Growth Mindset, Power Through

It is the end of the semester for us. Everyone is different in most cases but a lot of us are waiting until the last minute to finish. Even if the goal seems like it not reachable and there is a lot of work to do you have to power through. Getting there is not easy for us that have put it off. Putting your head down and powering through to the end is the best way to accomplish the end. This applies to more than just the end of the semester. It could apply to work, to certain situations, sports and so on. Always make sure you put your head down and power through whatever obstacle is in your way for you to achieve what you had set out to do, break that wall down.

Image created by myself using Cheezburger.

Tech Tip: Blogger Design Templates

Making blogs is new to a lot of people still. Using templates is a great way to get started using a blog. You can always use them just for inspiration and change the way your blog feels so it is more than basic. This also helps with getting people to want to read your blog. Having the templates is a great way to set it and focus more on what you are writing as well. 

Blogger Design Templates

Famous Last Words: It has come to an end.

Well the time has come to close another semester at OU. It was not the best of times but it was also far better than my last one. I think I might actually complete this class haha. I'll admit it has been a struggle keeping up with my assignments this semester. I also did not do a lot of writing and focused mainly on extra credit work just to get by. Not saying that a bad grade will be received, I am saying that I could have done a lot better with my time and wrote a lot more. I had the stories in my head I just could not find the time to actually sit down and write them. If I could do it again I would get the biggest head start I could and just write write write. I think that would have been a better route for me to take in the long run.
Needless to say though, I really did enjoy being able to read a lot of the other stories in the class. Life happens sometimes and I had to switch my focus over to the situations that just seemed to constantly happen over the course of the semester. Working a full-time job, being a parent and having extra work on the side does not make taking classes easily, especially with a chronic illness that could come out of nowhere. My advice to anyone would be to work ahead and stay focused. If you can do that this is one of the best classes I have taken at OU so far!
The emails back and forth with Laura helped a lot as well. She would always get back to me really quick with any questions and always had great suggestions to help with management of the class.

Image provided by woodleywonderworks, Source.

Review Week 15

This cartoon speaks so much to me. It lets me know that we are closer to the holiday season and also that people using Twitter do not use punctuation correctly, if at all. I get you only have a very small word count but you can just use tweet longer to make it comprehensible. Sadly, I do not see it changing anytime soon.

Punctuation for Christmas

Image provided by Online Course Lady: Writing Laboratory

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Hunt) Part A

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Hunt) Part A

These stories are more known. The style is great with giving the detail a reader would want. I loved being engaged again with Hansel and Grethel. These reminded me of my childhood, even though they are darker than I remember. I do see a trend of having it to where it is warnings about going into the woods. 

Margaret Hunt's Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm Part A.

Hänsel and Gretel; Darstellung von Alexander Zick (1845 - 1907). Source.

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox) Part B

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox) Part B

The second half, or part B, would be the stories I did not know well. The stories were a little longer than part A. With that being said it was more descriptive and had dialogue to get you engaged in the stories. This is good for readers who are not familiar with these stories. It keeps the same pattern as before and keeps to the dark stories that I am a fan of and write in that style as well.

 Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm, an audiobook recording available at LibriVox based on a Project Gutenberg publication. Part B.

Deutsch: Doppelporträt der Brüder Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm / Die Brüder Grimm, Oil on canvas.
Artist Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann 1855 . Source.

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox) Part A

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox) Part A

The description about what stories to expect was a little off for me. I knew most of the stories, at least in part A. I have not read the Grimm versions though. Going in I was happy with the style that these were written. It was not lighthearted as what I was told and read growing up. The stories were humorous but also dark. This kept me engaged. I think I have a thing for darker stories.

 Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm, an audiobook recording available at LibriVox based on a Project Gutenberg publication. Part A.

Double page illustration from a book of fairy tales.Grimm's Household Tales,
Author Robert Anning Bell . Source.

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman) Part B

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman) Part B

Part B of Ashliman's translation is full of the darker tales. My favorite was the version of Adam and Eve. The thing about the writing though is that it seemed like it still had to do with the haves and have-nots. I know that it is from tales told long ago but I am not a fan of that style. Closes down an audience.

 The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman (1998-2013). Part B.

"Presents of the Little Folk" by Anne Anderson, Source: Wikimedia.

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman) Part A

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman) Part A

These fairy tales are pretty close to what I remember growing up. Minor differences and a little more violent but nothing that a child couldn't read. Little Red Cap instead of Little Red Riding Hood is what I was told growing up and in my opinion was better. Ashliman does a great job with the retelling of these classic fairy tales that is short and a fast read.

 The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman (1998-2013). Part A.

Illustration of Rumpelstiltskin from Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, translated by Lucy Crane, illustrated by Walter Crane, first published by Macmillan and Company in 1886. Source.

Famous Last Words: Back to Work

Well the vacation is over. I just got back from my home state, California. It was my son's first time out there and I hope it inspired him that the world is bigger than just what he sees here in Oklahoma. It was great to get away for a week and spend it with family and friends. The trip was to surprise a person I consider my brother that I have been playing online games with for about 10years. He was turning 50 and is moving to Arizona in June so me and a group of other friends that all play online thought it was the perfect time to do it. Yes, online friends can turn into family just like this group has. The trip helped recharge my mindset to focus more on my goals of getting back home and how to do it. School is a major factor in the plan.

We went to Venice, Santa Monica, Hollywood and all around SoCal. My son had never experienced anything like what he did during this trip. Just watching him with his eyes wide and the smile he had warmed my heart. I had done everything like that before so my enjoyment was watching him. The ocean was probably his favorite part. It was a little cold but he kept running in and out of the waves just being a kid. He got to meet my friends and he fit in perfectly. Some of them are engineers and seeing as he wants to become and engineer when he grows up it was inspiring from him. The cars that they drove probably helped that haha. I know this is sad to say but I even missed the traffic. At least I did not have to drive and was riding in a Tesla S the whole time.

Personal photo of The Lost Sons crew after the last breakfast (I'm the one in front)

Ventura, California 2017

Review Week 13

Of all of the announcements this one hits home. I knew I was getting burnt out between work and school. The trip I just got back from helped me relax and recharge, something about being by the ocean does that for me. Even if you do not get to go on a vacation, find somewhere relaxing to just cool out and relax. It helps in the long run.

Take Time to Recharge.

Image provided by Growth Mindset Blog

Extra Reading: Welsh Fairy Book (Thomas)

Extra Reading: Welsh Fairy Book (Thomas)

This collection of Welsh tales was enjoyable. I really loved the stories "Arthur in the Cave" and "St Collen and the King of Fairy". The stories were well written and easy to read. Although some of them were short it gave enough to pull a reader in. Seeing the difference in how the Welsh viewed Arthur as immortal was intriguing to me as well. At the end of  "Arthur in the Cave" I thought the sorcerer and the Welshman were done for, great use of misdirection.

The Welsh Fairy Book by W. Jenkyn Thomas with illustrations by Willy Pogány (1908) Part A

Image of St. Collens Church in Wales, Llangollen Church and graveyard in Abbey Road 

by John Haynes, 31 December 2007. Source: Wikimedia.

Reading Notes: Celtic Fairy Tales Part A

Celtic Fairy Tales Part A

Part A of these fairy tales was very enjoyable. I was wanting to do a story about fairies and the first story had exactly all of the information I was needing. The Celtic version of Snow White was better than the original in my opinion as the prince ended up with two wives instead of the one. The reading was easy enough and understanding a lot of the basic principles of the characters helped someone visualize. 

Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1892). Part A.

A portrait of a fairy, by Sophie Gengembre Anderson (1869). Source: Wikipedia.

Reading Notes: Beowulf Part B

Reading Notes: Beowulf Part B

Part B of Beowulf has the epic battle with Grendel. The detail of all of the fights is so well done that you can close your eyes and feel like you are there. Part B is more action and can grab your attention quick. For this story to be told from a poem, Pitz makes it more appealing to a broader audience.

The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs, with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933). Part B.

An illustration of the ogre Grendel from Beowulf. Marshall, Henrietta Elizabeth (1908) 

Stories of Beowulf. Source Wikimedia.

Reading Notes: Beowulf Part A

Reading Notes: Beowulf Part A

The story of Beowulf is one of my favorites from English mythology. Reading it again is a joy as Pitz is very descriptive about the events that are happening. This version, compared to the poem I normally read is very easy to understand. With that being said a reader can engage more with the story than having to figure out how to read it. 

The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs, with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933). Part A.

An illustration of Beowulf sailing to Daneland, Marshall, Henrietta Elizabeth (1908) 

Stories of Beowulf. Source Wikimedia.

Reading Notes: Pacific Northwest Part B

Reading Notes: Pacific Northwest Part B

Part B followed the same writing style as Part A. Most of the stories were a little longer with more dialogue. The short stories of the Thunderbird were a standout. Coyote also made a bigger appearance in the second set of stories. Great way of presenting the subjects to the reader and easy to imagine the settings of the stories.


Myths and Legends of the Pacific Northwest, especially of Washington and Oregon, by Katharine Berry Judson (1910). Part B.

Photo taken by Steve #781 March 16, 2015, Source: Pexels.

Reading Notes: Pacific Northwest Part A

Reading Notes: Pacific Northwest Part A

I liked these stories more compared to the southwestern stories I read last week. Although it is the same author the style is different. It could be also that I did not know much about the pacific northwest as well. These stories were all lengthed perfectly to go with the subject. Grey Fox, Kemush and Ashish really stood out. The origin stories of how the world and things like fire were made did a good job at revolving around the region.

Myths and Legends of the Pacific Northwest, especially of Washington and Oregon, by Katharine Berry Judson (1910). Part A.

Image taken by Eric Kilby, July 31, 2016. Source: Flickr

Famous Last Words: The Grind Continues

This week has been a very busy week to say the least. I was able to get my story done on time and my reading done. I think I have found the perfect way to get to where I want in this class. Sitting back and making a schedule and dedicating what free time you have to get work done early or done at all helps. Knowing I am going to California in a few weeks is also extra motivation to push to get ahead for that week I will be gone so I do not have to worry about school.

The reading this week was enjoyable and I liked taking one of the stories and making it my own. I think when it comes to the writing in this class I will probably keep telling it in a modern setting. The feedback I got for my portfolio project was extremely positive. Makes me think I do have a knack for writing somewhere. It also helped that my ignorant asshole friends enjoyed the story as well. Since we play games together we are very critical of each other. I stand by what I call them haha.

I found out I won 3rd place for the logo that I did. That means a lot and is a big accomplishment for a few reasons. The first is because nobody in my office thought it would do well and the support wasn't there. The second was because it was focused on the LGBT community. Not being LGBT myself I had to do some research on what would be appealing to the eye of someone who is. I feel that I accomplished that just from the feedback I had gotten from the event organizers back when I gave it to them. To have it when 3rd place out of hundreds of submissions made me emotional actually.

Until next week.......

Photo by Gerd Altmann, Source Pexels.

Review Week 10

Review Week 10

Going back through the announcements I noticed one that stood out to me. It wasn't just because a cat meme was used, but it was also the title: "Sometimes, being wrong is the only way we can learn." Nobody is always right. Learning from being wrong about something that you thought you were right about can be difficult. Admitting that you were wrong is even harder. Hard work and dedication is what pays off in the long run. 

Sometimes, being wrong is the only way we can learn.

Image provided by Growth Mindset Blog.

Reading Notes: Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes Part A

Reading Notes: Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes Part A

This collection of stories focused a lot towards the Fire Goddess Pele. These stories taught me more about Pele then I could remember and also helped to bring some stories back from memory. Adding descriptions to Hawaiian words helps the reader understand the meaning of them. I should look into using more of the Hawaiian language in my stories as Westervelt has done. It might make people more interested in the culture as a whole.

Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes by W. D. Westervelt Part A

Photo taken by Prayitno, September 18, 2014

Volcano Goddess Pele, Source: Flickr.

Week 10 Story: The Strange Boy

The Strange Boy

In the small mountain community lived a boy everyone thought was crazy. He would take off from time to explore the surrounding areas. When he came back he would bring home a simple object and there would be an unbelievable story involved in it. His brothers were the ones who had the town convinced he was crazy. He was the youngest of the family and nobody could understand why he was the way he was.

The oldest brother decided all of them should go on a camping trip one day. Wanting to pack light they did not take much for food, and when they finally arrived to the camp area they had ate all the food. All the brothers came to the conclusion that they should go hunting and live the way of their ancestors before them. The oldest brother told the youngest to stay at camp while the rest went out to hunt, he was scarred the little brother would run off and accidentally get shot. 5 days and nights passed without his older brothers returning and he was hungry and he had not seen any indication that his brothers were anywhere nearby. With the overwhelming hunger and desire to explore the youngest brother went off in the direction he watched his brothers go, leaving the safety of the camp for an adventure.

Nightfall came upon the youngest brother and was forced to set up camp in a hollowed hole in the wall near a canyon. It was cold and the snow was everywhere. Thankfully he still had his brother-in-law's lighter so making a fire would be easier. Without water, he melted snow to make sure he was hydrated. As he got comfortable for the night he heard what seemed like a group of people all around him. He looked up into the sky and noticed that it was not people but a flock of crows flying around the canyon making the noise. The boy put his fire out and hid in a patch of bushes just as two crows landed and started yelling towards the crows on the other side of the canyon. The boy could not believe what was going on.

The crows were distraught and anxious as they sat on the ground, apparently crying for some odd reason. One of the bigger and apparently older crows from the other side of the canyon yelled over to them asking what was the matter? The two crows yelled back that two crows of them were shot and killed earlier in the day. They continued to explain that they had met a group of humans as they were hunting and tried to ask them if they could have some of the deer that was just killed. The crows figured it was ok as they had witnessed these men had killed a total of twelve deer during their hunt. The humans must not have understood them because as they landed for a few bites the humans shot the leader that was perched on the antlers and the youngest he was on the shoulder. The elder crow yelled back to them that it had been explained time and time again that if they were to eat a deer that had been shot they should be expected to be killed. Humans did not understand the language of the crow. The elder crow said that the killing was now in the past and it was time to move forward to dance and celebrate the lives of the fallen throughout the night. The crows did just that, danced and sang all around the canyon with fires burning bright for their fallen. 

Morning finally arrived and the youngest brother ran back to camp as fast as his legs would take him. He was relieved that when he made it back to camp his brothers were there around a campfire. They all looked in shock that little brother had made it back but they expected a wild story was about to come. The little brother explained what he had witnessed that night to his older brothers. They started laughing at him and told him to stop getting on the internet, that it was making him crazier by the day. Everyone was like this except his brother-in-law this time. He asked the little brother for more detail and when the brother told them the amount of deer that they had killed he knew this story had to be true. How else would the little brother know how many deer they had killed after just returning to camp. All the other brothers began to listen and it made sense. When asked how the little brother could see and hear these things he did not know and explained that they just happen.

The brothers broke camp and set back home. They were almost home when they came across a flock of sheep. They told the little brother that they would make a nice addition to the farm at home and he should try to catch one. The little brother was excited that his siblings seemed to treat him normally and wanted to impress them. He got ahead of the sheep and hid until the right time. He sprang from the bush he was in and grabbed the biggest sheep in the flock. As soon as he grabbed the sheep he was transformed into one as well. When he looked around the rest of the flock had surrounded him asking him why he wanted to catch them as he was a sheep as well. The lead sheep said they were on their way to a dance and that they would teach him their dances and songs. The young boy joined them freely and they found seven more sheep. This flock travelled all around the world, learning the songs and dances of many different people. Once the journey came to an end the elder of the flock decided it was no use for the child to continue with them as they had learned all they needed to. He transformed the child back to human form and placed him back in his home.

The brother-in-law sat by the youngest brother’s hospital bed the entire time. Despite that the town thought the youngest to be crazy, he loved him and enjoyed his stories. The youngest brother finally awoke and told his dream to his brother-in-law. After finishing the dream, the brother-in-law told him as they were coming home that he had tripped, hit his head on a stone, and that he had been in a coma for a week. The eldest brother walked into the room scratching his head. The brother-in-law asked what was going on and the elder brother said that he noticed eleven sheep walking out of the front entrance of the hospital. The youngest brother just laid back and smiled.

Author's Note. The original story had a lot of dialogue between the crows. I tried to keep this simpler and more appealing to a broader audience. Having this in a modern setting also helped me with the ending. In the original story the youngest brother comes back and shows all the dances and songs he learned while he was gone. The brothers also witnessed him leave with the sheep. In this version I wanted to change it and have the brothers believe he was just dreaming and that explained his stories from before. But the twist at the end with the sheep leaving the hospital just made them wonder more.

Bibliography. This story is based on "The Boy Who Became A God" in Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912).

Image proved by: Pixabay.

Reading Notes: Southwestern and California Legends Part B

Reading Notes: Southwestern and California Legends Part B

Part B was more about the origins of certain forms of weather. I enjoyed reading these stories a lot more. Still short and written to where they were easy to read. Not a lot of detail but gave enough for you to visualize the surrounding areas. The writing style also makes you envision a narrator telling the stories. I really liked the story about how a child that was considered weird ended up becoming a god.

Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912). Part B

Image taken by ForestWander, 9 February 2011 Source: Wikimedia

Reading Notes: Southwestern and California Legends Part A

Reading Notes: Southwestern and California Legends Part A

The trend between the stories for the first half of the unit appear to be animals. The only real mention of men is in that they were created by animals from the earth or some other form from an animal's body. The collection of stories are mostly creation stories. They are simple and to the point, not a lot of detail. Could work for an audience that is just trying to power through. 

Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912). Part A

Image taken by ForestWander, 9 February 2011 Source: Wikimedia

Famous Last Words, Time to Get Real

This week has been a busy one to say the least. I am finally finished with one of my classes and can start to focus more on this one. I know I have been lacking when it comes to doing assignments for this class. I missed my goal of finishing early but life happens. After some math and figuring out what was possible to achieve in this class. I have come to the conclusion that it is still possible to pull an A this semester. As my title say, it is time to get real. Now that things have started to calm down a bit at work and with other school work I can focus more on completing all of the assignments and possibly starting to get ahead. I just need to put more time aside to accomplish this and I could possibly start winter break early, for school that is.

I did start to get more responsibility at work and more freedom to do things my way. As a graphic designer that is big. That means my work is actually appealing to someone and they want more of it. Maybe being nominated in the top 3 of logos submitted to the regional marketing and public relations competition didn't hurt. Top 3 out of hundreds of submissions, even the people in my office did not think I would place. I find out what I got next Saturday. This has lighted a fire in me that I did choose the right career path and strengthened the passion I have for graphic design, photography, marketing and public relations. Because of this I know I need to keep learning new methods and faster techniques to help my career move further, can't stay part-time forever. So between school and work I have learned a lot and know what I need to do. Moving forward hopefully these goals are accomplished.

Image created with Cheezburger

Learning Challenge: Learn about sleep.

Learning Challenge: Learn about sleep.

I know I am not alone when I say I wish I had more sleep. After reading the article a few things started to make sense. I am a nightowl, always have been. Also I get up really early in the morning for work. Without any kind of external cues I would probably sleep well into the afternoon. This did confirm that my natural circadian rhythm is delayed. I did learn how I could start to improve it by possibly taking melatonin supplements early in the evening to get the sleepiness to kick in at an earlier time. I might invest in doing that so I can possibly get more sleep and not have to crash on the weekends.

Yes, Your Sleep Schedule Is Making You Sick Article Link

Image provided by: Pixabay

Growth Mindset, Always Learning

going through my day to day activities a phrase is always going off in my head, "if you're not learning, you're dying." I learned this from a classmate in a photoshop class. He was 75 and working towards another degree. It has always stuck with me and I take it to heart while doing my best to learn something new daily. It could be a new technique in graphic design, a different lighting set up for photography or learning about the mythology of Russia. You can never know everything but knowledge is power and it makes you open your eyes to the world more.

Image provided by: PixaBay

Typing Test Tech Tip

I am not a fan of a lot of these tests honestly. Sure, they tell you how well you can copy text but other than that I would rather stick to what you know and improve that way. The sites KeyHero and TypingTest have the same functions. It would be nicer to have an option to type when hearing the words in audio instead of just copying the text that is provided. I know I type a lot faster when I am writing something from my own mind compared to that.

Image provided by: PixaBay

"Week 9 Review"

Week 9 Review

As a fan of cats, the image for the Growth Mindset post with the cat caught my attention. After reading through the post it stuck with me a lot more. Curiosity is what fuels discovery, improvement, etc. My cat also does the same thing with my phone as the one in the photo was doing so that was an added plus.

English: The future belongs to the curious. Growth Mindset Blog

The image is from cheezburger.

Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki) Part A

The writing in the first 3 stories of the unit was done well. It kept me engaged in the story and made me want to continue through to the end. The first story gave a feeling of excitement when the centipede was coming down the mountain and there was only one arrow left. The second story gave great descriptions of visuals and had a perfect ending to a tragic start, a lot of depth. The third made you really think about life, the reflection was amazing. I am looking forward to Part B and I am going to use some of these influences in my upcoming stories.

 Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki (1908). Part A

Rodtico21, 3 March 2013

Reading Notes: West African Folktales Part B

Reading Notes: West African Folktales Part A

Reading Part B was a delightful change of stories from Part A. These stories focused more on the animals than just Anansi. A lot of the stories were humorous or tried to give a life lesson. The writing style was still the same though. You could visualize the animals going through the tasks in each story and felt for them if something did happen.

West African Folktales by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, with drawings by Cecilia Sinclair (1917). Part B

Max Pixel Source

Reading Notes: West African Folktales Part A

Reading Notes: West African Folktales Part A

The collection of stories for Anansi seem to follow a similar trend revolving around food for the most part. Anansi is always looking at how to get everything for himself and in the end seems to always lose. These stories so far have been humorous seeing something put so much effort into the tricks, lies and deceit to gain an advantage to only fail in the end. If Anansi had a little more patience and actually thought things through a little more carefully he could have been a lot worse of a threat than he was.

West African Folktales by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, with drawings by Cecilia Sinclair (1917). Part A

Image by Philipp Ruch, Dec. 17, 2013 Source Pixabay

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

The quality of comments I have been receiving I feel are genuine. With most online courses people tend to be more honest as there is no awkward moments where we are face to face. Although a lot of the comments have been positive I feel the ones that have more criticism help me the most. That lets me know the person is really reading what I have wrote. Some suggestions I can agree with after stepping back and reading from the perspective of the person giving the critique.

Reading other people's stories is a highlight of the class for me. I try to read them over at least twice so I can give some good feedback. I look at it from a wide audience perspective and also as just a general reader. I try to give comments that might make someone who would not normally read the type of stories we right want to continue on with the story. I do get inspired by a lot of the stories I read and it makes me want to write that much better because some of them are just amazing.

The blog comments are the best way outside of emailing one another to get to know a person in this class. I have learned a lot from the introduction posts and hope people have learned about me from my own post. 

Looking ahead I feel my comments just need to stay consistent. As far as my own blog goes I would possibly redesign it somehow. More stories will be coming so I can get more critiques as well.

(cheezburger)

I chose the above image because a lot of people fear feedback. Without feedback it is hard to know what other people think. That would just leave you stuck doing the same thing over and over and never evolving what it is you are doing.

Week 8 Reading and Writing

Week 8 Reading and Writing

Looking back at some of the reading I have done has me torn. On one hand I love the imagination a person had to come up with these stories and on the other I am not a fan of some of the writing styles. I understand that writing evolves everyday but some of the ways the reading assignments were originally written makes them hard to stay focused. With that said you have to power through some of them. They have given me a lot of good scenarios to play on in my writing though. Making these stories have a more modern feel that can gravitate towards a broader audience is the goal. 

The class project idea is great, I just need to settle things down so I can work on it more. I know I myself have let a lot of stories go unwritten for my project. Life does happen unfortunately. Moving forward there will be more stories and better examples of what I am trying to accomplish.

Illustration from the book "Twenty years before the mast"
by Charles Erskine. Page 226. Source Wikimedia

The reason I chose this image is that it has a lot to do with my culture. I am half Hawaiian and very excited to get to write and learn more about some of the mythology of the past. 

Moving on hopefully things will slow down so I can focus more. Being pulled this way and that way is never fun, especially when you have assignments to do. Do I have to adult today?

Reading Notes: The Romance of Old Japan part A

Reading Notes: The Romance of Old Japan part A

The Romance of Japan is a creation story told from the perspective of the different God's with a narrator filling in the blanks and describing the actions and scenes as they are happening. E. W. Champney and F. Champney do a marvelous job of making the mind see the creation of the world with each sentence that is said.

The Romance of Old Japan Part A

Kobayashi Eitaku, Izanagi and Izanami, c. 1885. Source

Reading Notes: The Life of Buddha Part A

The Life of Buddha is an interesting story to read. From the moment the story begins you get the feeling that all of the emotions expressed in the story are somewhat exaggerated. For the first portion of part A it seems as it is all glamour and riches, the perfect lifestyle. I am a person who disconnects with that type of writing. 

Andre Ferdinand Herold's style shows that King Suddhodana apparently is so caught up with all the shiny and upscale things that he is out of touch with what his son truly is.

The Life of Buddha Part A

Birth of Buddha at Lumbini

 Source Wikimedia

Famous Last Words: Life Happens

Well this week really did not go as planned. I have been falling behind due to work and other personal issues as of late. Every time I try to sit down and get my work done in most of my classes it always seems life happens. I did get my reading done, the story on the other hand did not get finished. It is a shame as well because I did have a few pretty good ideas for it. Other classes are going about the same but as a working single parent, life happens. Going to just say that instead of what word I really want to say haha. I did read some amazing stories and was very inspired from some of them this week. I do “plan” on sitting down and getting a lot of things done this week to try and get ahead in most of my classes, especially this one. I enjoy writing and especially mythology so writing for this class is especially fun.

I did recently find out that I will be going back home to California for a week the week before Thanksgiving, all paid for by a few good friends that want to see my son and I. That was pretty exciting to find out, I have not been home in a few years and my son has never been to California, let alone see the ocean. That is a reason I need to get ahead in this class, so I can have a relaxing time out there and not have to worry about am I passing or not. I know it will refresh me to be out there and give me even more inspiration for my writing as I will be around my Hawaiian family. One of my aunts will always compare something going on to some old story or something.  

Thorne Holder 

Famous Thorne Holder Quotes, flickr