Last and finial post!

Finally! The project is done, I can say this has been fun and a pretty good experience for me and I am glad I kept with it. This is the last blog, it is a relief for me to be writing my last blog and knowing I am almost caught up on everything feels good. Knowing that I have stayed true to my feelings and not bottled everything up is pretty good feeling.

I have changed a lot and have learned a lot from doing this project. Knowing now what I could have done if I really tried and everything I would have done this years ago. I am glad I did this though. I have learned that you are stuck with what you have around you, but you can change it as much as you can to make it a little better and not so much bothering you and beating yourself over it all. I have learned that you can not always get what you want still, and that everyone goes through depression, it is life. If you make the best of your life and just try and have fun and do not let everything get to you so much, and take everything with a grain of salt, you will feel better about yourself. I have changed because now I know what I can do to help myself out when I start getting really down and upset in healthy ways instead of the not so healthy ways as before. I have changed my attitude towards different things and people, I have changed my friends, I have lost many friends, but I have gained so many great ones in return, I love this.

My mom and I still do not get along the best, but I know if I need her she will be there, and I will continue trying to keep up getting a closer friendship with her, but if it does not happen, well then there just is not much I can do about it because of the fact, it really is not my fault. I can not just sit there and stress and feel bad because my mom really does not have that connection with me, yeah it kind of hurts, but there really is not much I can do to change it. I wish it would be different between her and I, but it is life and I am lucky to have anything with her then nothing with her at all. That goes for the same with my dad, it is his loss that he lost so much time from my childhood to get to know me and be a big part of my life, he has been there, but not as much as a dad should. I still talk to him, and sometimes see him, not that much though, but I am not going to let my self esteem go to nothing because I do not have good relationships with my parents.

My friends are what I count on the most and care for the most, it is hard trusting still, but I am still working on it and I am getting better with it all. As for getting in contact with my grandparents and everyone up north again is going okay, I talk to there here and there on facebook and actually talked to my grandma about what as wrong the other day which was nice, I miss her, and I am planning on going up to see my family soon.

I am happy with the way everything has turned out from this project, it was a great experience and it has made me a little better of a person, and I am going to keep up with everything. This was a pretty exciting project !

Second to last.

So the plans with my dad got canceled again, which always happens so it's not like it is a major surprise something like this would happen, but it is hard to get canceled on when I'm trying to make peace with him, and have him be a part of my life since he was gone so much in my childhood. My mom hes been a complete wreck, and me and her just can not help but just but heads, and it sucks but I do not know what to do about it anymore. I am still trying because we have our good days. But with her rarely making time for me because she is always worried about her boyfriend and me have work and school kind of makes it easier when we do talk we are not so up tight about everything and getting on each others last nerves.

I have better control of my anger and when to show what's wrong and when to not show what's wrong, not is it a good thing to hold things in, but to know when there is the time to talk about it and when not to talk about it. It has helped, I know now how to ask for help when I need it, no matter if it is just to listen to what is wrong that is not to personal. If it is more personal and something that I do not want anyone to know, I have that little list of people I know I can go to and talk to them when ever about about whatever it is I need to talk about.

Not only have I learned to talk to people about being honest, but learning how to deal with it in a good manner and not be like I used to be, sometimes it is hard, but as the days go on it is easier. I love knowing if you try hard enough you can do anything you set your mind to and can easily make a difference if you just keep trying, and the main thing was to open up to people you trust and to be honest with yourself as well as being honest with everyone around you. It is still a tad on the hard side, but the days get easier. I have been helping with people I know that need someone there, cause it is not fun and it feels good to do good and to be of help.

I actually have kept up staying healthy and working out and everything which makes everything so much easier, because I feel good about myself. I love how this project has made me a lot better and a stronger person throughout this I know I can be better then what I thought I was and made myself out to be.

number 6.

My mom and I never seem to get along no matter how hard I try. I just do not get it anymore. It is like I am not good enough. I have been better about being true to myself. However, it would be nice if my mom and I could just get along a lot more, but it is life. I have three friends I go to all the time for everything and can talk about anything and that helps a lot. I did that last night, I had a lot going on and instead of getting all upset and hiding what was wrong and shutting everyone out, I actually talked about what was going and it helped out a lot, it made me feel a lot better. Also me trying to be more health conscious has helped me out a lot to, and working out, I feel a lot better about myself and I am not always so upset and depressed as bad anymore. I have realized another way to let out stress, is staying more active, it makes me feel better in the end.

My sister and I have a lot in common and I know she is like the only family member that I can go to and she will keep it all to herself and between her and I. We never used to get a long, we still do not get along a majority of the time, but she is always there when I need someone no matter what time it is or what it is about, she is like one of my best friends, I do not know what I would do with my sister honestly. I have always been straight up with her and told her exactly how I feel, so it is nice to have that in my life, even though we do not get along half the time.

I have not talked to my grandparents in a few days, but I am planning on going to see them soon. I probably will go up there for winter break, which is always exciting for me to go up there for a few, I love it there it is so peaceful and it feels like home. I just think it is not only because I get to see my family I do not normally get to see, but something about being in the country makes me just feel like I am free and have no worries which is the best feeling in the world I love it so much. I am planning on seeing my dad soon, which is scary for me because we normally do not talk much, and when we do, it always ends up not in the best terms. Lately it has been better, my dad and I are a lot alike, and I think that is why we but heads so much, but lately with everything going on, I am really calm and not so stressed and it feels good. I think that I am finally getting back to myself and not so depressed anymore, it feels really good. I feel really good about myself, which makes it even better.

I'm already half way there

I called my dad the other day and we were actually on talking terms for a few days. Now it is back to how it was, I do not get it, I try and try and nothing happens. Between my mom and I has gotten a little bit better. We have had our bad days, but we are getting somewhere, I can actually have a conversation with her for more then five minutes now without fighting with her, which is good. Although I am never home, rarely am I ever. I am either at school, at work, or off somewhere doing something, or sitting on my bed doing my homework is really all I ever do. It is not the best idea that I have some what isolated myself from my friends and family. I have been a lot better about being true to myself and not just bottling everything up and not talking about my feelings, sometimes people have to get it out of me, but it does not happen that much. Asking for help is the hardest thing I think I have ever had to do. I am still working on that, but I am making progress.

I have got back in touch with my grandparents and my family up north what has been very nice. I missed them, and I might go up there soon, when I am up there, it feels like I am at home, I love it there, not only is it the country, but I love that part of my family with everyone. I am up there I have no worries, until the day I go home, but it all just comes back when I get home. They are people that I know I can always turn to and they will listen to me with whatever it is and they will do the best to help me, which I need. I do not know what I would do without them. Dealing with depression is not the funnest thing I have done, but it has made me a happier person.

I just need to start talking to my mom about things more and opening up to her some more, I miss how me and her were before everything happened. There is not much I can do about it other then try to get that back with her. Opening up to her, is like facing my fears, but I know I can do it. This whole project has opened my eyes more, and has helped me be a better person, and not so keep to myself kind of thing, I know how to talk about things, but I still need to come face to face with myself and tell myself when there is something wrong with me, and talking about what is wrong. For granted I hate change, but it will be worth it in the end. It is a difficult task but I have come a long way and I am not giving up on it now.

Hardest thing 4 me.

Opening up to my mom has not been fun. Trying to get close with her is way to hard. Dealing with my depression has not been any easier. Though, I have done a lot to keep my mind off the negative stuff. I do not go to counseling anymore, which in my defense it has helped me better, not because I just hide what is wrong, but because I have set challenges for my self I have never even tried to do. My mom and I fight a lot more lately, because of the economy and just stress on both of us, for money and for school it just is hard. I have set away from all the kids who did not really help with everything and just brought me down on doing ridiculous stuff. Every since I found a new group of friends and stopped everything that was not healthy or good for me, has made me feel a little better about myself.

My dad and I just started talking again, and it has been hard for me to talk to him, the nights I have, I would hang up and cry really hard. But I always found someone to talk to. I have not seen my dad, brother, or sister in 3 or 4 months, it is hard because I love my little brother more then anything and that is really the only reason I still talk to my real dad. For granted it hurts me, but I take the pain. We do have some pretty good times, we have had some heart to heart conversations, but just is not for me. I hardly talk to my dads side of the family anymore, which sucks because they are really the only family I have other then my mom, grandma, and my uncle. There was drama over the summer where my family found out about a lot I did over the summer and found out a lot about me that they did not know. They were not to happy and were disappointed on me, but it has gotten better, to a degree. I miss my dad the most, growing up I was always a daddy's girl. It has been nice getting back in touch with him again, it has helped a lot knowing he cares.

My mom and I probably will never work out our differences. Ever since I was a girl it has been hard for me to talk to my mom. I have tried to open up to her, but when we fight she just you could say verbally abuses me. I normally do not listen but just it does not help with my depression. The depression has been a tad worse lately only because of the seasons changing and a lot other things going on right now, so I do not know where I am going to end up, but if I keep up the work and do not let it and the negativity and negative thoughts get to me, then I am sure that it will work out a little better, I am not saying that it is going to make everything better. I have realized no matter what something is always going to go wrong, but it is not the end of the world.

Until next time, lets hope everything goes well.

Last emotion cd :'(

Okay, so my last CD is done, my fear CD. I’m kind of sad to see my project come to an end, this has been the most fun project that I’ve ever done. Now, this fear CD was probably the hardest one for me to make simply because I don’t think I was specific enough in the type of fear I meant, so it ended up being fear in general. All in all I think this one turned out really well, especially since I wasn’t really sure what I was doing at first. Okay, for the last time, here is my track list.

1. Waterfalls – TLC
2. Unpretty – TLC
3. Unfaithful – Rihanna
4. Tattoo – Jordin Sparks
5. Second Chance – Shinedown
6. The Rape of the World – Tracy Chapman
7. Cold Feet – Tracy Chapman
8. Remember the Tinman – Tracy Chapman
9. Unwanted – Avril Lavigne
10. Anything But Ordinary – Avril Lavigne
11. Should’ve Known Better – Richard Marx
12. Russians – Sting
13. Fortress Around Your Heart – Sting

Looking back on my project, this has been a pretty good experience. I really enjoyed this project. The songs that I chose for each CD were my favorite in each category. I loved my project, I loved making the CD’s and searching through the songs. Maybe I feel so good about it because, while everyone else had all summer, I did it in just a couple of weeks. I felt kind of rushed, but no more so than I do while working on a journalism deadline. I think it was the rush that helped to make it so fun for me, it’s just that I love pushing myself, and when you only have so much time, you kind of have to. This was a fun project that I’m not likely to forget anytime soon. Thanks for the great experience. The Kingsolver blog will be up with the week.

My sleepy songs *yawn*

Okay, so this is my sleepy CD. Warning: May cause drowsiness! This one was another pretty easy one. One of the songs on here kind of had sentimental value to me, this was one that my dad used to sing to me when I was really little to get me to go to sleep, so naturally that would go on this CD. This CD made me kind of tired, but that was kind of the point wasn’t it? This one has 13 tracks; I know that this one is kind of shorter than the last one, but making this actually made me tired, so it was kind of hard to keep listening to songs that just made me want to go to bed. Okay okay, I get it. Shut up Krissy; give the nice people the track list.

1. Lullabye – Billy Joel
2. Sunshine on My Shoulders – John Denver
3. Silent Sea – KT Tunstall
4. The Crystal Ship – George Winston
5. Love Song to A Ballerina – George Winston
6. Pour Les Tierces – Claude Debussy
7. Moonlight – Claude Debussy
8. Valse Romantique – Claude Debussy
9. The Fairy Queen – Clannad
10. Swee’ Pea – Basie, Count Orchestra
11. It Was A Very Good Year – Frank Sinatra
12. I’ll Only Miss Her – Harry Connick Jr.
13. Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off – Harry Connick Jr.

I suppose it seems fitting that I did this CD before I went to bed; it sure got me sleepy enough to head to bed. Even now, writing this blog, as I listen to it all again, I’m getting kind of tired. So this CD is done, the next and final one will be fear, and after that I’ll wrap it up with one last post. I’m almost sad to see this project end, I really enjoyed it. I hope everyone has had as much fun as I have, the next one will be out tomorrow.

I'm a wizard, look how fast this is getting posted

See, I told you, only a few minutes to post the next one, I know, I’m just that quick. So this CD, the excited one, was pretty easy to make. All it really took was finding some really upbeat songs with good lyrics. The songs in this are pretty much just songs that have a really good beat to them, songs that make me want to get up and dance, who knows maybe they’ll make you want to dance too. However, if you’re like me, I suggest dancing off to the side, because let’s face it, I can’t dance. These songs are just really fun and I hope everyone has as much fun listening to them as I did. Since I know you were going to ask, here’s the track list:

1. I’m Alright – Kenny Loggins
2. It’s Raining Men – Disco
3. I Saw the Sign – Ace of Base
4. Potential Breakup Song – Aly and AJ
5. Knock On Wood – Amii Stewart
6. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy – Andrews Sisters
7. New Age Girl – Deadeye Dick
8. The Theme from Grease – cast of Grease
9. Fame – Irene Cara
10. Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
11. I’m So Excited – Pointer Sisters
12. Man I Feel Like A Woman – Shania Twain
13. Future So Bright Wear Shades – Timbuk 3
14. Life Is A Highway – Tom Cochrane

Some of these songs may seem oldish, but they made me smile and yeah, made me dance around my room like the weirdo that I am. It’s kind of crazy, but I made this one when I was in a pretty bad mood and this just immediately lifted me up. It’s a little strange that music can have that kind of effect on me, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Now we’ve reached the point where you’re wondering, what’s next. Well don’t worry, I’m going to tell you, the next CD will be Sleepy, it will be posted tonight.

Number 5! Woo!

Okay, so the calm CD is finished now. It has 16 tracks on it, all of which have moderately slow beats. Warning, this may make you feel insanely relaxed. You have been warned, I am no longer responsible for any feelings of relaxation that you may experience listening to these songs. The track list? Okay okay, I’ll tell you. Impatient much?

1. So Far Away – Carole King
2. Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel
3. Sweet Baby James – James Taylor
4. Operator(That’s Not the Way it Feels) – Jim Croce
5. Photographs and Memories – Jim Croce
6. Time In a Bottle – Jim Croce
7. Annie’s Song – John Denver
8. Dust In the Wind – Kansas
9. I Believe In Love – Dixie Chicks
10. Cry – Faith Hill
11. Theme From Harry’s Game – Clannad
12. Only A Woman’s Heart – Eleanor McEvoy
13. Cry to Heaven – Elton John
14. Chloe – Elton John
15. Suteki Da Ne – Nobuo Uematsu
16. Life Is a Boat – Rei Fu

I think I succeeded in adding enough variety in this one. You’ll notice that two of these songs, Suteki Da Ne and Life Is a Boat, aren’t even in English. For the most part they have very slow beats, with the exception being the two songs in Japanese. The artists I chose for this one are some that some people can automatically say, “Oh! I know them!” However, there are also some that most people may not have heard of quite yet. I don’t know of many people that can spend hours on YouTube listening to Japanese songs. There are also some songs from different cultures that perhaps people may not have been exposed to, as well as some older songs that people may not have heard of, although I severely doubt that one. I mean come on, who hasn’t heard of Elton John and Carole King? Well, that wraps up this CD and this blog. The next one, which, believe it or not will be posted in a few minutes, is the excited CD.

Told you it would be out tonight :)

Okay, so the funny CD so far has been the most fun to make. I laughed like an idiot a lot of the time making this one. Some of the ones a lot of people may not have heard, or maybe they’re just as big of geeks as I am, I don’t know. There are 17 tracks on this one, which I know is more than last time. Hey, can you blame me? This one was just a blast to make! Yes, I realize, there is a bit of Weird Al on here. Typical, I know. That man just makes me laugh.

1. Your Brains – Jonathan Coulton
2. Code Monkey – Jonathan Coulton
3. Feel Like I’m Fixing to Die – Country Joe and the Fish
4. Kill the Wabbit – Dr. Demento
5. Last Will and Temperment – Frantics
6. Boot to the Head – Dr. Demento
7. They’re Coming to Take Me Away – Dr. Demento
8. I’m Too Sexy – ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic
9. White & Nerdy – ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic
10. Amish Paradise – ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic
11. The Night Santa Went Crazy – ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic
12. The Saga Begins –‘Weird Al’ Yankovic
13. I’ve Got a Theory – Buffy the Vampire Slayer Musical Soundtrack
14. Hakuna Matata – Baha Men
15. Fish Heads – Barnes and Barbes
16. Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh – Allan Sherman
17. Popstar (Rockstar Spoof) – YouTuber “JamesatWar”

Everyone should listen to these songs; they are surely guaranteed to get you laughing on your worst day, simply hilarious! Now, what’s the next emotion you may ask? The next one will be the calm CD which will be out tomorrow. This one will be pretty slow for the most part, but I suppose that could have gone without saying. That’s it for this one guys, keep a look out for the latest one.

The Anger CD is HERE

Okay, so the angry CD is finally done! I was kind of hoping to get this one out sooner, but hey, at least it’s done right? Okay, so little outline of this CD, I did add some more variety in the bands and yes, in decades. This one was kind of fun to make, it may sound a little crazy since this was my angry CD, but hey, it was fun to make, so oh well. This one has 14 tracks and all of them are songs that I’ve always enjoyed. Yeah, I know, Krissy is crazy for liking the angry music, just call me psycho. The track list? I’m glad you asked.

1. Hate My Life – Theory of a Deadman
2. Peace Sells – Megadeth
3. Disposable Heroes – Metallica
4. 18 and Life – Skid Row
5. Master of Puppets – Metallica
6. Because of You – Nickelback
7. Another Hole In the Head – Nickelback
8. Too Gone Too Long – Randy Travis
9. What I’ve Done – Linkin Park
10. A Sorta Fairytale – Tori Amos
11. Turn the Page – Bob Seager
12. Nobody’s Fool – Cinderella
13. Cumbersome – Seven Mary Three
14. Youth Gone Wild – Skid Row

Some of this may be depressing but it was some of the angriest music I could find on my laptop, and hey, I think it turned out pretty well. There were a few times during this one that I seriously thought about head banging, lame I know. Oh well. A few of the bands on here are on the CD more than once, well that’s for a couple reasons. For one, I enjoyed their music more, and two, they just made the whole angry theme really easy. The next blog will be out within the hour. The emotion this time will be funny. Look out for it!

3rd.

So it has been getting a lot harder since school has started keeping up with everything, and trying to stay positive and keeping a smile on my face. I have gotten more distant with my mom and I barely talk to my dad anymore, he pretty much hates me. I do not talk to any of my family anymore. My mom and I were doing really good over the summer to a degree, we fought, but I was really close with her, closer then I have been with her, but lately we have become so distant and so hard to understand of one another it is really hard to even say anything to her anymore. This time of year with does not help trying to deal with my depression, because around this time, I just get so upset, sad, and really depressed. I do not know what it is about this time of year. The days are getting harder, but I am still trying.

The journal I was doing has not helped much with everything. I have opened up to more people though and have been talking to more and more people about what is going on. School has been stressful which does not help all to much, but I will say I am learning more and more how to like not let everything get to me so much, and it has helped and me knowing when I need help and when to get it is a good thing. I used to bottle everything up, and just never talk to anyone, and take it out on myself. Lately that has not happened to much, I have been a lot better about it all. I feel better about myself, and the goals I have set I am getting there. Slowly but surely I am getting there.

Lately music has been my escape. I listen to it 24/7 and just when I listen to it I will drawl or I will write, I just get lost in what I am doing, I tune everything and everyone out. I feel so good about myself and I am actually happy, and doing something healthy, not just anything to escape. It seems like since I have turned away from all my old friends and have been trying harder, I have been a little more happy. It is just hard with everything going on with my mom. I really hope it gets better in time.

Second CD is DONE

Okay, the second CD is done! This one was a little harder for me to do, and okay, I cried a little bit. All in all I think that it turned out pretty well though. I tried to make the different songs vary in genre as best I could, while still staying with the songs that I like. In this one there is some Neil Diamond, Suzanne Vega, Billy Joel, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, and Avril Lavigne. There are only twelve tracks on this one, and the last one had 20, but this one, like I said wasn’t quite as easy for me to do. I know by this time you’re just dying to hear the track list, well patience people, I’m getting there.
1. Don’t Tell Me – Avril Lavigne
2. Too Much To Ask – Avril Lavigne
3. Where Do We Go From Here – Buffy the Vampire Slayer Musical
4. Back to December – Taylor Swift
5. You Don’t Bring Me Flowers – Neil Diamond
6. Love on the Rocks – Neil Diamond
7. Luka – Suzanne Vega
8. Leningrad – Billy Joel
9. Downeaster “Alexa” – Billy Joel
10. Thunder Rolls – Garth Brooks
11. The Dance – Garth Brooks
12. Baby Grand – Billy Joel
Okay, looking at that list, I realize that I probably could have varied the genres a little more. It seems like most of that list is country. Oops. I’ll work on that for my next CD, which in case you were wondering, will be the anger CD. The rule for this one, cut the country out, this past one had enough in it for the next one as well. Also, looking at this, I realize a better name would have been sadness, but oh well.
Keep an eye out for the next one! I’ll try to get it up tonight, that way you won’t die of anticipation, not that you would, but you know, just in case.

Emotion CD's Have Begun

Okay, so it took a REALLY long time to think of what to do for this blog assignment. It finally hit me, I mean literally hit me. My CD case fell on me, and WHAM! Instant blog idea! The plan is to make eight emotions mix CD’s. The emotions will be: happy, pain, anger, fear, funny, sleepy, calm, and excited! I’m pretty excited about it! The songs are going to come from my own collection and they will be the songs that best evoke that emotion in me, I think this is going to be a very fun project and I just can’t wait to get started! Nothing but me and all my favorite music♫♪ I really think this is going to be a whole new kind of project, I’ve never had this much control over what I did for an assignment and it’s pretty cool. The first CD that I think I’m going to do is my happy CD.

2 hours later:

It’s done! My happy CD is done. Want to know the track list? I knew you would.

1. Larger Than Life - the Backstreet Boys

2. Wanted Dead Or Alive - Bon Jovi

3. You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi

4. I’ll Never tell – Buffy the Vampire Slayer Musical Soundtrack

5. Genie In A Bottle – Christina Aguilera

6. What A Girl Wants – Christina Aguilera

7. Say My Name – Destiny’s Child

8. Wide Open Spaces – Dixie Chicks

9. I’ll Be There To Catch You – Drake Bell

10. Superman – Eminem

11. All Around Me – Flyleaf

12. Here For The Party – Gretchen Wilson

13. Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani

14. The Tide Is High, Get The Fee – Atomic Kitten

15. Hollywood – Jonas Brothers

16. Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson

17. Must Get out – Maroon 5

18. Let’s Dance – Miley Cyrus

19. Photograph – Nickelback

20. I Write Sins Not Tragedies – Panic At The Disco

Next is my pain CD, look out for it!

trutl; 8. Better late than never? (:

Well yep. Here it is Sunday, almost 10 at night and I'm doing my eighth blog post. Man I am a master of procrastination. So, my comparison!
Barbara loved the organic lifestyle. And I loved my project. It felt like such a part of me, like I had put so much of myself into it. And I know that's how she felt about what she did. That she put all this hard work to achieve a beautiful result, and that's how I feel. I worked very hard but now I know it was all worth it. We both had this plan, and we made it happen! Though her's was definitely a lot larger and much more physically challenging than mine was, I still feel it had the same emotions behind it. Especially love. We both loved what we were doing.

Last Guitar Post, awwwwe yeahh!

I did it! I finally did it! Yes, it always feels good to finish a project, especially if you are finishing late. The author of "Animal Vegetable Miracle" must have felt awesome if i feel this good. I'm so glad that this project helped me to actually attempt at playing guitar. I don't know if i have said it before, and if i have, i'll say it again, I have been wanting to pick guitar up for a long time. I have always loved the sound of guitars, it's even better if the sound is made by someone who knows how to play. I feel that guitar has impacted my life how living on things she grew in her own backyard affected her. She was dedicated to the lifestyle she had chosen. After i finally was sure i was changing my project to learning to play guitar, i did the same thing. I have been playing my finger tips off, just as she had worked hers. Reading that book was an inspiration to me that with enough faith, you can do anything. In the end of the book she said that she didn't want to stop living off of fruits and vegetables, with goodies being an exception. I think that i know exactly what she meant and why she meant it. Dedicating time out of my day to learn and practice how to play guitar has changed my regular schedule. I'm seriously wanting to continue this project. I wish that i would have been able to decide this in the beginning instead of having to go through the whole confusion with my mom's back problems that set me off a couple of weeks. I'm very happy that i ended up making the right decision in the end. Though i had my troubles and needed some getting used to, so did the lady in the book, and look how successful she turned out :) Blog #8, thanks for this project

Last Blog, First Day!

The first day of school, a day I have been dreading, yet I feel so relieved. This is my very last blog, I don't have to stress about this any longer. As much as this was supposed to be fun, and a new experience, it was still more stressful all around. Today was the first day back to choir, its weird but I felt a sort of happiness being with everybody again. Chamber choir has been like a family and it was so fun to see everybody again, and to see how well we blended with the new members. We gave three new freshmen and several older new members so everybody who is in their second, third, or fourth year was concerned about how good we were going to sound. Today class was short so we only had time for one warms up. From what I heard we sounded pretty good together. I am very excited to actually start singing. I haven't had voice lessons in a while, so I feel little out of practice.
I am hopefully having voice lessons this Friday at four, that is the usual time, I will have to rush from school to get there. I have not scheduled my time for piano lessons during the school year, I am going to try and get that done tomorrow. I want to stick with piano, I was doubtful on whether I wanted to or not, but my voice teacher told me if I have a background in piano and voice then I will have a good chance for a Michigan State scholarship! So I am pretty excited. Today was a very usual first day of school, the regular bustle of new freshmen looking for their class, the frustration at attempting to make it through the halls and still be on time for class. The whole time I was thinking how fast high school was going to go for the freshmen because it seems like just yesterday I was a freshmen. Now I am a junior, worrying about college and passing my AP classes. The whole time at school I was thinking about Anna Nalick's "Just Breath" Lyrics. She says "Life's like an hour glass glued to the table, no one can find the rewind button." This feels like a great way to end my last blog, music fits every situation in life, no matter what it is, or what you are going through, there is a song for it and it is there to comfort you. Have a good school year to everybody!

So we started school today, and my day was pretty good! I have to make this a quick post, because my internet is still down, and im posting from my girlfriends computer, lol. But yesterday i did a firing and finished a set of three pieces, and finished glazing them this morning. I havent been able to do all the blogs and my project as much as I like because i was working 6 days a week, most days 8+ hours. And since most of the ceramic things take a long time, (firings take all day to do both), I never really had time. But anyway... I have to go and I'll see you all in class! By the way, great joke Mr. Wilson!!!

Guitar: Love hate relationship :)

I woke up at 6:30 this morning to do a workout, after i got ready for school (really early, i know) and went straight to the guitar after. It was an automatic action, which i found weird after i realized i was playing the guitar. I was nervous for school this morning and didn't get much sleep last night, and i think that the guitar calmed me down. I know that i have mentioned how relaxing playing the guitar is, I just thought i should give an example that shows how i know what i'm talking about. I said in my last post that i would practice more chords, but i didn't this morning. I reviewed my regular string notes and the chords that I have been practicing instead. I'm trying to perfect six chords so i will practice the other chords later and then blog about it. Hopefully, by that time my fingers will not hurt as much as they do now. I exceeded my guitar playing limit this morning and now my fingers are all tingly and painful;even typing this hurts. If i thought my fingers hurt before, i just proved myself wrong. When playing an instrument you really do have to take breaks when trying to play all day. In order to take breaks, you must make time to play first. This might seem obvious but alot of people start playing their instruments and don't complete a full practice (30min-1hour) because they did not plan it out. Playing a guitar takes time to get used to, even if you have played for a long time; you must take time out of your day and put it aside specially for practice. I did that this morning. Since I know that i have to go to school today, i woke up really early and created time for guitar. People are always complaining about how they don't have enough time; you really have all the time in the world, usually we just don't use it correctly.

schools starting.

I am not exactly sure how many blogs I have so I thought that I would just add an extra one. This blog will more than likely be very short even though I had to go edit all of mine because they were three hundred characters instead of three hundred words. I thought this project was really worth my while and I did learn a few things through it. As I have previously stated I have learned self reliance and perseverance. This project had its hardships but I worked through them all. The worst part about this project I thought was the in fact chart…I am probably still missing a few things. It is mostly done though. This project also made me realize that I will actually have to work to get a good grade in this class. This worries me because language arts is not exactly my favorite or best subject. I had everything except the blogs done almost a week ahead of time. So I got to relax for a little bit of my summer and spend a few days up north with some family. I hope every one had just as great a time as I did doing this project and I hope everyone had a good summer. I am actually kind of excited to see everyone at school.

ouchhh

Three posts today, two tomorrow, this might work out! Probably not though, knowing my luck ;) I have been practicing all day though. I did not think it was possible for calluses to go away, but the ones on my fingertips that i had before did. I can say that because my fingers are in so much pain from playing all day. I memorized the chords that i wanted to before, D7, G7, C, and G. I practiced with different songs thousands of times. "Amazing Grace" is going to be in my family's head for the next couple of days. That song is the only one, besides Yankee Doodle, that I could find that used all the chords that i know. The hardest chord for me is C because your first finger has to be on the first fret, second string. Unfortunately, I have small hands, like I have mentioned before, and since my other fingers have to be in separate frets for that chord, my first finger tends to slide on to the first string giving the chord a springy sound that is unappealing. I also taught myself Am because i wanted to practice a song with that chord in it. The song ended up being too difficult to start off with the Am chord though, so I'm still practicing. Switching my fingers with the chords is getting easier now. What I'm going to do tonight and tomorrow is learn different chords, probably F, D and A, and review the string notes because i have forgotten all but the first two strings. I cannot wait to see my progress throughout my time playing guitar, even past this project, because it is one thing that you know you can always learn something new for. I must say that I do not regret playing all this guitar in one day though. I think that i have come to love playing it. You can't really get bored playing the guitar because the possibilities to what you can create; i find it very amusing.

This is the post where I need to connect my summer project to Barbara Kinsolvers so here it goes.

Avm and my project have a few things in common and many differences. For example my project wasn't about growing food, but about taking pictures. We also have things in common though and one of those is that Kinsolver did something that she wanted, she followed her dream buy reducing her carbon footprint, and by supporting locally grown farming instead of big chain farmers from all around. She followed her dream and were very happy with the results, the same thing applies to me. I like taking pictures and it is something I am passionate about. I might not have helped the world in any drastic way like she did, but I did something that is important to me, just like Mrs. Kingsolver. This has been a really fun project and I am happy that I continued with it and made it all the way through. I think that my project will be even more satysfying when I look back at the scrapbook in 10 years and remember all the goofy pictures I took, and all the goofy things I did.

Have a nice night everyone and see ya all tomorrow~!

8 DOWN, 0 LEFT!!!

Here goes blog number eight! The blogs have been such a good experience and fun to read about especially when other’s projects are so similar to mine! The only problem I ran into was staying on task! It was so hard to concentrate on my weekly blogs with all the summer ruckus going on around me. I am proud to announce that all my summer homework is 95% done! Both books read, all tweets tweeted, essay completed (just needs revising), almost the whole charts completed besides a couple of blocks and also all of my blogs will be done after this! It’s quite exciting if you think about it. So last weeks game did not go as planned. We lost and I don’t even feel like mentioning the score it was so bad. But that’s the past now, we’re not looking back and have no attention on doing it. Today we had our first practice after two days off and it was a great practice, everybody working hard and perfect football weather. After practice I went to the weight room to test my bench. I set up the weights to my weight and was able to lift it!!! I was so happy that I was actually able to lift my weight and finishing a part of my project with the outcome that I wanted. I’ve been thinking a lot about how my project connects to Kingsolver’s food resolution and have came to a couple conclusions. First of all, our two resolutions were ones of something that we loved to do. Gardening for her and football for me. Doing something that we loved to do just made it that much easier for us. Our resolutions would not be a challenge if it was something we were too accustomed to. Yeah there definitely were times that I had to force myself to get up in the morning to go to practice and I’m guessing Kingsolver had many days where she wanted to just pick up a Twinkie or a Gatorade instead of going out to plant seeds all day. But it’s the thrill of these things that keep us both dedicated. When I’m out playing football, everything around me gets me pumped from everyone in pads, the hitting, even the atmosphere of anything football is what keeps me going. For Kingsolver, she’s been gardening since she was a girl and it’s a passion that she could never let down. Of course only eating homemade and local foods would be an impossible feet for an average American, but it takes someone like Barbara Kingsolver to make the impossible possible.

Post #9....Over-achiever? ehh, possibly..lol

So, I already posted eight times, but I need to compare my project to Animal, Vegetable, Miracle in the best way I can describe it.

In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle their family is planting their own garden and growing all of their own foods. This will help the environment, their health, and all around will make a difference in the lives of her family and will change her own life. Although my project was on a much smaller scale, I did something similar in a way. I found that by exercising daily, I bettered my own life, and health. I even helped a few others do the same along the way.

Also AVM shows us that something that was once just a thought, can be made real. It took more time for her to get things into motion than it did for me, but we did it. Both of us took a thought, an idea, something we wanted done and made it happen.

I feel kind of bad comparing my small project to something so great, but they are similar in ways.

I would also like to point out that my family has a garden in our backyard and it's massive and we have bought less of many things this summer because of it. Is that kind of a contribution to her project?

Well, anyway, here are my final thoughts on this project. I am so happy I chose to do what I did. I feel better about myself, and I know I am healthier. In the end I have accomplished my goal. I could have gone further of course, but I am happy to have made the progress I did.

Look forward to seeing everyone in the morning and I'm excited to see what grade I get on my In Fact essay, I'm proud of it. :]

Adios, Gisele

LAST POST!!!(:

Okay, so I know I posted a blog post just a few hours ago but I have this last one left to write. So, overall I am so thankful I got to do this project. It wasn't your traditional summer reading. Like having to read a few books, and write like seven essays and do a packet. No, it actually gave us a chance to get out and do something that we normally wouldn't do, and also things we maybe would have never done. At the beginning of the summer I was very apprehensive about the whole thing. I wanted to so many things, and some things I knew would not work out. Along the way, I am glad that it worked out the way it did, I am glad that I decided to have the car wash. I am glad I got out and did something people would not expect out of me. I helped for the cause of breast cancer, met some really cool people, and also saw that I could do it. I saw that with a few months of planning I could put together something organized. Now that I did a car wash, and it was successful maybe I could do something in the future that would be even more extravagant. Eventually, I would like to put together a walk for breast cancer for teenagers or something along those lines. Us as teenagers don't get to partake in so many of those opportunities or just don't see how much we, or other people benefit from it. In conclusion to my summer project, I learned a lot and I am so thankful. Thanks for reading guys! (: See you tomorrow!

Ashley Shuell's 8tth blog post PART 2

Well, I just finished “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”, so this is part 2 of my 8th blog post, here I will compare my Project to the book. Usually, my summers consist of sitting around and being lazy, well not this summer, I worked on my project and my essays. My comparison is to the basic plot line, the family, only eating things they grew to stay healthier, they had to sacrifice many things like the yummy junk food and ice cream, the things they enjoyed eating but made them unhealthy. I had to stay home many times during summer to work on this project when I could have been out with my friends, but I knew in the end that it would pay off and so did the Family. They had to sacrifice a lot of money to eat this way and a lot of time out of their days to tend to the garden or to the coop, I had to spend some money but it wasn’t as much as they nearly spent. Barbara’s family had to undergo many sacrifices but they succeed in the end, this takes a lot of self motivation and determination! It’s really hard for a person to change their diet, you must resist the temptations! They had a goal in mind and it was set, I to had a goal, I think our goals were similar, it had to do with making our special person/people happy. I wanted to make my boyfriend know that I care about him and Barbara had to care for her family so that in the future they could be healthy. Barbara and I share the same love. Unlike mine, hers will be spreadin’ through America to tell everyone how important it is to eat healthy. Well that’s about it
See everyone tomorrow!

Last week!

So last week was the week that I worked on my scrap book. It was also the week I read 3 books but only 1 relating to class. I was suppose to get half my scrap book done last week alone. I did not accomplish this goal I got about 7 pages done. It was more time consuming then I thought it would be. If I was to go back and change the outline for my project I probably would have did a week of taking pictures and then a week of scrapbooking them. But what is done is done, and I did not reach my goal for how much scrapbooking I wanted done. I did over exceed my goal for the pictures I took though. So mission accomplished for photos and mission failed for scrapbooking (I thought the opposite of bold would be italics). I still took photos this week so that was a bonus. I found out my puppy is a photo whore. She posed for me for like an hour, and my other dog did not like me giving the puppy attention so he tried to eat my camera. Good times. I just took one more picture of me before I go to bed, as it is the last night before school so Night everyone peace!

Ps, I named my camera squiglete ~ and the wrist strap sircle o!

2 weeks ago

Ok so two weeks ago I went to Orchestra Camp, and I brought my laptop and two memory cards to camp right? Thinking i would have plenty of room on my 2 memory cards I probably wouldn't need to upload the photos to my laptop. I fail at that because by the second day I had to load them on to it. I took almost a thousand pictures my 5 days there. I took pictures of 12 girls sitting on an arm chair, 11 girls in a shower, and 10 girls on a bed. (We are lucky the bed and the chair came out all right). I took two videos of us trying to shove spencer through a candy door *cough* *cough* I won an award for being the paparazzi because I took pictures of everyone. My camera battery lasts forever usually but I had to charge it twice while I was there, and both times it was charging I would reach for it in my pocket. I scared the girls in my room by taking pictures in the dark with the flash. I used it every way I could. The camera hated me by the end and I am pretty sure everyone else did too.

POST EIGHT!

Now that I am finally done with my scrapbook and have read both books, completed the chart analysis and started my compare/contrast paper for the essays, this is all I have left to do. This is my final blog; the blog that I compare my project to Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. My comparison is really simple. In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, the woman sets off an what seems to be an impossible journey (at least in today's view), and takes her husband and two girls to two complete different places and they plan to change almost everything about the "traditional" eating habits. They plan to eat only food that they grew themselves, or locally grown food. Everything else that wasn't in that category was simply thrown out of their lives. What she and her family did are similar what I chose to do this summer, but in completely different ways. What they love doing is eating healthy, home harvested food and to avoid anything that wasn't. What I love to do is document my activities, especially the ones important to me. This is the reason I chose to do a scrapbook. What simpler way could I document my summer festivities in an organized fashion better than a scrapbook? No other options came to mind. My goal is completed, and I'm happy that I chose to do this, not only because it gave me time to enjoy my summer, but now in a few weeks when I forget what I did over the summer, I can go back and remember.

HURTING FINGERS

I mentioned in an earlier post that old family friends came over today bringing a new guest who taught me a few things about chords. She was not only a helpful advice giver, but a true inspiration. I don't know her full life story, but she had a rough life. In the past, she taught herself guitar and played whenever she needed. I use the verb "needed" because playing music, like other hobbies, relaxes you and separates you from the regular world. If you read or write poetry, it is like that; it makes you feel better. So whenever she needed, she would play. Now she gets better and better everyday and she is quite well. Her dedication to playing guitar with so many other distractions in the way shows me that i can teach myself and become as good as she is. Watching her teach my mom's friend, Shawny, taught me many things even though she wasn't directing her teaching to me. One of the things that I observed was that encouragement is necessary in learning to play the guitar. Trying to learn something new can get frustrating at times, especially if no one is there to help you. Whenever Shawny would doubt herself and start giving up, Tracy would tell her that she could finish the song and then try it over again. The relief on Shawny's face after those encouraging words was evident and then she took Tracy's advice. I have my family who supports my guitar playing although it might sound horrible now it'll get better with practice. Tracy's advice to learn chords two at a time has actually worked. The first chords i learned were C and G7. Altering them back and forth helped my movement flow quicker and faster. I tried to play yankee doodle with those chords too and i noticed the difference in the flow from before i practiced the movement and after; the difference was huge. So that is very very helpful advice. Now i'm working on G and D7 :)

# 8 WHOO!

So this is my 8^th and final blog YES! I’m so happy this is over with.

The novel Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver is a story about a woman who makes tremendous changes that affect her and her whole family’s lives. She, along with her husband and kids, move across the country from hot steamy deserts to lush fields of green vegetation. Her newfound project was based on beliefs she held about America, farming and what people ate. Her idea was to move to a farm and only consume home or locally grown products. She would eat nothing that came in a truck from thousands of miles away. Though it was a great idea, there were many things she had to do in order to complete it. It took years of preparation to get the crops ready to be cut and to clear the land to plant seeds. Her determination and motivation led to a lifestyle change that was better for her family and led others around the country to follow in her footsteps.

Kingsolver’s project and mine share a countless number of differences and only few similarities. Her project took many years before it could begin, and mine only a few weeks. Her idea was not only for the well being of herself, but for her family and the country, mine however was only a goal to benefit my interests. She could help start a change in the country that would lead to healthier and happier Americans; the only one I could actually help is no one with my goal. I could bring music to people’s ears and money into my wallet. I could go on and on about the differences between our projects but in the end we do share some common themes.

The number of aspects between our ideas are more different than alike but I have found that they can be compared a great deal. For one, both Kingsolver and I are both looking out for the interests of somebody. We both care about what we are doing and enjoy it as well. We both had a strong idea that could grow into something big with the right amount of motivation and we both took the time to prepare for it. Though different in some traits, our ideas are similar in more of a moral type of way.

There you go, my final entry about mine and Kingsolver’s projects, hope you enjoyed. J

Guess who's done?

Second blog in about 10 minutes, stupid actions of a procrastinator. So the title might have lied, I'm not entirely done. But I'm pretty much there. I've just about finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and unlike a lot of what I've read this summer, I actually liked it. I can't exactly put my finger on a main concept of how my project and Kingsolver's are related, but there are many just baby details of it. The whole concept of self reliance is very empowering. And I really liked how she pointed out a lot of the government and industry interferences that just messed with the farmers heads and sent them spiraling down. I think that's giant. I myself love to criticize the government for so much that's going wrong, especially now with our economy heading in the definite wrong direction and so many failed plans to help it. Now I'm not saying it's to blame for everything that's ever gone haywire, especially with the subject I tried to expose this summer. There's a few pages on homeless veterans, which was particularly upsetting. The fact that someone who has given so much to fight for us and doesn't even have a house or food disgusts me. In AVM, with the approval of the gov't there's an uprising industry of mass produced and cheap food that leads to farmers losing business and some even lost everything because of it. To be honest, that was about all I could find. There were many values portrayed through out the novel that definitely got to me, making me want to better myself as well. She even inspired me to want to start eating better (though well see where that goes hah.) I'm actually really upset that school starts tomorrow, I mean I'm all for learning and everything I'm just not a fan of getting up at 530 every morning. It feels like this summers gone by way to fast and that's a little depressing but what can you do. I'll always have my memories, well until I'm old and crazy and I guess that will have to get me through a school year. But anyways I'm really happy I got to do this project and read about everyone else's ( which by the way were very good, everyone's!) and i will see you all tomorrow:))))))

Seven seven sevennnnnnn

Hey Guys,
All because I suck at life, I have to do two blog posts in one day! Not so much fun. Hey, but it least it's better late than never. So I tried to call Susan G. Komen today to see if they received the money, but its a holiday so they weren't open ): I am anxious to see if they got it, and I can't wait to see how they react to it. I know a lot of people do stuff for them like that all the time, I would just love to see the gratitude. I look back at the car wash, before I had it and back then I saw it more of just something I had to do. But, when I look back on when the car wash was actually happening, it was not just something I had to do for a summer language arts project it was way more than that. The looks on some of the people's faces, showed it all. I had a conversation with one lady who seemed very thankful that teenagers could organize something like this. Sure, we had some people who stopped by that really just needed there car wash, and didn't really support the cure. Well, at least there money still went to the cause. There was another lady who was in the back seat of a car we were washing, and after we were done, she thanked us and said "I am a breast cancer survivor." At that moment that is when it sunk in that I could actually make a difference. Overall, it was a great experience and I would not change it for the world.
Thanks(:

7777777777777

Wow well number 7. Good news as opposed to the last you've heard of my language arts adventures hah. My charts, after hours of locking myself in my room to avoid various distractions, are complete. I found myself looking endlessly for reasons to leave, just to get out for 2 minutes. I haven't started the essay (shame on me, i know i know) but I'm thinking I want to do it on Tell Me Again Who Are You? and Sleepy Head. They weren't exactly the most interesting of stories but I noticed as I was filling out the chart that there were many similarities and differences without digging very deep into them.
All the materials I needed for my project have been gathered and assembled, though I am missing one poem but that can easily be changed. Overall it has turned out a lot different than what I expected. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I am just a tad disappointed because it didn't make the huge statement I was hoping for but never the less I am proud of my work. Some of the poems were less than my best work but I still put a lot of effort into this project, a lot of my heart too. There's one picture that's in it that just makes me want to cry every single time I look at it. Ah I don't even want to think about it! Even though I never made it down to the Soup Kitchen and the project is coming to a close, I'm going to make it a priority to get down there one of these days and help out. I think even the slightest effort can make a difference, just like recycling! The way I look at those types of things is what if that was me, and someone could have made a simply gesture that meant the world to me but made little difference to them and they decided not to. The next blog should be up soon, soooo yay!

Mini post! :D

I just wanted to say to everyone that I loved reading about each and every one of your projects. You guys accomplished some amazing things during these past few months!

Um, thats all. ^-^ See you tomorrow, everyone!

~Elyse Komarzec~

7th Post- Plans For the Future

I think it is important for me to try and continue my project into the future, indefinitely. Being healthy and in shape is always important. I've come up with a plan that might help me get to where I want to.

Exercising-
I recently got a puppy so going out in the yard and running around with him is a great way to get moving and to tire him out ;) I really don't mind going for a jog while I'm doing it. Getting myself do it is the hard part. Also, I can go to the Kettering gym after school and work on the machines. Going for a swim after is good exercise and an awesome way to cool down. I also enjoy the "Get Up and Dance" channel in my On Demand menu for Comcast. It's fun, amusing and a good workout. So, I have lots of ideas I just need to put them in motion.

Dieting- I think if I continue what I've got going right now I'll still be making progress. Changing what I eat more would be another step forward. Making better meal choices when I go out to eat would be a big help. Also, cutting down on sugary drinks. I've stopped drinking soda already a few times before sports tryouts and there is a notable difference in how energetic I was. In my diet, I am doing alright but I can take a few steps forward to make it better.

Just Do It!- My biggest challenge to keep my get in shape project going will be my mental attitude. It is important to make myself get out and get moving. I have to keep reminding myself that it will pay off in the end, and then maybe I can follow through. I know if I put my mind to it, I can do anything.

Summer Weightlifting Project- Post #8

Well, here we are. We have waited all year for summer, and it's already flown right past us. It's now the day before the first day of school, and I have successfully completed my AP LA Summer project, and let me tell you, it feels good! With the exception with a few glitches, my project went great, and I feel like I really accomplished something.

Barbara Kingsolver. I'm sure many of us has heard that famous name before reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. When I think of Barbara Kingsolver, I think of The Poisonwood Bible, simply because this is one of more famed works. When most people think of the renown Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle may be overlooked because this particular subject matter is probably pretty scary for most Americans to think about. Growing most of your food, and if you must buy food, being required to purchase it from a local market? Yikes!

Well for most English classes where I read a book and I don't like it too much, I would make something up and make myself sound interested. Seeing that this is now a college class, and we as students are intellectually maturing, I feel that only 50% of an AP class is completing a larger course load. I believe that the other 50% of an AP class isn't just learning about random facts that many of us may not remember, but instead developing our own ideas and establishing which type of writer we are. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right, but I'll leave that for you to decide. In any event, I can honestly say that I didn't relate to this book at all, and I did not enjoy reading it. However, upon finishing Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I was able to find so many values that I honestly do feel that can assist anyone in life. Values such as determination, dedication, and the ideas of putting something in mind to action really stuck with me. While reading this entire book, I couldn't understand why Kingsolver would put together such a book that really didn't captivate a reader with tastes like myself; however, after completing the book I came to a much different conclusion: Maybe Barbara Kingsolver wasn't trying to write about random vegetables. Instead, maybe she was conveying the message that American families from all four corners of the country may undergo the same adventure her family did, while possibly preserving the planet. If America could change its lifestyle, who knows what good could blossom from this.

So little Jimmy may ask, "Blake, what does weightlifting have to do with Animal, Vegetable, Miracle?" Well, I would tell little Jimmy that the putting something in mind to action is exactly what Kingsolver did in her book. Barbara and her family had an idea in mind, and completed it. Although there were set backs along the way, her family charged through this and successfully finished an idea. I believe that all good things come from an idea, and if that idea isn't executed, nothing good will come. Looks like Kingsolver thinks the same! In addition, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle also includes values such as dedication and determination which are cornerstones for the sport of weightlifting. Me and Barb must think alike on this one too, because both most certainly require these aspects! Me and Kingsolver alike both were on special diets, and we both also pledged to abstain from certain things. Becoming stronger and stronger definitely coincides with Kingsolver's plotted idea in her book because over time, Kingsolver was able to better and better live with eating locally grown foods. Although she was weaker in the beginning, she became stronger, like I did. I could go on for pages and pages explaining how Barbara Kingsolver's book related with my summer project. Actually, maybe not pages and pages, but I could definitely elaborate further. Overall, the ideas of progression, determination, dedication, and putting an idea to action are most certainly present in my project and Kingsolver's book. I plotted my weight progression on charts for weeks, I made over 200 posts on a weightlifting website in addition to my 8 twitter and blogspot posts in order to gain knowledge for my project, and Kingsolver did similar research before undergoing her project. Weightlifting seems like an odd match for Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, but if you open you mind and think about the similarities, they are nearly exact.

I hope you all had an amazing summer, and good luck this year.

Best of luck,

-Blake

Mission Complete.

Having finished the project, I can say I feel a sense of accomplishment and relief. Obviously nothing that can compare to the magnitude of Barbara Kingsolver's emotions resulting from surviving and enjoying a year of eating locally, but I believe that it's the same feeling on a miniature scale. The feeling, I think, stems from overcoming obstacles and challenges that come with tackling any project. For Kingsolver, this included giving up foreign-grown favorites and hoping she had enough food to feed her family through the harvest-less months of January, February, and March. For myself, this was a battle against procrastination and forcing myself to reach out to fellow pet owners for interviews and photo shoots. My own nature was also something I needed to get over, as I typically demand perfection from my own drawings. This was obviously impossible with subjects I had not drawn before, and was something that frustrated me for quite a while.

The better parts of the experience also connect to Kingsolver's work. While she was trying to better her carbon footprint and become healthier over all, I was attempting to learn more about animals and better my drawing ability. Though the total time put into each project varies, we both successfully completed our objectives. Completing a task that you've set for yourself is a good boost for your self-esteem. I'm sure Kingsolver noticed this as well, evidenced by the uplifting tone with which her book ended as her turkeys finally produced a second generation without needing her intervention. In the end, our projects may not be connected by a central theme, but the emotions and experiences run parallel to the same events on different timelines. The parts are all the same, even if they're colored just a bit differently, and they all fall into place to create the same picture of success.