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Monday, November 29, 2010

Essays: A Poem



Essays Essays
Everywhere!
Essays Essays
In my hair!
If I see another page
I will go into a rage
I can only count the days
Until I give my grade a raise
As Christmas draws so very near
I know what I want this year
No more essays
No more strain
Essays simply fry my brain!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Simple Pleasures


Prompt: List 15 simple pleasures. Pick one and write about it.

1.Hot Chocolate
2.The sound of rain
3.Calming music
4.A Disney movie
5.Cat nap
6.A warm fire
7.Glass of Lemonade
8.Ray of sunshine
9.Curling up with a good book
10.Star gazing
11.Writing
12.Bubble Bath
13.Scrapbooking
14.Sitting by a pond
15.Listening to a breeze

It begins with a dream, and a small bit of magic. Good music and fun mirror the happiness of childhood. It's always a story about what really matters. The things to be thankful for are learned in an entertaining way. Beautiful artwork and character development add depth to the tale. The people we want to be, and the things we want to achieve are given through a film. Each movie leaves a mark and brings hope to a dark and dreary world. The family stories that help you believe in yourself and others around you. To me, these movies are a simple pleasure. It's a way to believe and still keep your imagination alive. Maybe reality isn't always so rosy. But everyone wants a happy ending and something to believe in.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Light



Sometimes dreams can be even more amazing than what you imagined them to be. You'll never know if you don't take the risk to find them. This is kind of the story behind Tangled, and I can relate. I think it's time I started looking for my dreams and believing I'll get there someday. With hard work and belief, dreams can come true.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Writing Prompt Tuesday prompt 8


Prompt: Write about a moment when you and another person (sibling, friend, parent etc) bonded

It was a long time ago, almost further than I care to remember. A boy was causing trouble on the bus, yelling and ignoring the bus driver. I remember how broken he looked, sitting in the third seat from the door. He was angry. You could tell by the dangerous aura about him. His eyes were slanted with rage as he glared at the bus driver who told him to calm down.
"SHUT UP!" he said, almost standing in his seat. "You have no idea what I'm going through. My best friend died today last year."
I listened, a pang forming deep in my chest. Yes I did know. I knew what it felt like to lose someone. To feel so angry that person was gone. I shifted to face him from the seat across the way.
"I know" I said softly. I looked him directly in the eyes and let all my emotions go. Once our eyes met, he stared in astonishment for two seconds and then he slumped his shoulders in defeat. Something passed between us that day. I'm still not sure what it was. Maybe we both could relate to loneliness or frustration. The feeling of knowing you can't do anything to change it. Yet there we were, two completely different situations and still able to find comfort.
I'll never forget that day. Still I think back on what I could have done to prove I knew. Maybe he does know that I understand, or maybe it was my imagination.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Dreams



Dreams can be goals
A constant light
Through ups and downs
Within your sight
No matter how rough
The path can be
Dreams light the way
Through adversity
Follow the road
And don't look back
Dreams can be guides
To keep you on track

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Destiny



Destiny is a funny thing. I'm not sure I believe the entire attitude that everything happens for a reason. This topic has been showing up in a lot of literature we read. King Arthur is destined to be king. Hercules is destined to perform impossible tasks. These troupes go through each and every piece of universally appreciated literature. But what about real life? Can destiny exist in a world of chance? Or is it destiny because you chose to go down a certain path. I'm sure the first step to learning what you are meant to do in the world comes with the belief you do have a destiny. But maybe it doesn't matter whether your destiny is formed for you or you form it yourself. Clearly you control your actions and your actions determine who you are. These actions are a small ingredient to the ultimate self you wish to be. In Jungian terms, the archetypes guide you to go through the process of individuation. This is why people love stories and can relate to characters' struggles and decisions. It's almost a conversation with the self to learn who you are. But Destiny is still a mystery to me. There is this notion of a self-fulfilling prophecy which governs your actions through your state of mind. Does destiny function the same way? For example, if you tell yourself that you can do something you will be able to do it. In the same manner if you tell yourself you can't do something you have set yourself up for failure. These two dilemmas of perspective and actions can cause false expectations or negative views on life. My question is how you get past that. If you want to believe in destiny, how do you go about doing things that prove you have a purpose of an ultimate goal to achieve in life. Maybe believing is the first step. I assume you'd have to do things to reaffirm this belief and also teach yourself lessons along the way. So maybe I agree with Dastan when he tells Tamina, "I believe we make our own destiny princess." leaving things to chance won't cut it for me.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Something Blue 11


The kind and caring Aqua is the driving force of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Best friends with Terra and Ventus, her task is to maintain balance between light and dark. She creates the star charms that hold their friendship together and tries her hardest to look at events from a wiser perspective.

A tiny light
Wandering the dark
Hoping for a path
An illuminating spark
Fighting endless battles
Rain against the storm
Driven by a purpose
Giving light its form
While both friends sleep
And the master prays
The wanderer journeys
For countless days
As time flies by
Storm and ocean may reunite
Through sea and sky

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Writing Prompt Tuesday prompt 7


Prompt: a ripple in the water

Sometimes small events can be similar to ripples in the water. One small incident grows into something larger and shapes the fabric of life in a whole new way. In literature, this would be similar to the butterfly effect which takes it's form in many folk and fairy tales. Sometimes the events are ignored, until the wave of events carries you away and you must make a decision to continue the patterns of life. A story can also be a ripple, traveling through as many people as possible and revealing a new way to look at the world. If you believe that big events start larger ones, the ripple isn't a mystery. It usually starts with something different intruding the water and changing its shape. Ideas can be ripples when they are shared with the world in many different ways. Dreams can also cause this event to happen within the archetypal world. Music can ripple thoughts and emotions through the many effects of instruments and lyrics. You can compare many events to ripples in the water. One small thing can cause a larger effect and change your perspective on the philosophy of life.

Picture from: http://thedaoofdoing.com/2010/09/17/doing-for-ourselves-ripples/

Dangers of steping outside the dorm


Warning you may have to deal with the following when stepping out of the dorm:
Blinding, white snow
Ice in winter
Nature's Wrath: in the form of wind
Flying objects: Usually a frisbee
People in a hurry to class: caution they usually run into you
Tests and Essays : Enough said
Very loud noises
Skate boarders
Bicycles
Speeding college kids in the parking lot

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Warning: Esssays cause insanity



Three days ago a research project started in the Universities around the world. Random visits showed that nine out of ten students go crazy during essay and exam weeks. Some students we interviewed were only able to babble or give blank stares when we asked them how they were feeling during this time. One particular student showed us her stash of "emergency" chocolates while another student introduced us to video games. The important trips to the library were silent observations on students hard at work. A few anonymous conversations were heard about teachers, "Waiting until the last minute to schedule their end of semester essays." A few students were able to speak and told us that three or four essays were all due on the same day. This is a mind boggling experiment and led us to realize students under pressure act like caged animals in a zoo. Going through the hallways of the dorms, we heard loud shouts and party music, while in the class building we heard students complain about how they have no life. Another stressful topic is the bibliography, done in several different ways. The different formats of essays caused confusion in every classroom we observed. As the research trip drew to a close, we asked the students what they would do when their essays were done. Some said they would "party like there was no tomorrow" while others said they would "take a mini vacation". It is official, essays cause stress for students. If you are writing an essay and become stressed out, here are some side effects to look out for:

Constant Babbling (with actual or made up words)
Ripping or tearing of paper (This is seen in more aggressive students)
A constant diet of chocolates or sweets (As long as you go to the gym this isn't an issue)
Movie marathons (With or without commentary)
Long discussions of essay topics (usually performed with frantic behavior)
Walking like a zombie (If this is the case make sure you walk by a teacher)
Anxiety of due dates (This is the most common side effect)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (from writing or typing)
Headaches (From too much focus on computer screens)

From the Student Sanity Society: Good Luck and stay sane!

Family



Family will follow you
Wherever you go
The memories you treasure
The people you know
What really matters
Is how much you know
The people around you
Help you to grow
Whether friend or relative
Teacher or pet
A family is something
You'll never forget
The lessons you learn
The times you will share
Timeless entries
And endless care
When times get tough
Or life seems a chore
The support they give
Matters more and more
Treasure your life
Value your path
Each moment is a lesson
Whether you cry or laugh

This is dedicated to my growing family and friends. Without you, I would never survive.

Book Review: The Two Princesses of Bamarre


Sometimes the bravest heroes come from the shyest people. Addie learn this lesson when her sister falls sick with The Gray Death, a terrible sickness started by a dragon and with no known cure. All her life she dwelt in her sister Meryl's shadow. But, once her sister catches the Gary Death, Addie finds the courage to attempt a quest for her sister's sake. Along the way she recites the Epics of Drualt, the only hero to survive a dragon battle and takes all the risks she never would have dreamed she could handle. Being friends with a wizard is a plus, but the dangers of spectors, dragons, gryphons and spiders block her path to find the cure. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was done in the similar style to Ella Enchanted, yet the story was much more serious and the main character struggled with being timid versus being courageous. Addie takes on the myth quest and individuates herself through the love of her family and her determination to be the best sister she can be. The ending is little surprising, and the message is deeper than I expected. All in all I give this book four out of five epic Drualt tales. A great read to escape reality and dive into personality.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Something Blue 11


DORY IS BLUE!!!
I have to admit that Dory's way of life is pretty simple.
She takes risks, and goes from moment to moment without looking back.
This has to do with her short term memory loss, but also her positive outlook on life.
Marlin learned about life with Dory's help.
Maybe one day I can learn that way of life too.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Writing Prompt Tuesday prompt 6


Prompt: Write about the biggest lie you've ever told.

I told myself for years that I didn't have emotions. Constantly using logic, I tried to cope with life by becoming as close to a robot as I can. It worked for awhile, I had the entire act of going to school and acting stoic under my belt. But after awhile, the emotions came back. They started right before I went to bed, and I couldn't sleep for hours before becoming exhausted. It's not a pretty story, but there it is. I know now that being a robot doesn't solve anything, it just causes emotions to build up inside yourself. Eventually you can't handle them anymore and you have to do something to channel them out. Being human is being logical and emotional, no matter how much you wish otherwise. To this day, it is easier for me to look at things logically, and I still have this fear of emotional issues. But, now I acknowledge my emotions on certain things, and I'm still trying to find that balance between logic and emotion.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Faith


I used to know a friend who said they hated the word faith. According to them, faith was blind and unrealistic in many situations. Of course by giving my definition of faith, you may recognize it as hope instead of faith. I believe you need to know some of what you believe in. You may not know the majority of the subject, however the emotion of faith is not something that stands alone. To have faith, you must have trust. These words go hand in hand and never seem too far from each other. Hope is another common element that accompanies faith and trust. Anyway, faith to me is not just walking blindly into some situation. You know one thing for sure, yourself. Once you know that, no situation can be handled blindly. All you can do at that point is your best. Faith in yourself is a little different from having faith in someone else. It involves a certain persona which you learn to respect. In order to have faith in yourself, you have to believe you can handle certain situations. You need to know your tools and understand your strengths along with your weaknesses. So having faith in yourself isn't a blind emotion. Having faith in someone else, of course, is an entirely different story. One, you don't know this person like you know yourself. Two, you only know the strengths and weaknesses they tell you. Three, you have to trust them (a completely different emotion). That's two types of faith that I've defined in my own terms, but the faith I really want to discuss is faith in life. Now this is not the religious kind, it is made of a completely different idea. It doesn't really involve trust either, that's more of an opinion of a person. (Can you trust life? Will life help you?) Faith in life, to me is a lot like hope. Hope is what you have when nothing else is left. After all you've tried and all you've failed, hope is the only continuous emotion to get you through the day. But faith in life comes with hope. Hope and faith in life are a package deal. You must hope that life will be better in order to have faith that things will change. You must be an observer of your own definition of life before you can truly have faith in it. This is difficult to do. Life is complicated and confusing. Most of life is taken for granted and many happy moments never last long enough. So having faith in life, is similar to having faith in the unknown, but you still have an idea of what life is like. You know that life is not easy. But faith in life requires a little perspective. So, Faith in life is an important element to survival. Sometimes you have to believe that things will take their course. Good or Bad

Saturday, November 6, 2010

life

Maybe it's that numb feeling
The calm before a storm
The thoughts of hope
ways to cope
Broken things
Hearts and Strings
Chaos and Strife
The pattern of life
Can it be peaceful?
Can it be beautiful?
Reality or Fantasy?
The cuts that run deep
The loss of sleep
The confusion of identity
The strange pattern of irony
Laughter to tears
Hope to fears
The wish that it won't be
A curse to live with me

Friday, November 5, 2010

Survival in College 101 stress relievers

1. Chocolate (This is a given)
2. Music (always a great way to relax while writing papers)
3. Fish (Believe it or not watching fish is very relaxing -proven in hospitals)
4. Exercise (Whether it's the daily workout or a stroll around campus)
5. For writers a journal will help emotional breakdowns (or a blog ;)
6. Make a list of favorite movies and watch them when you can
7. Literally Meditate (breathe or hum)
8. Dance (whether it's around your room or in a class)
9. A happy token (something that makes you smile on a key-chain or in your pocket)
10. Walkabout moments (go to a place all your own and relax)
11. Naps (not just for Kindergarten)
12. List three good things about your day (I did this on the blog for awhile)
13. Take things one at a time (too many events are overwhelming)
14. Make a schedule (if you have to)
15. crafts (creating things helps :)
16. don't beat yourself up about whatever it is (instead do something about it)
17. Take things as lessons instead of curses
18. Screaming in a pillow has been proven to help
19. Play with pets (They can sense emotions- especially dogs and cats)
20. Do at least one thing for yourself - a candy bar or even a trip to the movies
21. Sometimes you have to ignore things

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Silly Fish


Ven Pendragon watched as ShivaBelle swam back in forth in her tank. He couldn't understand why she went under the chinese style bridge, swam all the way under and popped out of the seaweed by her bubble tower. He looked at his own bridge, a sturdy medieval structure with pine trees on either side. While ShivaBelle was a one of a kind, hyper Betta , Ven was a unique blue eyed and golden scaled Betta. He enjoyed hovering above the surface and popping the water bubbles as they came from his filter. He knew that swimming around the tank was fun, but his idea of a good swim took place from the Greek ruins to the top of the Arthurian bridge. (He was named Pendragon for a reason.) From time to time he stopped his pattern to watch Shiva as she squirmed under the entire pile of tank gems. He had decided to go under his bridge once, but only once. He could only imagine why Shiva enjoyed doing the same thing over and over. But this wasn't the only thing she did. Ven had also seen her race her reflection and follow the lotus on the surface of the tank. He decided his time was best spent relaxing by the ruins or observing Shiva by the rubies. Shiva noticed every once and a while, but most of her time was spent in a constant swim, no matter how simple or energetic. So the days would go by with Ven watching Shiva swim back and forth and only stop every once in a while to take a break by the lotus flower. He did his own route from the ruins to the bridge, and took breaks behind the pine trees. There was never a dull day with silly fish.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Writing Prompt Tuesday prompt 5



Picture from http://nicola-b.deviantart.com/art/The-Four-Seasons-69541558?q=boost%3Apopular+night+day+season&qo=116
Instructions:

Imagine that you're sitting against a tree. A storyteller is sitting on the other side of the tree. On a piece of paper, list five stories you would like to hear. Choose one of the ideas, and write down what the storyteller says.


Prompt:
The old man sat with dignity, as though he knew more stories than I could ever imagine. I visited this story teller many times to learn the ways of life and magic. A small autumn breeze brushed by his storybook, a bright blue volume created from leather and paper. He was also a writer, and wisdom twinkled in his gray eyes. he seemed to be out of a story book himself. A long velvet green robe engulfed him, while a chain held a simple crescent moon around his neck. The cane he always possessed was leaning against the tree with me, a favorite apple tree, now dotted with golden leaves which fell when the wind rustled the branches. My cat Selene purred in my lap as I waited for the next life lesson.
"Stories," He always said, "Teach us the internal world of the mind and heart. They reveal who you are through agents of magic."
Today, with a calming breeze and the only sound a soft shuffle of leaves, he gave me a look that said listen, don't talk. It was a bad habit of mine, asking questions during a story, but I was learning quickly that the story would stop if I asked too many.
"Now Diana, you must be quiet during this tale. It is about many things, but you will miss them if you get too distracted."
"Yes sir", I replied.
"Then, let's begin. In the land of Vita, there were four courts. The court of summer, the court of fall, the court of winter and the court of spring. Each court was ruled by a fay king and queen, and each fay royal was responsible for the season. This tradition was passed from generation to generation, and the responsibility fell to each fay royal's children to follow the cycle of the year.
Unbeknownst to the inhabitants of Vito, there was another land called Somnium which lay across the ocean named Noctis. Somnium was often a chaotic place and only had two courts on its land, the court of dark and the court of light. Each owning a separate shore, neither land came in contact with each other. For a long time the world of Vita was believed to be the only realm. But, one day at the coronation of a new Winter King and Queen, the Winter Prince left the land of Vito and found the land of Somnium. Bataar was never one to fit in to his race. While fay danced, sung and prepared for the seasons, Bataar dreamed of becoming much more. He always watched the tide and wished to understand the winter lights that graced the sky. He was a curious soul, and his parents grew tired of his constant adventures which ocurred during his seasonal classes. After his parents were crowned, Bataar decided he wouldn't be the best Winter King, so he set off to find out what else the world would offer. He left the Winter country and traveled to Spring. There, he met Giliana, the princess of the Spring court. She wondered why he didn't accept his role as Winter prince and asked him to stay with her for awhile. Bataar knew that staying with Giliana would be fun, and he did stay for longer than he could remember. Eventually, something pulled him toward the land of Summer. This time he met a boy named Junius. Junius was the prince of Summer and taught Bataar about the importance of responsibility. Although Bataar understood what Junius told him, he still couldn't be convinced to stay and fulfill his role to be the Winter King. He journeyed to the country of Autumn where he met the wise queen Satomi, who taught him about patience. While Bataar experienced many things, he was not satisfied with all he learned. So he found a boat and crossed the ocean Noctis. As he passed on the water he noticed the sky became dark. Once he crossed the ocean, he came to the court of darkness and was captured by Tatianus, the king of darkness. Frightened for a while, Bataar stayed within Tatianus's kingdom not willing to leave the palace and learn about the outside world. Then, he was visited by Valour a knight in the kingdom of Tatianus. He told Bataar he was leaving and the real kingdom he came from was ruled by King Baldur and Queen Esperanza. Bataar agreed to go with him and both escaped the kingdom of darkness. As they left the kingdom, the sky lightened until both wanderers stopped at the small town of Aurora. Bataar explained that he was the Winter Prince and he was expected to become the next Winter King but he didn't feel he could fill the role. Valour told him that once he reached the kingdom of light, he would find the answer to all his questions. They arrived the next day and Bataar found the king and queen were expecting him.
"Welcome" Esperanza smiled, "We knew you were lost and invite you to the kingdom of light."
Bataar thanked them and began to learn about the wonders of the world. He learned of the winter lights and discovered knowledge and strength. He fell in love with the princess Estel. But after a long while, he began to feel homesick. Bataar knew he couldn't run forever, so he bid the king and queen farewell. Estel didn't want him to leave without her, so the king and queen told Estel she could live with Bataar as long as she visited them often. Estel agreed, and Bataar brought back the day. Once day arrived, Estel went to visit her parents, creating night. So Bataar found who he was and became the Winter King while Estel became the Winter Queen."
I listened to the entire story in silence, and realized the storyteller was done.
"So what's the story about young Diana?"
I scrunched up my forehead and thought for a while. "It's about a lot of things, like you said. Though I don't understand why he went back and became the Winter King."
"The only way to understand that, is to experience it my child."
He motioned for his cane and smiled a wise smile. The story was over.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Walkabout



Sometimes the only way to answer a question is to figure out who you are. This can be done in a variety of ways from taking a walk to going to China. All of these trips achieve the same thing, discovering who you are and what you want in life. I'm going to go on my own Walkabout for awhile. We'll see how this goes. It's hard to face yourself when you've been running away, afraid what you might find. But, then there's that age old saying, You can't run forever. That's true. All though if you run too long you become exhausted and don't know what to do with your self. I don't know what my walkabout will be, but I hope I can find it and learn from it. I suppose this is what the myth quest is for, but you can't always work things out with your sub-conscience. Sometimes you have to face the thing you fear and confront the self you're running from. Lessons about life are never easy. They can be the most difficult feat you will ever face, but you still have to face it. Hopefully my walkabout will answer these two important questions:
Who am I?
What do I want?