Famous Last Words: Just Making It By - Week 12

(Permanent Tiredness; online source, www.funnycaptions.com) 

     Well, this week has been a little bit better, depending on which aspect of life I'm looking at. I'm still "sick" with really bad allergies. I can't stop coughing and I'm having a difficult time breathing most of the time. However, I am feeling slightly better and I've got an appointment set up for next week with an allergist to get the ball rolling on a new allergy test. Hopefully they can pinpoint what my problem is and give me something to help make me feel better soon.

     School has been okay this week. I didn't do any reading or write a weekly story for mythology, because I've got plenty of points so I decided to take a break from the class. Mostly, it's because my computer decided to fail on me. The month before finals isn't really the best time for this to happen, so I'm really frustrated. I lost several homework assignments for my Spanish class and I borrowed my mom's laptop to help me scrape by for the time being. They said it could be April 29th before I get my computer back. *sigh* I'm just trying to make the best of a not so great situation, using the time I have this weekend to try and catch back up on my Spanish homework. I'm not very confident in my Spanish skills right now, but I'm slowly working towards improving. I am a lot happier with my mythology storybook project this week than I initially was. I was having some major writers block, but I think I worked through it and the end product turned out pretty good.

     This weekend has been frustrating too. I agreed to trade shifts with a co-worker to help her out, but I did not realize I had a late night overtime shift the night before. So, I ended up working until 2:00AM today and had to be back at work again for a 10 hour shift at 6:15AM. Since I couldn't get anyone to take my overtime shift for me, I had to work both shifts. I took my pillow and blanket to work and slept in my car for about 2.5 hours. I'm pretty exhausted at this point, so I'm finishing up this assignment and heading to bed!!

Famous Last Words: No Motivation - Week 11

(No motivation; online source, www.presby.edu) 

     I can breathe again!!! I’m still not feeling terrific, but after my hospital visit last Sunday, I’m at least “better”. They gave me two steroid shots at the hospital and I’ve started a new prescription allergy medication along with a new nasal spray daily. I’m not really sure which things have really made the biggest difference, but I’m happy that I’m at least getting there. I’m still coughing a lot though, which is frustrating. I’ve been sick for somewhere around 2 and a half weeks from all of this. So I’ve requested a new allergy referral so I can get testing done and figure out what I’m having such a bad allergic reaction to this year. It is miserable though!

     I got a little behind again while I was so sick the last couple of weeks. For the first time this semester, I missed one of my reading assignments in this class. I promised myself that I would make it up later in the week, but I didn’t. I also ended up doing story planning for a couple of my story posts, which I told myself I wouldn’t do, because I wanted to write actual stories as much as possible throughout this course. I’m doing well on points though, so I shouldn’t be too upset about it. I’m just a little disappointed in myself is all… Going into week 12, I’m honestly not sure that I’m going to locate my motivation again before the end of the semester… For example, it’s technically Sunday of week 11 now and I haven’t finished my project assignment for this week yet. Which means I’ll be doing that tomorrow on the last day of the week. I’m hoping to prove myself wrong and try to get motivated again in the next few days. Other than that, I’m doing well in school. I think I’m behind by one homework / practice assignment in Spanish but I’ll get that caught up this week too, hopefully.

     On a slightly more somber note, it has not been a great week at work. As many of you probably remember, I’m a 9-1-1 dispatcher. So, when I say I’ve had a bad work week, you usually don’t want to ask questions. I’ll just say that sometimes my job is mentally taxing. Some of the things I’m exposed to regularly, people don’t want to see in their worst nightmares. I’m not complaining, because I really love what I do. I tend to keep a cool exterior and I think I deal well with the things I’m exposed to but occasionally, the emotions I’ve been blocking out force their way in and I’m forced to face them. This has been one of those week where I just have to face the reality of the horrific world we live in. I just have to remember to take care of my mental health first and foremost. I've found myself in a pretty dark place due to my job at some point in the past. So, I have to make sure and work through any negative emotions I'm feeling so I don't go back there again. =)

Week 11 Story Planning: Inner Beauty

Image coming soon...

     This week I read the "Canterbury Tales" set of stories. I noticed a romance theme throughout most of the stories involved in the first half of the reading and I thought this would be the perfect section for me to use for my storytelling this week. I love romance stories and I enjoy writing them, so it works out. I think I'm going to write a story based on "The Wife of Bath's Tale: The Unknown Bride" next week. I think there is a lot of potential for a more metaphorical style of writing and that tends to be something I like to do, so it fits. In the original story, a knight was condemned to his death because he treated a woman very poorly. However, for some reason all the women in the land particularly liked him and begged the King to spare the man. The King gave in and ended up leaving the man's fate to the Queen who determined that the knight could be spared IF he could come back to her in one year's time and tell her what it is woman wish for most. In the end, on the very last day of the year, the knight happened across an old lady that tells him the answer. Once he was freed from his death sentence, she announced that he would be in her debt since she saved his life. She wants him to take her as his wife and he's mortified because she is old and plain. He agrees to marry her, however, and in the end she turns into a beautiful woman. In my story next week, I'd like to rewrite this story in a unique way. I think my story will be more metaphorical than the original. The young man will probably just be a commoner and he won't be set to death or anything like that. He will just be searching for love in the wrong ways (looking for outward beauty) and will need to find his way to the right path eventually. I don't want to give too much away but it should be fun to write and hopefully fun for you all to read!

Characters
A young man, looking for love in all the wrong ways and a few love interests. I want to keep a fairly simple character set on this one. The love interests may even just be mentioned in passing, rather than actually described in any manner. I really want to focus in more on the young man and his journey to discovering what true inner beauty is and how much better it is to hold than outward appearances.

Plot
The young man will be looking for love by going after the most beautiful women he can find, but he will never feel satisfied with his romantic situation. He will eventually see that he's been looking for the wrong things all along and find his way to seeing his true love's inner beauty.

Setting
There probably won't be too clear of a setting with this one. Again, I just want to focus in on true inner beauty and how important that aspect is in life. I'd like to write this in a way that allows the reader to kind of place the story wherever they see fit. It could be in a small village or a big city or wherever the reader feels it fits best.

I’m hoping to use this story to exemplify all kinds of beauty and shine a light on the most important kind, the beauty we all hold within ourselves.

Source
"The Wife of Bath's Tale: The Unknown Bride" as retold by Eva March Tappan in "The Chaucer Story Book"

Reading Notes: Canterbury Tales, Part B

   

(Fool me twice, shame on me; Online source, www.whisper.sh)

     All I can really say about this section is that I'm honestly just really confused. I had a really hard time taking much from this reading of use for me in my own writing. Most of the stories I couldn't get one main point from and I had a hard time reading them.

     The one main thing I can pull from these is that we should be careful who we trust, because often times we are easily fooled.

     "The Prioress's Tale: Little Hugh" was beautiful and well written but I'm not sure that it's something I'd really use as inspiration in my own writing.

     "Nun's Priest's Tale: The Cock, the Hen, and the Fox" was one that I mostly just took "don't be easily fooled" from. I liked the idea of someone having premonitions in their dreams, so I could possibly use that in a story but most of this story just seemed really long and drawn out to me.

     Finally, "The Canon's Yeoman's Tale: The Priest as Philosopher" was really confusing for me to read. Again, I took that we're prone to easily be fooled but I honestly didn't take much from this reading. I'll definitely be using the first half of the reading for my story telling this week!

Source

"Canterbury Tales" as retold by Eva March Tappan in "The Chaucer Story Book"

Reading Notes: Canterbury Tales, Part A

(Love Is In the Air; Online source, www.goodmorningtextmessages.com)

     This week I chose to read the Canterbuy Tales section. I really enjoyed the stories and felt they were easy to read and provided a lot of good material to be used as inspiration for my writing.

     One thing I really liked in this section was that there seemed to be an overarching theme about the importance of love weaved into most of the stories. Some in particular really stand out to me, such as "The Wife of Bath's Tale: The Unknown Bride" and "The Franklin's Tale: The Promise of Dorigen".

     Some were more obvious than others but they all spoke to me in a similar way. I felt these stories were written in a way that makes them easy to read, which in turn makes them easier to understand and ultimately to write from reading. "The Wife of Bath's Tale: The Unknown Bride" was one I found particularly enjoyable and I really liked the moral of the story. If I were to use this story to write from, I'd probably use a very similar story-line without the mythical involvement. I think I'd like to just use a metaphorical style for this one, where the woman doesn't really change form at all.  The man would see her differently in the end, because he would finally see her inner beauty instead of her outward appearance.

     I also found "The Franklin's Tale: The promise of Dorigen" very inspiring and heart-touching. Love is shown in so many different ways in this story, Dorigen for her husband, he for her, Aurelius for Dorigen, and even in large part the magician for Aurelius when he frees him of his promise to pay for the magician's services.

     I also really liked the irony used in "The Pardoner's Tale: The Revelers". The young men went on search for Death, trying to kill him and in the end Death outsmarted them all and took each of their lives. I'm not really sure what I might be able to do with this one for my own writing but I did enjoy reading it and would like to find some way of incorporating the theme into my writing.

Source

"Canterbury Tales" as retold by Eva March Tappan in "The Chaucer Story Book"

Famous Last Words: Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired - Week 10

(Fry [Futurama] meme; online source, www.imgflip.com) 

     Week 10 of the semester in the books! I’m still struggling with my health this week. I can barely breathe and I can’t stop coughing. My head is congested and it sounds like I’m in a weird bubble and everything I hear is outside the bubble. Lol. My doctor said it is just severe allergies, which I’ve struggled with for most of my life, but I’m still not convinced. At one point this last week, I completely lost my voice just from drainage and dry coughing. Obviously, since I talk on the phone for a living, that wasn’t an ideal situation. My doctor changed my allergy meds and gave me a prescription for antibiotics in case things got worse over the weekend while they’re closed. I decided to go ahead and start the antibiotics, because things seemed to just keep getting worse. I’m still feeling pretty awful right now, but hopefully that will change soon. ***edit*** I ended up in the ER last night, April 2nd, due to all of this. They still think it's all just very severe allergies. They gave me two steroid shots at the hospital and they definitely helped calm my cough down. I'm still not feeling real great yet but it's a start! I should at least make it to school this week, so that'd definitely a small step up at the least!

     On a similar note, most of you probably remember that my husband and I moved at the beginning of March. Getting my medications filled has been a nightmare. I use Walmart pharmacy usually. I asked for them to be sent to my new pharmacy at the Walmart close to my house in Yukon. Then I got THREE separate texts about my meds being ready. One was ready at the old Walmart that I used to go to all the way in Newcastle (about 30 miles from my current house), one was ready at the Walmart I requested, and the third was ready at still ANOTHER Walmart (which I’ve never been to in my life)!!! So I tried to get them all pulled over to the right one… and I still don’t have them, because they’re now saying my insurance won’t cover “another” refill on the meds until next month (because they’re counting the first fill at the wrong stores as actual fills). *Sigh* Long story short… never move. HAHA. Just kidding. This is frustrating but it isn’t the end of the world.

     This week in school wasn’t too exciting. I missed two classes because of this sinus / sickness / whatever this is that’s going on. Hopefully I don’t regret that too much next week… My reading for Mythology and Folklore was exciting and terrifying a little this week. I read Native American stories this week and for some reason I was very nervous that I would write something offensive. Most of this unit seemed to be very grounded in religion, so I guess it just struck me as culturally important material that I didn’t want to ruin. I guess I kind of took the “easy” road by writing “A Forbidden Love”. I hoped this story would bring to light the very serious issue of how stigmatic mental illness still is but the original didn’t feel as seriously grounded in something spiritually important to the Native American culture. So, it felt “safe” to use “The Bear-Woman” as a source story.

Week 10 Story: A Forbidden Love

(Young lovers; internet source, www.rudinahp.wordpress.com)

Whether they personally knew him or not, everyone in his small town knew the name Gael Ryder. It was often carried across town on the hushed whispers of the townspeople.

“I ran into Gael at the market yesterday. I wish he’d just leave this town behind and take his memory with him.”

“I reckon he walks around here just to get a rise from us.”

“A fine job he does of it too.”

Most everyone in town spread the rumors about Gael as if they were facts. Even years after the incident, the townspeople remembered what he’d done. Gael had a mental condition, known as bipolar disorder. To over simplify things, he experienced a roller coaster of emotions, often going from elation to severe depression in a moment’s time. Sometimes, out of nowhere, depression wrapped its cold grip around him for no reason at all. Other times, Gael would find humor in horrid situations and he couldn’t help himself. That time in middle school when Susana Wintles was crying in the cafeteria because her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, for instance. Gael understood the significance of the situation. However, a stray bit of hair sticking up from another girl’s ponytail threw him into a fit of laughter. Empathy, in that moment, was lost to him.

Gael had a tendency to make enemies because of his “unusual” personality. He bottled everything up for years, wondering what was wrong with him and never speaking of it. Left undiagnosed, the illness left him mentally exhausted. One day, left alone with his thoughts and feeling broken beyond repair, he decided the world would be better off without his presence. His mother, and only living relative, was out to work that day. He sat on the sofa looking at the lighter in his hand for a time. On – off – on – off... He flicked it over and over. On – off – on… “Everyone will be better off when I’m gone.” Off – on – off… “I can’t screw anything up if I’m not here anymore.” On – off… He wasn’t happy or sad or angry. He was just there. On…

He sat on the couch and watched as the flames overtook the house. When the firemen arrived, his consciousness had faded. Barely breathing, Gael opened his eyes just enough to see the face of a man making the ultimate sacrifice. He felt the respirator slide over his face as his world went black. The fire fighter never made it home that day, but thanks to his bravery, Gael did.

Melony was the only one in town that didn’t blame Gael for the fire fighter’s death. Her mother begged her to stay away from him. Her father forbade it. She didn’t listen to either of them, of course. She saw something in Gael that no one else did. She didn’t see the damaged, screw up that everyone else did. She saw a man who knew the smallest things about her without asking, a man whose touch lifted the weight right off her shoulders on a difficult day. She saw a man who, among so much more, had the kindest, most misunderstood heart she had ever seen. She saw a man who struggled to show affection but loved deeper than anyone else she knew. She alone saw the selflessness in the actions he took in his darkest hour. She understood that he wasn’t trying to numb his own pain or take the easy way out like so many others had said. She saw that he believed he was a burden to the world and he didn’t want to be.

Gael pleaded with her to keep their relationship a secret so the town didn’t turn against her too. For a long time, she did but one day she grew tired of hiding the happiest part of her life. She wanted a husband and children, maybe even grandchildren someday. She wanted all those things with Gael and that wasn’t going to happen if their relationship remained in the dark. She confessed her love for Gael to her parents, then her best friend. Before long the entire town knew she was in love with Gael. Nobody supported her at first. Some were even convinced that Gael had somehow tricked her into it. Eventually though, she was able to convince a fair majority that Gael deserved a second chance. The day they married, most of the town showed up, many of whom didn’t truly understand Gael until that day.

The pastor said, “We will now allow the bride and groom to exchange their vows. Gael, you’re up first.” Gael stared around the small church, before he began.
“Melony, I want you to know that you saved me. You lifted me up when others tore me down. When there were dozens of reasons to hate me, you found the smallest reasons to love me. You, Melony. The reason I’m here today is because of you. You gave me the second chance I never deserved but wouldn’t trade for world. I promise to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be for you, because you deserve that and more.” The pastor nodded slightly towards Melony. Melony smiled at Gael softly.
“Gael, I promise to love you for the rest of my days. I promise to stand by your side when you need me and to step away when you don’t. I promise that I will understand when depression pulls you in and I’ll be there to help you when you’re ready to fight. I promise to remember how much you love me in those moments when you think you don’t. I promise that no matter how much I want to fix everything for you, I’ll remember that I can’t. I will love you even when you can’t love yourself. Most importantly, in the brief moments when you’re in the dark, I’ll be your light, because every other moment you are mine.”

“Gael, you man now kiss your bride!”


Author’s note
I really hope this story wasn’t too confusing but I really wanted to write about something important with this one. There is such a stigma surrounding mental illness and I’m always looking for ways to bring light to this very serious issue. I based my story on “The Bear-Woman” because I really loved the story. The woman in the original is in love with a bear and wants to marry him. When her family finds out, they kill the bear. Then she ends up turning into a bear and killing several people in her village. I wanted to change the ending and make it more about hope and opportunity for change. I wanted to write the love interest to be someone with some sort of ailment that would make him undesirable, yet that one special person would still want him. Mental illness, bipolar disorder specifically, is something very personal to me. Someone very close to me has been diagnosed as bipolar with schizophrenic tendencies, along with having some other health problems. Most people don’t understand the severity of this disease (or any mental disorder really) unless they have personal experience with it. So, I wanted to shine a little light on how things can be for someone with this disorder and the ones they love. Then I wanted to show that having bipolar doesn’t make you a bad person or an unlovable person. It just means that sometimes love has to be shown in a different way when someone with a mental ailment is involved. The most important piece of this story for me was the wedding vows, specifically Melony’s. Go back and read them again… Through this character I hope to tell just a small portion of what a spouse or loved one must learn in order to help someone with bipolar or another mental disorder.
PS
I'm sick and really not very clear headed right now... So I hope this one isn't too terrible to read. I want to come back to it later this week and revise it but for now... I wanted to get the assignment submitted on time. ;)

Source

"Native American Marriage Tales", by Stith Thompson, online source

Reading Notes: Tejas Legends, Part B

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I found a lot in this set of stories that I really enjoyed reading. First, in "Why Hummingbirds Drink Only Dew" I like the sense of loyalty given to the birds. The hummingbird made a bet with the heron and lost the bet. It didn't really have to keep its word but according to this story, it kept its word forever.

I'm really big on symbolism and I really think "The Maiden Who Loved a Star" did a great job of showing blind love in a very symbolic way. I think this would be a good story to just re-tell, without making too many changes to it.

I thought "Old Quanah's Gift" was an incredibly moving story, I thought. The old man spent most of his life making this incredibly beautiful and meaningful blanket. Then when he dies, he leaves it to whomever deserves it the most, which happens to be himself. In the end, seeing worth in another brought beauty for all of the tribe. Again I think this is a really fun symbolic story. I'd love to try my hand at writing with symbolism more.

I feel like this set of stories theorizes answers to a lot of big picture questions. For example, where did illness first start? I think there is a lot of potential for writing inspiration in this set of stories.

Source
"Tejas Legends: When the Storm God Rides", retold by Florence Stratton, online source

Reading Notes: Tejas Legends, Part A

(The North Wind's Hair (Spanish moss); online source, www.commons.wikimedia.org)

     I actually chose this section of reading as a way to try and challenge myself further. I really like to push my own limits and I felt like this set might help me to do that. I would like to write a children's story at some point and I personally find that much harder to do than writing stories for an adult audience. I chose this particular section also because of the use of human-like character descriptions to depict inanimate objects, such as storms, rivers, etc. I won't be using these tactics this week, because I've already got something in mind, but I'll come back to these notes at a later date when I'm ready to try my hand at a children's story.

     Most of these stories drew my attention for the same reason. I'd really like to try and write something where the characters are people representing an object or an idea, because I'm really not good at that kind of symbolism and I'd like to expand my writing skills. "How the North Wind Lost His Hair", "The Plant That Grows in Trees", and "Grandmother River's Trick" are good examples of what I'm talking about, along with some others. The north wind is displayed as a person that fights the south wind, mistletoe is portrayed as something having thoughts and feelings, and a river is said to be the grandmother of the little fish that live within her.

Source
"Tejas Legends: When the Storm God Rides", retold by Florence Stratton, online source

Famous Last Words: Getting sick and falling behind - Week 9

     This hasn’t been a good week for me. Actually, it would seem that none of the last few weeks have been good for me. Lol.

     My reading for Mythology and Folklore didn’t go too good this week. I only got half of the reading done, which put me 4 points being where I wanted to be. I had hoped to get an “extra reading” extra credit done by the end of the week but I wasn’t able to because of work, house guests, and getting sick again. There is nothing of note to add as far as school goes. This semester is going pretty well actually. I’ve kept up and stayed ahead in my classes until Spring break. Then this week, the week after Spring break, I’ve struggled and got behind my “ahead” schedule again and just barely got my assignments done on time. I’m not too worried about it though. I’ll get back ahead this week!

(Family; online source, www.mlrtahoe.com)

     Outside of school, things aren’t too bad. Work has been busy this week, as usual and most of my days have been pretty hectic. Our plumbing issues appear to finally be fixed, so that’s a positive thing. I said before that I was sick again but I really think it’s just allergies messing with me. I haven’t 100% convinced myself of that though. I’ve felt pretty horrible for most of the week. Just overnight I all of a sudden had a sore throat and super stuffy head and my whole body hurt. I’m not a fan of feeling that way… NOT at all! Also, the house guests I mentioned before? I should have noted that they were my brother in law (husband’s biological brother), his wife, and their 3 children. My husband and his siblings were adopted at a very young age, so this was actually the first time he has physically met his brother and the first time my step son (my husband’s son) has met his cousins on that side of his family. It was pretty incredible witnessing that moment, honestly!! 

Week 9 Story Planning: A Forbidden Love

(Young lovers; internet source, www.rudinahp.wordpress.com)

     Next week, I’d like to write a story about a forbidden, unsupported, or unlikely love. I read the Native American Marriage Tales unit this week. “The Bear-Woman” jumped out at me when I read it and I thought it would be fun to write something along the same storyline. In the original story, a woman falls in love with a bear and keeps the relationship a secret to her family while continually insisting that she doesn’t want to marry. Eventually her family finds out about the affair and gathers all the villagers to kill the girl’s lover. I didn’t like that the story ended with both the girl and her lover being killed, so I’d like to make a different ending for my story. I also just watched beauty and the beast, which I think may be adding to my desire to write this story. Since I’m still not certain of where this story will head, I’m doing a planning post this week and hopefully will write this story out next week!

Characters

• A young girl in love, whom nobody takes seriously, except her love interest. 
• The girl’s love interest… I’m not sure yet what this character will be like just yet but they will have some sort of displeasing characteristic that makes the girl’s family and friends plead with her to stay away.
• The girl’s parents. Both will care for their daughter and have her best interest at heart. However, they won’t realize that they’re doing more harm than good by trying to protect their daughter from a nonexistent evil. 
• The girl's skeptical (but supportive)best friend.

Plot
     A young woman will fall in love with an unlikely suitor and her relationship will not be accepted by her peers, and most importantly by her parents. Eventually, the girl will tire of hiding her relationship from everyone and come forth with the truth. In the end, her family will either learn to accept her lover or will lose her forever. The actual story will reveal which way things go.

Setting
     I’m not clear on this yet either (hence the reason I’m doing a planning post, when I traditionally prefer to write right off the bat.) but I think it will be set in a small town where basically everybody knows everybody and everyone is interested in the outcome of the girl’s love life.

     I’m hoping to use this story to convey the idea of acceptance and to show that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

Source

"Native American Marriage Tales", by Stith Thompson, online source

Reading Notes: Native American Marriage Tales, Part A

(Red Fox; Internet source, www.welcomewildlife.com)

  I enjoyed this section because of the simple language used for the stories but I find several of them really confusing. I guess that could be a good thing though, because I could use that as inspiration to learn more about Native American culture. Most of them are written with a very simple writing style and in a pretty straight forward manner so that it's easy to understand the direction of the stories. 

     Unfortunately, I didn't feel extremely inspired to write from this set of stories. I did find a few things I think I can use though. "Bear-Woman and Deer-Woman", for example, I think I could write some sort of backstory for this. I found myself wondering as I read this story how a deer and a bear came to be sister wives to a chicken-hawk. So, maybe I can answer that question for other readers in a story of my own. I also really didn't like how this story ended, with one wife killing the other and if I use this story as inspiration for my own, I could recreate this ending to be something I like better. 

     I really loved "The Fox-Woman" too, although I'm really not sure what I would want to write with this. I think the idea of a mystery helper is a fun idea but I'd like to change the plot, because I don't feel that I could re-write this one well without taking too much of the original story into my own. 

     I feel like "The Rolling Head" is a little bit "too much" for me. I think it's a clever story but it really creeped me out that the father fed his wife to their children. Maybe I could use this to write something similar with a little less of a demonic twist. For example, the man kills his wife and lies to his children about it (but doesn't feed her to them... ewww.) and in the end, the children's mother comes to the children spiritually to tell them what really happened. 

Finally, I rather enjoyed "The Bear-Woman". I'm 99% sure I've read this story before in another set of reading and I almost wrote a story based on it then. So maybe this time I will write something, using this one as my inspiration. I like the forbidden love idea and think I could write maybe a fun romantic tragedy based on this, although a lot of my stories have turned out to be tragic... That was never really my intention but that's just how things keep coming together.

Source
"Native American Marriage Tales", by Stith Thompson, online source

Wikipedia Trail: Otolaryngology to Squalene

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    I chose to look up otolaryngology. I’m taking fourth semester Spanish and one of our assignments is to speak with someone from another country for thirty minutes on video chat, four times throughout the semester. Well, today, I asked my conversation partner to tell me a new word that he thought I was unlikely to know, and I wasn’t disappointed. He taught me the word “Otorrinolaringología”, which means otolaryngology. He explained what it was during our conversation but since I’m very interested in the medical field and I thought it was such a fun word, I wanted to include it in a Wikipedia trails post!

     I then jumped over to the Wiki page for otitis externa, which is apparently an ear infection known more commonly as “swimmer’s ear”. I’ve heard of this before but I never knew the technical word for it, so that was kind of neat. Also, there is a pretty gross picture on this Wiki page. You’ve been warned!! Lol.

     Then I noticed another word I didn’t recognized and jumped over to the Wiki page for “cerumen”, which is apparently the fancy medical term for earwax! What I did not know is that one of the major elements that makes up ear wax is fatty acid. There is a picture of a huge chunk of earwax on this page, so not as gross as the infected ear but still not really something you really look forward to seeing. Haha.

     I also didn’t know that squalene was part of what makes up ear wax and I didn’t even know what squalene was, so I figured that would be the perfect place to end my Wikipedia trails post, so I jumped over to the Wiki page for that. Squalene is a natural 30 carbon organic compound. Although it is found in many places, the primary source is shark liver oil. We have a compound in our ear that is also very prominently found in shark liver oil. So there, now that’s something you know…

(Squalene; online source, www.compmed.com)

Famous Last Words: Mental Burnout - Week 8

(Mental Burnout; online source, wwwbebrainfit.com)

     This week hasn't been very productive as far as well, anything goes, really.

     

     This is technically Spring break, so there isn’t much to report as far as school goes. Basically, I’ve fallen behind my “ahead of the official schedule” schedule again, because I honestly had no desire to work on anything school related or anything I “needed” to do this week. I planned to work on homework as if I wasn’t on break because last week was supposed to technically be my break from schoolwork because I was a full week ahead but I think I was to the point of burn out, so I needed a short break. I’m feeling better now and I’ll get back on it and be ahead again within the week though!!

     I haven't felt motivated to do much outside of school either. We moved into our new house on March 1^st and we’ve still unpacked very little. Granted, we did have to put in an inground electric fence, as well as fix a huge chunk of actual fence so that our dogs wouldn’t get out. We also have done quite a bit of running from place to place, trying to get everything set up in our new house. There are so many little things that you don’t even consider needing until you buy your own house. A rake, for example. Plus, we needed a lawn mower, a ladder, a water hose… Well, you get the picture. Lol. We have also been having plumbing issues already (not exactly what one hopes for during the first week of living in a new home but such is life, really.) Even with all of that, I still really thought we would have things a little more “put together” by this point than we do but it just feels like the last 2 weeks have been rather unproductive. I was hoping to be mostly unpacked and set up by now but we don’t even have one full room set up, just bits and pieces of each room and empty boxes and trash all over the place. Lol.

     Well, hopefully next week will be a better week all around! 

Famous Last Words: What a Week! - Week 7

(Moving day!!; personal photo, taken by me)

We moved this week. I was a little frustrated, because I had to miss class Wednesday and I really hate to miss class. I didn't really have a choice though, because my boss would not let me off of work for Tuesday, the day we closed on the house. So, we had to wait until Wednesday. It has been a really weird and hectic week. First of all, I'm about 13 miles further from OU now but I now live 15 miles closer to school and about 15 miles closer to my minor step son now. You have to take the good and bad together, I suppose. Being further from school isn't very fun, because I have to get up earlier and I also now have to take one of the busiest city highways to get to school. Whereas before, I was able to take mostly back roads and I didn't have to deal with traffic too much. However, both being closer to my step son and being closer to work are major bonuses in my book, because I will use less gas to go to work, I can leave a little bit later and will be home a little earlier at night, and it won't take as long or use as much gas to pick up my step son and also, I'll get to see him a lot more now that we're closer so it will be much easier to spend time with him. I haven't lived in the city for about 12 or 13 years and it is definitely an adjustment for me. Nothing bad, so far: just "different". We live right by the highway now(like literally, there is a brick barrier that sits just behind our back yard and if it weren't there I would be able to walk out my back gate and straight up onto the highway!) but the city sounds, such as traffic, are actually calming to me. I guess that's because I grew up in the city, so the country sounds have freaked me out on many occasions over the last 12 or 13 years. You would think I would have adjusted by now but I haven't apparently. Lol. It is also incredible that there are so many stores REALLY close to my house now. I have a grocery store within walking distance, although I would more than likely never walk up there (but you never know). There are all kinds of fast food places and different merchandise stores. I absolutely love it. I really did not realize how much I missed the city until the last few days, being back in the city.

Since I'm ahead in Myth and Folklore, I didn't have any reading to do for this week. Instead, I did some reflection assignments, in preparation for Spring Break. So there isn't too much to report on that front. In my Spanish class, however, I think I've maybe finally made a really big stride this week. In the class I'm currently in, I have to make 4 phone calls to someone in another country throughout the semester. It's on a system called "TalkAbroad" and you have to pay for these conversations. It's set up similar to skype, where you can video chat with your "conversation partner". The first one was absolutely horrible for me. I felt like an idiot and I'm pretty sure my conversation partner hated "talking" to me. It was just not a good experience. This week, I had to make phone call number two and I'm really happy with how it went. I actually didn't even realize that my 30 minute conversation was coming to a close until the man I was talking to thanked me for talking to him and started to say goodbye! I was extremely proud of myself and how smoothly that conversation went, because I've really struggled in that area. So, for me, being able to carry on a 30 minute conversation was a big stride! I was also able to keep up with my "ahead of the class" schedule this week, in spite of moving 20 miles away and trying to get everything set up, so I'm pretty proud of that as well!

I think that's about all for this week. Check back for more adventures with my new home next week around this time!!

Week 8 Growth Mindset

(Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset; online source, www.edventures.com)

    As with anybody, there are some things I'm better at than others. Some, I'm good at but I have to really challenge myself, others come naturally, and still others I'm not sure I'll ever be good at. I do try, however, to challenge myself to improve in every aspect of life (not just academics) where I have room for improvement, which is what's most important about growth mindset in my opinion. So, I'll just highlight a few things to expand on this.

     Some things that definitely come naturally to me are as follows. I'm always ready to meet minimum requirements, as well as going beyond the minimum. I really don't find myself looking for praise from others, as I'm satisfied with critiquing myself and improving based upon my own judgement. I often tend to look into the future and see long term potential in situations more easily than most people do. I love the way this class is designed for that reason: it allows me to really challenge myself beyond what I might have previously thought capable. For example, I've always loved fictional stories, especially mythical ones (such as Harry Potter, Divergent, etc.) but I've never believed myself capable of writing anything of that nature. With this class, I've been able to choose my own path throughout the semester and that has allowed me to expand my writing creativity. Since assignments are pretty self paced and also are based on completion, rather than quality per se, I've been able to work on projects of this nature and found that it's actually something I feel I can do well.

     Of course, there are also things that I struggle with on a regular basis. I don't like pushing myself out of my comfort zone, for instance. I've never been comfortable in social settings, however I try to push myself to overcome that on a regular basis. My desire to learn Spanish has been hindered by my social anxiety but I've been working hard to overcome that struggle. I recently acquired a pin pal of sorts, whom I text occasionally to give myself practice in the language. I'm hoping that in time this will help me ease my way into more face to face conversations with less stress. Another thing I struggle with is my own self doubt. I'm very self critical and I tend to shut down my own efforts without even giving myself the chance to succeed. My Spanish language skills also exemplify this, although I pushed through it and overcame that obstacle. When I first decided to learn Spanish, I was very inspired but I very quickly convinced myself that I couldn't learn Spanish. Then, I decided not to pursue my language minor as initially intended. Thankfully, I had a teacher that really encouraged me for my last required semester of Spanish for my major and he convinced me that I could complete my minor. I'm now much more confident in my Spanish skills and although I struggle regularly with social anxiety, I'm now certain that I will eventually be fluent in Spanish. 

Overall, I think it's just a good rule of thumb to push ourselves and others to be the best that we can be. If we can do that, life will be pretty great.

Week 8 Reflections: Looking Back and Looking Forward

(To Write or Not to Write; online source, www.linettebullock.com)

     I can't believe we're already halfway done (well, I am at least, because I'm working ahead. lol.) As I look back at my reading choices, I really think I've done a pretty good job of picking stories that inspire me to write. There have been a couple of weeks where I just really didn't feel inspired by any of the reading materials but I took creative liberty in those situations and came up with something more loosely based on that weeks reading, so it worked out in the end.

     Looking back on my writing, I'm really proud of what I've done this semester. I've always really loved to write but I'm way too self critical and end up scrapping anything I begin because I think to myself that nobody is going to read whatever it may be I'm trying to write. This class has pushed me to overcome that challenge and I've grown to really believe in my own writing. I'm creating a storybook, for example, and I think that is something I never would have dreamed I would do and feel proud of. Yet, here I am, working on creating this storybook and actually believing that I can write something of value, that someone may actually want to read. I have a clear idea of how I'm going to write it and how it will end and I'm feeling very confident in the project. I can't wait to finish it all and have my whole storybook posted!

     Looking at writings from other students, I think the biggest thing I notice is other people's ability to write descriptively. I can often see something vividly in my head but it doesn't translate to paper like I'd like it to. So, I'm envious of others that can do it and I always aspire to improve that area of my writing. I really think the biggest thing I see in other's writing that I hope to avoid is the use of incorrect grammar and spelling.

Week 7 Story: The Dying Sultan

(Vervet monkey; online source, www.wikiwand.com)

     Once upon a time, a renowned sultan in southern Turkey grew very ill in a matter of hours. At night’s fall, he was perfectly healthy. However, the following morning he was far too weak to rise with the sun. He called out for his daughters, who quickly rushed to his aid. With their help, he was able to sit up in bed, propped against several pillows. His oldest daughter pulled the blankets back to cover his lower half and the grave look taking over her face told him something was terribly wrong. “What’s wrong, child?” he asked weakly. She hesitated as her eyes flooded with tears. Unable to speak, she slowly pulled the covers back, revealing a small green succulent covered with dark purple and black spots. They all knew what it was and what it meant. Someone had poisoned the sultan. His death would be certain in no more than three weeks time without a cure. Years of traditional teachings, carried down from generations before had taught him that his only escape from death at that point was to consume the heart of a monkey. Not just any monkey, though. He would have to consume the heart of a Chlorecebus Pygerythrus, better known as a vervet monkey. Unfortunately, vervets weren’t commonly seen in this particular region of the country. 

     At once, the sultan called for every man, woman, child, and animal in the area to gather around. With his daughters’ help, he took a seat on the balcony just outside his bedroom window. The first to bring him this particular monkey, alive and well, would be granted a lifetime of riches. He promised, “If any of you bring me this monkey, you will never worry about finances or where your next meal might come from. Anything your heart may desire, you will have. Finally, I will assure your protection from any enemies to the best of my ability.” With that, most every being around, animals included, set off in search of the much sought after primate.

     As the days passed, the sultan began to lose hope. People from all around brought him monkeys of many different species, none of which were living vervet monkeys. On the fourth morning a lynx appeared at the sultan’s door, carrying a half dead vervet between his teeth. Had he owned the strength, the sultan may have berated the lynx for bringing such a pitiful thing to his door. However, he simply sent him away, warning him not to come back unless he could bring a monkey that was both alive AND well to him. By the eve of the eleventh day, the sultan had effectively given up. He grew weaker everyday. He knew he was going to die soon and he was ready to accept that. His daughters, however, weren’t ready to let go. On the eleventh morning, the eldest called for all to gather around once again.

     She swore to build a house made of gold for the victor. “I’ll surround the house with a spring with the most crisp, clean water one could wish for and anything else that might be desired.” Furthermore, she promised her own hand in marriage to any man that came forth with the desired creature. With a new rush of enthusiasm, they all set out, searching further and wider for a vervet monkey to bring to the sultan.

     With such extravagant gifts at stake, the rivalry became fierce. Men attacked each other in hopes of lessening the competition. Friend and foe alike were left for dead, their conqueror hoping for victory over the thousands of others in the race. The sultan soon saw his country falling apart before his eyes. For what?, he thought, to grant myself another decade or so before I succumb to old age? He decided then what he would do. He mustered up the strength to sit up in bed and scratched out a quick note, explaining his choice the best he could. He didn’t have the strength in his legs to walk to the balcony, so he crawled. His last thought before his death was that he hoped his daughters and his followers would understand this final selfless act. He used the last of his remaining strength to shove his body through the barrier and over the edge. His daughters, standing below, watched in horror as their father’s body fell hard against the ground.


Authors note
In the original story a monkey and a shark become unexpected friends. The monkey feeds the shark delicious fruits from the tree where they first met and the shark eventually tells him he feels bad that he has nothing to give back. So, he convinces the monkey to travel home with him so he can show the monkey all the glorious things his home land has to offer. Then, halfway through the twelve day trip through water, the shark announces that he hasn’t been completely honest with the monkey. He tells him that the sultan of his home is very ill and the only thing that could possibly cure the poor man is to eat the heart of a monkey. The monkey then tells his so-called friend that he’d left his heart at home that day and he would gladly help the sultan if he could go home and retrieve it. Then, once the shark takes him home, he admits that he never intended to allow the sultan to eat his heart and runs away.

The way their unlikely friendship ended made me sad and I wanted to allow the possibility of an alternate ending for them. So, I decided to explain how the sultan became sick and the circumstances surrounding the search for a monkey’s heart. I liked the emotional value of a friendship ending in the midst of the sultan’s illness, so I kept that conflict in my story, although I didn't use the original two characters. Then I chose to have the sultan end the madness by taking his own life in the ultimate self sacrifice, because it would allow for friendships to possibly be mended.

Source
"African Stories from Lang's Fairy Books", by Andrew Lang, online source

Famous Last Words: Work, Packing, School, Insanity, Spring - Week 6

(Truth About Home Selling; online source, www.twitter.com)

     This week has been a bit hectic. We close on our home in FOUR days. Yes... Four. Short. Days. That means in 5 days, we will be spending the night for the first time in our new home. I can barely believe that but it's real, I'm pretty sure. I work 10 hour days and I worked yesterday and will work everyday between now and our closing, so I'm getting slightly frustrated. It doesn't feel like there are enough hours in a day. Lol.

     I was able to get all of our utilities set up this week but just realized this morning I didn't talk to anybody about getting trash service set up. So, I should probably do that sometime soon, huh? We don't have too terribly much more to pack between now and the big day but there is enough left that I'm panicking that we don't have enough packed yet. We'll get there though and I can't wait to move into our first house!! 

     I had a Spanish quiz today and I didn't do as great as I'd like to on it but I also didn't do too terrible as far as I know. I have to schedule a Talk Abroad section and talk to someone from another country for 30 minutes IN SPANISH sometimes very soon. Plus I have to write a composition Monday and peer review someone else's. I'm not really sure when I'm going to have the time to fit in all of my homework on top of everything else we have to do in this coming week but I've always managed to work these things out in spite of my busy schedule. So I'm pretty confident in my abilities to succeed this time too. 

     I was able to stay ahead in Mythology and Folklore this week, so I'm still 1 full week ahead on my assignments. I'm also now caught up on my Spanish homework to where I'm 1 full week ahead. I think that's an accomplishment considering everything I've had to get done this week! 

Reading Notes: African Stories from Lang's Fairy Books, Part B

The first story here, "Hassebu" was slightly harder for me to read than the others in part A of this set. I thought it was cool that Hassebu found something to do but then he was betrayed and left to die and I was so sad for him. I felt the betrayal for him. I love stories written in this manner and I really hope that I'm able to capture raw emotion in my readers as I write. So, that's what I'd like to take from this story: the ability to really pull out the emotions of my readers.

"The Heart of a Monkey" is a cute story and I liked that the shark made friend's with the money. I enjoyed imagining the monkey hanging out on the cliff, talking to the shark. I didn't like that the shark ended up trying to sacrifice the monkey to his king though, so maybe I could write something about these two with a different ending. I'd like them to remain friends, rather than enemies!

I also really like the story within a story style of writing that's used in "The Heart of a Monkey: The Washerman's Donkey". I'd love to write something in this style but I've avoided trying because I'm worried that my attempt will not work out as smoothly as I'd like it to. Maybe this week I will attempt to write a story within a story.

Finally, "Makoma" inspired me to write something a little more mythical than most of my writing has been. I loved that when he overtook someone, he took in their powers. I think I could definitely write something using this premise. If I decide to go with this, I could combine more than one of my ideas together and use the generational story as well. I also liked the overall message that it's lonely at the top.

(If it's lonely at the top; online source, pattidawnswansson.wordpress.com)

I definitely think that whatever I write this week is going to combine some of the overarching themes from more than one of these stories.

Source
"African Stories from Lang's Fairy Books", by Andrew Lang, online source

Reading Notes: African Stories from Lang's Fairy Books, Part A

I really liked the use of an ogre in the first story of this set, "Motikatika" because I haven't read much involving ogres and it was interesting to read a story involving one. I think it might be fun to write something about ogres but I'd like to do more research on the history of them first since I don't know much about them. I'm not really sure what the main point of this story would be though.

(Beware of ogre sign; online source, www.pinterest.com)

"Jackal and Spring" has a good message behind it: if you don't put forth the work, you can't reap the rewards. I think I could write something very loosely based on that message, which would give me a lot of wiggle room for what to write. I also appreciated the bravery of the tortoise in this one. It made me laugh a little trying to imagine a tortoise attacking a jackal but I like the idea of the unlikely hero.

(Jackal by the Spring; online source, www.goodfon.su)

In "Adventures of a Jackal", I really liked the plot of an unlikely friendship taking place between the jackal and the hedgehog. It'd be fun to write a backstory for these two about how their friendship came to be or maybe just come up with a completely separate story line involving two creatures that become friends against all odds.

I also really love the generation story perspective used for "Adventures of a Jackal", "Adventures of Jackal's Eldest Son", and "Adventure's of Younger Son of Jackal". These were written more like three separate stories, rather than a continued piece but I think I'd enjoy writing a more continual piece. Maybe some sort of tradition taking form within a family, from the grandparents down to the grandchildren or something.

I don't have any very specific ideas from this set so far but I have a couple big picture ideas that I can work with.

Source
"African Stories from Lang's Fairy Books", by Andrew Lang, online source

Week 6 Story: Old Soul, New Tricks

(Old Soul, New Tricks; online source, thepetworks.net)

     The last set of footsteps splashed heavily against the wet stone road and quickly faded away. Cautiously, I stepped out from behind the statue that concealed me. Have they all gone? I wondered as I clutched the excruciating stitch in my side. Running was never my strong suite. I’d always found my way out of sticky situations with ease but this time my victory was uncertain.

     As I slowly approached the end of the temple wall and peered around the corner, my lungs betrayed me. I heaved out a breath much louder than intended as my eyes darted up and down the street, focusing on the slightest sign of movement. The road appeared deserted under the pale moonlight. Maybe I’ve eluded them afte– My thought was left incomplete.*WHAM* the blow cracked hard against the back of my skull. I fell to my knees and my elbow slammed into the hard wall. I was frozen in a daze, my vision blurred almost to nonexistence. I barely made out the shout from directly above me, “I’ve got him over here!”

     Damn. This might just be the end. I thought but I pulled together every ounce of strength I had and focused my energy on bringing down the ornate wall above. With a loud crash, the wall submitted under my power. I barely registered my attacker lying unconscious beneath the rubble as I stumbled to my feet and staggered as quickly as I could back down the path. I found a back entrance to a deserted building and summoned the energy to manipulate the lock. I slipped in and slammed the door, sliding the mechanism back into place just in time. I could hear them all gathering just outside. There was no way out. I knew I would be held captive and tortured for my magical gift. I knew they would show me the same lack of mercy I’d bestowed upon any number of them. I fell against the wall and slid down to the cool floor, hoping for oblivion to consume me. Damn. I thought again.

     I didn’t allow the pounding on the door to startle me. I knew they would get to me soon and my life would effectively come to an end. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I waited for my captors to retrieve me. I can’t be sure how much time passed before I looked up but it seemed like an eternity. They were still banging on the unyielding door. Having regained a bit of my strength, I glanced around. I hadn’t paid any mind to my surroundings when I entered and to that point I had assumed the building empty and abandoned. As I scanned the dark room, I noticed a shining metal sword lying on a wooden work table across the room. That’s when I realized my fate wasn’t sealed. My life was over anyways. Once captured, I would be tortured until I begged for death.

     Barely able to stand, I struggled over to the table and picked up the sword. Running my finger down the precious metal, I reflected on my past. I was not a good person. I was a selfish, vile excuse for a human being. I’d been gifted with the power of sorcery but I used it for my own benefit. Even in my brightest hour, I was a pathetic waste of life. Worst yet, I was a coward. I deserved any punishment I had coming, yet I would not accept that fate. Feeling the cool, sleek metal beneath my finger made my heart race. I truly felt guilty for the life I’d led. I looked up above with a final thought, Have mercy on me, ancestors. For if I could make amends now for my wrong doings, I would. Then, I picked up the sword as the door finally gave way and men came pouring in. It’s now or never. I thought as I thrust the sword into my own stomach and ripped it sideways. I collapsed to my side on the floor immediately and barely noticed the cursing as the cold consumed my body and my world went black.

     I woke in a panic, lying on a cold, hard floor. I was soaking wet and freezing. Did they revive me just so they could torture me to death? I thought. Even I wasn’t that cold in my darkest moment. It took me a moment to realize that I wasn’t inside. I was outside, sleeping in a dirty nook. A sharp pain shot from my hip down my leg as I tried to stand upright, so I cowered back down. Looking down, I realized my arms had been replaced with fur covered paws. On all fours, I crawled over to a puddle nearby to look at my reflection: that of a scruffy old dog looked back at me.

     “Hey there little guy. What are you doing out here by yourself?” an old woman called to me. I eagerly accepted the affection as she scratched beneath my chin and fastened a rope to my neck. She took me home to her husband and they decided to keep me around. They didn’t have much in the way of wealth but their love and affection was abounding. I knew this was my chance for redemption. So, I’ll live out the rest of my canine existence serving my new masters, attempting to right the wrongs I did in my last life. 

Authors note
     In the original story, an old man and his wife care for a small dog because they have no children to care for. The dog soon finds gold coins and makes its owners rich. Then their envious neighbor asks to borrow the dog, hoping it will bring him the same luck. When the dog only finds some nasty old bones for the neighbor though, the neighbor kills him in a rage. The dog later comes to the old man in a dream and brings still more good fortune to him. The neighbor continues to copy the old man’s actions, hoping for the same fate but it never works out in favor of the neighbor.

     I felt like there had to be something extra special about this dog for him to be able to do everything he does for his owners, so I created a back story to explain why he was able to find the gold and bring his owners so many blessings. Since the dog died in the original story, I wanted to create a story about his life and how he came to be. I decided to make him a bad guy in his past life, so all he does in this life would be for a reason: to make up for a life of horrible actions.

Source
"Japanese Fairy Tales", retold by Andrew Lang, online source.

Famous Last Words: Spring - Week 5

This week has been a little rough. I'm a little "behind" on my "ahead of the timeline" schedule for Mythology and Folklore and for my Spanish class. In Mythology and Folklore, I'm trying to stay one week ahead on my reading and story writing assignments, which means I should have wrote a story the day before yesterday. It has been a very bad week for me though and that just hasn't happened. I have completed everything else for the week though. I did some of it even more ahead than intended, so I guess maybe I'm not really "behind" as much as I just rearranged things so that the assignment that takes the most creative effort was left for last. In Spanish I'm just 2 assignments behind, which I'll finish today and be ahead again. So that's also not too terrible. That's the point of being ahead right? So that when you need some leeway, you can take it? 

I'm dealing with a whole slew of opposing emotions right now. I'm excited about school, because I'm really enjoying my classes and I'm getting really close to graduating (with my first major and my minor at least). Spring 2018 I should be able to, actually!! 

I'm also extremely excited about moving. We've got a lot more packed now. Both of our bathrooms are packed up and ready to go and my husband and I both went through and weeded out any clothing we don't wear and don't intend to keep... Then again, I'm also terrified of being in a completely new, unfamiliar place. I'm sure it'll feel like home in no time though. I think it's pretty normal to be a little skittish when moving to a new unfamiliar place. 

I'm also really sad because our dog that we've had for over 10 years was really sick (he had prostate cancer or lymphoma, we're not sure which) and we had to say goodbye to him this week. We made the choice to let him go now and had him humanely put to sleep. It's honestly one of the hardest things I've ever had to do but I'm thankful that his suffering is over now and also slightly thankful that he won't have to deal with the stress of moving. Although, the selfish part of me wishes he could have stuck around and moved with us, because I love him so much and I miss him terribly already. Here are some of my favorite pictures of him and the last picture I got to take with him too. 

(Our dog Rolo; personal photo, taken by me)

(Our dog Rolo; personal photo, taken by me)

(Me and our dog Rolo; personal photo, taken by my husband)

(Our dog Rolo; personal photo, taken by me)

(Our dog Rolo; personal photo, taken by me)

(Me and our dog Rolo; personal photo, taken by me)

I also brought home a foster dog this week. I felt so sad for his situation that I wanted to help him and show him love. He was being mistreated by his previous owner. Kept tied up in a shed outside with a bucket of food always out, he was yelled at to shut up and verbally abused (at the least). He apparently hasn't ever been treated with affection. We will show him the love he deserves and hopefully will find him a forever home soon (anyone looking?? LOL). I regret agreeing to take him just a little, because I think it was a little too soon after our dog left us but I think I would have regretted not taking him in even more. Here are some pictures of him too.

(Our foster dog Hank; personal photo, taken by a friend)

(Our foster dog Hank; personal photo, taken by a friend)

(Our foster dog Hank; personal photo, taken by a friend)

I hope things settle down a lot in the next week or 2. I don't particularly like all of the emotional ups and downs right now.