Rounding up a loooonng year...

Reading and reflecting on these past posts of mine, the first thing that I notice is it is a reflection of my opinions, coming as a stream of thought rather than in the form of an essay. I've tried to fit the assignment to my personal style of thought/writing (possibly a tad more outgoing than me in person) and keep it exciting and attention grabbing. From my first post, 'Writing about Reading', to ' Unassigned Reading??? What's That?!?!?!?!' and the odd 21 posts in between I have become more comfortable with this form of self-expression and (I think) become a little more skilled at it.

Blogging has helped me to work with group members on projects and understand things I was confused on by questioning something and getting a answering post. Plus people's comments on my other posts have been beneficial to my writing technique...though not as much as they could have been because most of the responses are rather shallow and unoffensive (not that I want them to be offensive, just more constructive).

Recurring throughout my blog is the "all this is so new for me" idea. High School, Blogging, using computers for homework, going to public school, (etc) are all things suddenly dumped into my lap this year. In the song "New Beginning", by Trapt the lyrics "Do I see just one small chance to be myself/To try and make it last/Every step that I make", it expresses the new chances to be ones self...I think that may really be the motive (other than grades) behind this blog. Gone are the confining walls of Waldorf, demolished to let in the opportunities of High School. Computers are part of my assignments, no longer some foreign object disdained upon by the curriculum and rules of my school.

To think this new beginning has come to an end, which opens up to yet another new beginning. From Waldorf to OHS, Freshman to Sophomore and eventually Senior to Freshman again. These ends and beginnings are the rhythm of life, each a new opportunity and a new accomplishment. Now, to my first summer with my many new friends!

Unassigned Reading??? What's That?!?!?!

Oh, summer! Why so far away??? 3o days, around a month, about 1/12 of a year...Sounds like FOREVER! Still the memory of this past summer strong in my mind, the long days filled with relaxing in bed till noon grazing through a wonderful, light, easy to read book (no annotating involved!).

With all this 'Pennies for Peace' and Greg Mortenson inspired talk at school I have become increasingly interested in the book that started it all...Three Cups of Tea, is first on my reading list for my leisure days in the sun.

Second, well, which to choose! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many books out there, begging to be read... I know many people who have devoured the Pendragon books, by D. J. MacHale, and said, "Beth! You just have to read these!!!!!". So, I guess I will! Walker already has purchased most of them so it will only take an easy walk into the living room to snatch the next one for reading.

Suddenly, as I sum up this post, I feel new excitement for the break to come! YAY!

To Dream or not to Dream?

Are dreams foretelling what is to come? Are they what is happening in some other spin off of reality? That is not really an answerable question at the moment...All we can do is speculate.

When I was young I had this reoccurring dream, or nightmare if you will, where I would be sitting on the back porch of my house with my brother and my friend. Our moms would be standing in the yard chatting (you know the way parents do when they come to pick up their kid?). When suddenly I would see some movement from behind the garage...A TYRANNOSAURUS REX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We would scream at our moms but they would just keep talking, the T-rex would start out from behind the garage getting closer and closer to the conversationally absorbed adults. We would running into the house and...I'd wake up.

Did my mom every get stepped on by a humongous dinosaur? Not that I'm aware of! Does that mean there is no hidden meaning? Nope.

Now that I think about it...a really terrible thing happened in that garage...but that's a different story.

I really think that dreams are a way for our sub-conscious mind to sort through the things we don't let ourselves go through with awareness. So though I don't think they are necessarily prescient, I do think they are relevant. I don't have Romeo's full hearted confidence in their use as an oracle but neither do I have Mercutio's distasteful disdain toward them.

Romeo's foreboding seems to have foretold true, for Tybalt is dead and Mercutio slain. So at least in R & J dreams seem to be a power over them all.

Romeo & Juliet

Every since I can remember, the names 'Romeo' and 'Juliet' have been alluded to here and there throughout conversations, television shows, movies and books. From saying "He's no Romeo...", to silly spoofs on TV shows.

The musical West Side Story was inspired by this play. It is a romantic tragedy (as is R & J).I've been trying desperately to attach a picture of Maria And Tony on a fire escape (very similar to the balcony scene) but have not been able to make stupid computer cooperate!

SEVEN MONTHS?!?! YOUR KIDDING!

WOW! Seven months already?!?! It's hard to believe my first year at high school (not to mention my first year at public school) is so far along! So much learned and so much to learn...

English was a big step for me, having coincidentally been sick almost every time we had a grammar or other English-y block at good ol' Waldorf. I have struggled with writing and English-like-things in the past and surprisingly I didn't just flop (or flunk) directly out of Honors. This class has been really fun from stuttering poems to a preoccupied class trying to memorize their own ballads and verses, to ridiculous skits, to deliciously sickening pie parties.

Over the last summer when preparing "literary elements" for admission to Honors English, it started pretty basic...
symbol = Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention.
theme = An implicit or recurrent idea; a motif.
(uh-oh! MOTIF)
motif = ??????
It ended up seeming like a motif said it was a reoccurring theme or symbol, and a theme was the opposite ( a recurrent motif), seemed like I couldn't get a straight answer!

Motifs throughout the year: money, money, (money), file, mockingbird, honesty, dishonesty, etc.

Sometimes I wonder, does the author even know what is going into the book??? Do they intend for all these minute meanings and representations to be there? Some of them are definitely intentional...goodness! I'm rambling...

Great Expectations for our Skits!

The first scene I think could be fun as a skit is when pip visits the Satis House for the first time and Miss Havisham goes all crazy with "My heart its broken" and stuff. This could be really fun if it is extremely over dramatized.

Another is when Magwitch comes to Pip's apartment and tells him he is the benefactor. This is a comical bit and it is very important to the development of the story.

The last part I think would be good is when Pip, Herbert, Startop and Magwitch are executing their escape attempt, when Compeyson tracks them down and plans to hand them in. This is really dramatic with Compeyson getting drowned and all, and would be intense to act in and view.

Another question...

So, we all know Miss Havisham is a terrible, depressed, heartbroken person. But what would make her pretend to be Pip's benefactor? It is a cruel, cruel thing to do to Pip. Pip's whole life was based on hopes of winning over Estella, and she alluded to his being intended for her, but when the time comes and he knows the truth she admits to the whole shenanigans(360). Please help me understand!!!!!!!!!!!