also had a much happier ending than the original story where the men took the two animals captive. 

Bibliography: The Elk and the Ass. (1801). UN-Textbook (2014). Tales of a Parrot. Ziya'al-Din Nakhshabi. 

Reading Diary B: Tales of a Parrot

Tales of a Parrot

The Frog, the Bee, and the Bird, who Killed the Elephant – I was immediately drawn to this story because of the title. It had a hint of playful mystery that somehow incorporated a frog, bee and bird. Throughout the story, you are introduced to multiple animals known for their wisdom, wit and ability to create strategies, especially the bee bird and frog. The little creatures had a pretty evil plan to kill the elephant. I didn’t realize the violence would escalate so quickly, but they wanted to help out their new friend, the flea, so they did not hold back.

The journey of the day was an eventful one, which made the end of the story quite tasteful. 

“Khojisteh wanted to have gone; at that instant the cock crowed and, the dawn appearing, her departure was deferred.”

(Elephant - Author Unknown)

The Elk and the Ass – By the name of this story, you just know you have to read it! It really did have a helpful lesson in it though. The donkey and elk were grazing in a pasture that did not belong to them so they had to be quiet. The donkey, or ass at this point, didn’t think through the fact that his singing would wake up the master of the house. He belted a tune anyway. The two animals ended up getting caught, but the story doesn’t divulge what happened to them after. The parrot told this story to help his master’s wife in her predicament of accepting a veil of chastity to keep her out of trouble.

Reading Diary A: Tales of a Parrot

After reading through the Tales of a Parrot unit, I started realizing how common it is for some supernatural being to be apart of the stories. From the Bible Unit to Life of The Buddha and now Tales of a Parrot, it doesn’t matter the context, plot or characters, a God or gods are 

somehow incorporated.

(Mughal Tutinama - Author and Date Unknown)

Miemun and Khojisteh:After reading this first story of the unit, I was immediately infatuated by the idea of a wise and almost mischievous parrot. The words and thoughts of the small bird were so complex and eloquent that I knew the two together, man and bird, would be a great combination.

There were two words I actually learned from reading this little snippet. I had never heard of the words “hun” and “spikenard” so I left the story with a larger vocabulary!

Khojisteh and theParrot: This story immediately turned for the worse! But it was so unexpected that I actually enjoyed reading it all the way through. Even though the poor sharuk died a horrible death of being beaten by the woman, the surprise of the act made me more curious as I continued to read.

The Story of theParrot of Ferukh Beg: I learned the meaning of another new word, “sagacious,” which means shrewd or good judgment. This word was used to describe another parrot in Ferukh Beg’s household. I can respect the little fellow for not wanting his master to divorce his wife for her affair while he was gone for a year and a half, but marriage needs to be all about honesty so I wish he went ahead and said something.

Famous Last Words Week 4

This week has been pretty great concerning my work, classes and my personal life! To start off, I will tell you about work at Serve Denton. I’ve only been working 10 hours a week because of their funds. Due to additional work they need done though, they are now letting me work 12 hours a week. Not that that is much of a jump, but it still means I get to do more design work and get paid to do it.

(Serve Denton Logo - Designer Unknown)

With school, I had my first online test this week for my Introduction to Marketing class. I made a 100%, so I was very excited about that! I’ve noticed when some of my classes start picking up, the other ones slow down, which is great news for me. I guess my teachers are catering their schedules to mine!

In this Mythology and Folklore class specifically, I have really enjoyed writing the Storytelling blog posts because I get to truly test my brain’s creativity. My best work for this class is probably my Introduction for my final Storybook project. I wrote it from the perspective of God. With God being a common character in all of the original stories, I thought it would be an easy transition to make Him the narrator in all of my stories about the Bible women. This was a new style I used that I had not experimented with before in the class.

Many of the stories I read that come across as successful are the ones that give pertinent details. Sometimes details are added that build the characters or plot that do not match the story. More details are usually always better than none, but sometimes they can clutter a story and hide the purpose behind the writing.

With my personal life, my fiancé and I started our second week of pre-marital counseling, which has been a great addition to my Thursdays. It makes me confident for our marriage that we have been so honest about our lives upfront that there is very little I feel uncomfortable talking to him about.