storytelling

Okay - before we start I want to lay out two expectations. First, one point of this blog is to practice writing, so please write with capitalization, punctuation, etc. Check your work before you publish it and don't embarrass yourself. Second, Since this is your classwork for today, this post should be much longer than your others (well.....except maybe for Katherine). Surprise me with your lengthy, thoughtful writing!

Today I want you to write a story. Be creative - this story can be about anything, but it has to be a good story. Include lots of sensory details and description. Think about your genre. Is this a mystery or a love story? A tragedy or a memoir? It can be anything, but it should fall within a specific genre. Don't tell me what the genre is, but think about it as before you write.

I'll write my story later; have fun writing yours.

i can't stand....

What can't you stand - about yourself? In other words, what's the one thing you wish you could change.

The whole reason I write this question is that I hate that I have SUCH a hard time keeping routines. I'm great at big projects, throwing parties and pulling off impossible tasks. However, when it comes to the little routines, I stink. Every time. This blog is one of those examples. Why is it so hard for me to stay in the routine of writing? Working out is another tough one. I'll do great - for a week. Then I'll do nothing and be lazy for two months before I can get back at it. AHHHH!!!!

one random question....

#1. If you could have dinner with any three people, living or dead, who would they be? Why? Oh, and Jesus can't be one of them; he's already invited!

Mike asked me this first question on our first date.....we had some of the same answers! Anyways, first I would invite my Grandpa Bishop, my mom's dad. He died just after my parents were married, a few years before I was born. It's wierd that there is this person from whom I must have inherited traits, physical or personal, and I don't even know him. I would love to talk with him and get to know him. I would also invite Martin Luther King Jr. I really would. I think part of me would love just to hear his voice in person - that great "I have been to the mountain" voice. Finally, I would invite Paul, as in the apostle Paul. I think he must have been a fiery man - full of passion and power. I would love to hear what he has to say about the world today and the church.

How about you?

give me a glimpse

What is life like at home? I know all of your families - probably better than most teachers, but there is something about people's homes that only they can know, only they can understand. Give me a glimpse of your house on a normal weekday evening. Where is everyone? What are the lights like? What are the noises? Do you like it? Do you wish it was different?

Mike and I are sitting in our living room. He's grading; I'm - well right now I'm writing this blog. But usually I am reading about something online. Politics, cooking, my friends' pictures. We came in here to relax after we watered the garden and finished the dishes. Sounds exciting right?

I like the light in our living room at night. It makes the red walls kind of glow, and it feels warm. You can hear everyone outside. Some are talking as they walk past our house. A kid down the street is getting yelled at. I guess I'm just thankful that fireworks season has passed. They still make me jump sometimes.

scary stuff...

When have you been the most afraid? I'm not talking about watching a horror movie or listening to a scary story. I'm talking about real, deep down fear.

If you would have asked me this when I was 10 I would have told you about the time that I got lost in my own little world trying to go up the down escalator in the mall and suddenly realized my mom was nowhere to be seen. I panicked, started crying, and never saw my mom watching me from the second floor, knowing that I had learned my lesson.

Now I would tell you about the time that I got woken up during a prank at camp. The programming staff, including my cousin Beth, videotaped people's reactions when they woke up to a six foot stuffed gingerbread doll dancing in their room. In my blurry (remember - no contacts in), dazed view I was convinced that there was a demon at my bedside. I sat up, started pointing at the gingerbread man and yelled, "No. No. Leave me alone. Leave me alone." It's all on video somewhere. In that moment I thought the demon was going to consume me. Later, I almost peed myself as I watched it.

Tell me about the time when you were most afraid. Maybe your moment was more real life than mine, or maybe you too created monsters in your own head.

welcome back! tell me about your summer.

I would love to know how many students have to write about this upon returning to school - probably a lot. I want a little something a little different from you. Tell me about your dream summer...what would your summer have looked like it it had been perfect. However, write as though it's really what happened, as though you are just telling me about your summer.

and we're back......

Welcome back! I know that you have all been missing your weekly blogging, and I have definitely missed reading your "musings".

Here's the inspiration for today.

I want you to pick one memory you have of a Christmas past and describe it in as much detail as is possible. This doesn't have to be a happy memory - it can be any memory. Tell me as much as you can - what was happening, what you saw, what you smelled, how you felt, etc. Try to use a memory that will give you a lot to talk about.

Have fun!

catching up...

Here's your inspiration for this week - catch up! Obviously, because it is Tuesday night and I am just now posting this, I need to catch up too.

If you click on your comments under whatever your last post was, you will find a reminder from me about what you need to catch up on.

By the end of this week, you need to have all of the muses up to date. On Monday morning, I will enter zeros for missing muses.

I love you guys!

muse #5

I'm sorry this is a bit late. Please forgive me.

Pick one of these questions:

#1. Who is the greatest athlete of all time? Notice that I said athlete - not basketball player or football player - athlete. Support what you say.

#2. What is the best movie of all time? Why?

btw

That's short for 'by the way', just in case you didn't know.

By the way, I would love for you to comment on my blog or on others' blogs. Take a few minutes and see what everyone else has written.

happiness is ... my response to muse #4

I am happy right now. Yes, right now I am very happy.

I just made roast chicken for the first time. Cooking something new always makes me happy. I love following recipes and trying really hard to make it look just like the picture. Although we haven't eaten the chicken yet, it looks exactly like the picture!

My house is clean; okay, it is almost clean. I love feeling like everything in my space is in order. I think this is how God created us - to have order and sanity around us. It tells me something about Him as the Creator. I think we were made to live in order and peace.

The thing that makes me the happiest is that Mike and I are having dinner with two friends in a little while. People make me the happiest. I love great conversations with people, whether they are about theology and culture with adults or about music, sports, and shopping with you guys.

That's the last thing. You guys all make me happy. Friday was a really happy day for me. I saw you learning and thinking, asking questions, making comments, laughing, and making me laugh - really hard. Thanks.

Muse #4

What makes you happy?

if I get this one wrong I should quit my job - my response to Muse #3

(Reminder: Read the post below, Muse #3, before you read this.)

I'm sitting in Panera right now, and there are two old men having a conversation across from me. I wonder if they faced the same problems when they were 17 as you face now.

I doubt it, but I do know that they faced problems. They were probably concerned about getting drafted to fight. That's a pretty serious issue. If they are anywhere near my grandma's age they were also probably trying to put food on the table and keep their families together.

The Depression was rough, or so I've heard.

Honestly, I didn't have much to complain about when I was a teenager, certainly not compared to the two old guys or to any of you. I was worried about college and financial aid, and I was starting to wonder if I would ever have a boyfriend. Obviously, it all worked out. God's plan was and still is perfect.

I give all of you a lot of credit. I believe that most of you have faced stuff that I may never deal with, and I know that it hasn't always been easy. I think there are a few main issues that most teenagers faced today, and I definitely think they're different for guys and girls. I honestly don't know how to pinpoint the "top" issue, so I am only writing about two that I think are important.

I believe the root of so many problems that young men face can be traced to a lack of effective and godly role models in their lives. I think guys, probably more than girls, need men to look up to and emulate (Look it up on the dictionary link that is on the side of this blog!). When these role models are gone, teenage guys start looking to each other, media, etc. to figure out what to do and how to act.

The thing I fear most for young women is the exploitation of the intimacy that should be reserved for their husband. In other words, I think that everything in the world is telling teenage girls that the path to love, security, and identity is found in giving their bodies to guys. I think this issue is HUGE. A lot of girls know this is the issue and deep down still fight to not give in.

The bottom line is - it's tough, and it continues to get tougher.

The other bottom line is that I was wrong in what I said earlier. I do know the biggest problem. Without Jesus at the core of my life or a teenager's life, the issues and problems of life will overtake us. Jesus is the bottom line. He's the only answer to our biggest problem.

Muse #3

You are a teenager. It's that middle age that no one really knows what to do with. You're not an adult, but everyone keeps telling you to act like one. You're not a child anymore, but you can't drive, vote, smoke (and shouldn't ever!!), be in the army, drink, sign your own permission slip, or any of that other fun stuff. (Most of the above does not apply to Frank Beamon or Lloyd Hamilton, and I hereby publicly acknowledge that fact.)

A lot of people, including yours truly, spend time trying to solve the mysteries of teenagers. What do they need, what do they want, what's good about them, what's wrong with them? As has always been the case, teenagers today face a whole different set of issues than teenagers of the past. You deal with different problems than I did, and that was only 10 years ago!

Here's my question. In your opinion, what is the biggest issue facing teenagers today? Describe what the issue is, why you think it is such a problem, and relate any personal experience (involving you or others you know) that has convinced you that it is serious.

I want you to respond in two paragraphs - one about guys and one about girls. You may think that both genders have the same problem, so explain how the problem affects each gender differently. Be clear, and make sure to avoid the writing issues I commented on in your last post.

Comments and Revisions

Great job on all of your posts! Make sure to check your comments and revise the things I have pointed out. You won't get the points for your post until you've done so. When you revise each post, rename your title "revised muse #2" or something so that I know that you've done it.

from corn fields to corn rows - my response to muse #2

(Note: Read the previous post, Muse #2, before reading this.)

I remember the first time I visited Chicago to see if I wanted to move here. We stopped at the McDonalds on Cermak and Western across from the Blockbuster. It was the first time I have ever seen a McDonalds menu in Spanish.

I knew I wasn't in Iowa any more.

I have lived here for three years, and I love it. I love Chicago for its lake, its culture, and its people. I wouldn't trade my family or childhood in Iowa for anything, but I really enjoy living in a diverse setting. Somehow, I think it is closer to what God intended for our lives to be. Even though I am still new to the city, this really feels like home, and I can't imagine really wanting to live anywhere else - at least for now.

Of course, sometimes I can't wait to escape city life for a few days. This weekend in Wisconsin I drank in the clean air, clean water, clean ditches, clean... everything! The garbage here makes me want to scream. But I don't scream. I just go camping in Wisconsin, and then I am okay.

I love Chicago. It's my kind of town.

Muse #2

Good job on your first post everyone! I named my blog 'harvest musings' because I see my blog as a muse for you. Remember the muses? They were the goddesses of thinking and inspiration. Authors and writers are always looking for their muse, something to inspire them. I want to inspire you to enjoy writing.

Here is your second muse. Take a few minutes and think about this picture. Hopefully you recognize your hometown. Chi-town.

What do you think about Chicago? How do you feel about your home city? What has it been like to grow up here? What do you appreciate the most about Chicago? What do you hate about the Windy City?

Try to write a few paragraphs this week. I really want you to craft your own response to the muse above; don't just answer my questions in order. Those questions are just to help you start thinking. If you want to check back later, I will post my response to this muse. Have fun!

Welcome, Journal #1

Welcome to our "musings" blog. I sincerely hope that this is a place where you begin or continue to enjoy writing. I have a prompt for your first post:

Why did I name this blog "Harvest Musings"? Think back to literature we studied in World Lit, and try to respond without using any outside sources.