Blog 10

This is from my observation of the fossil in class. I found out, through the wonders of the internet, that this fossil is called Exogyra erraticostata and is found in Texas' Austin Chalk.

Outside
5” long about 3 pounds
Shell-like.
Ridges
Curve in shape, spiral
Towards the spiral it is smoother, like a seashell, with subtle ridges
Where it gets larger in shape the ridges are paper thin but the layers are more noticeable.
It is choppy in the back, like it was broken
In between the layers there are air pockets where tiny pieces of sand are imbedded.
Dark grey, light grey, white specks
Back side, where you can see the inside layers perfectly, light brownish color.
Looks like a rock layers
Large holes like something was attached to it

Inside
Deep
Smooth
Light, crème color
Flaky, dried up pie crust.
Rust
Outside
5” long about 3 pounds
Shell-like.
Ridges
Curve in shape, spiral
Towards the spiral it is smoother, like a seashell, with subtle ridges
Where it gets larger in shape the ridges are paper thin but the layers are more noticeable.
It is choppy in the back, like it was broken
In between the layers there are air pockets where tiny pieces of sand are imbedded.
Dark grey, light grey, white specks
Back side, where you can see the inside layers perfectly, light brownish color.
Looks like a rock layers
Large holes like something was attached to it
Inside
Deep
Smooth
Light, crème color
Flaky, like dried up pie crust.
Rust stains

Blog 9

I am sitting on a white cement bench that feels cold and hard. The wind is blowing furiously, howling through the branches of the trees. The leaves sway and send a chill through me. Winter is on its way. The smell of wood burning fills the air. It is dusk and the sky is slowly becoming black each minute that passes. Nothing that can be heard besides the wind and the thoughts in my mind. With each passing breeze, a new idea floats into my thoughts, the coldness, and my life.

The coy fish that are in the pond in the backyard had babies and we are going to keep them safe until they are big enough to go back into the pond. We crouched down around the pond, which has eight beautiful fish swimming in it. There are two that are smaller then the rest and are dark grey. Four of them are bright orange, one is a mixture of white, orange, and black, and the biggest one is completely white. We sit there silent looking for the baby fish, there are hidden between the rocks that surround the pond. These rocks are large and not sturdy they move as we crawl on them to get a better look into the water. The water filter is on which is making small ripples of waves. It makes it harder to see into the water and find the small fish that are the size of a peanut. We know they are there but are concealed to the naked eye.

I am looking at a picture I took when I went to the Everglades in Florida. It is the most magical picture. It was taken during dusk. The sky has so many layers of colors in it that you cannot distinguish when one begins and the other ends. The land and water are a dark black, they fade together. Above the sea and earth a symphony is created. From light blue, to purple, then a faint rose color then back to blue. A perfectly round, bright white moon hangs in the upper right-hand corner of the scene. In the distance, there is a figure of a man. His features indistinguishable, he is solid, only an outline of his frame is captured against the rainbow of colors in the sky.

Blog 8 Nature Writing

This is what I wrote about when we went outside during class...

The slow moving water basically still, murky. Leaves from the sweetgum tree floating in the water like stars. The weeds are peaking through the edges of where the water and soil meet. There are all sorts of weeds, one with purple little flowers buds on it, some are just random long leaves sprouting from the dirt. They emerge from the sides of the banks, angling towards the center of the water. Tall grasses are futher down the stream, cover the sides as the lift in the ground gets lower and lower. The water and land are becoming level. The roots from the trees are exposed, large veins leading towards the stream, there are also some small ones that look like worms. brown the same color as the dirt, almost hidden, their outside layer is not as rough and harsh as on the tree stump. The tree keeps dropping something from high above. Little light brown pieces, almost creme colored, fall to the ground. With the stillness in the air, as they drop you can hear them hit the ground. There are large qualities surrounding the stump. Where are they? High in the leaves nothing can be seen, not an animal or insect. These pieces are dicarded as useless, thrown away and unessesary.


There could be some themes in here. I have been trying to think of some interested concepts.
The seeds of the "gumballs" are eaten and then discarded. (used and thrown away)
The river is the source for all. (One thing or person that holds your family together)
The roots of a tree can be interesting to work with. They are hidden underground, you can't see them (usually) but there are there and are needed as a source to the life of the tree. It keeps it grounded. "Roots grow where water, minerals and oxygen are found in the soil. Because the greatest supplies of these materials usually are located in the surface layer of soil, the largest concentration of feeder roots exists in this zone." http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/garden/02926.html
The were exposed by where the stream was, it was seeking water. I don't know if any of this might translate into nature writing with a reflection, I'm just writing ideas as they come to me, whether they make sense of not.

Blog 7 - Truth

In my personal essay I can honestly say that everything that is writen is 100% accurate to my memory of what happened. The diaologe is basically how it went, I obviously don't remember the exact words.

In my memior, everything is pretty precise. It happened many years ago so maybe everything is not accurate. I know I am uncertain about his height in the story, he wasn't 3 inches shorter than I was, he was short but I think that he was my same height. I guess now that I realize it was an exaggeration on my part, I will have to correct it because I know it is false information. He was a nice guy overall but I guess I wasn't interested in him and therefore painted him in a bad light so that others could sympathize. When he spit the drink at me that did happen that was but I am sure I embelished to make it seem more dramatic. The other part of the story was pretty accurate to what I remember there is nothing in there that is incorrect. As, I read it over that is how I remember it happening. This excercise really makes you think about the truth in your story and makes you want to correct it.

Blog 6.5

Schwartz's essay gives readers a clear idea of the "rules" of how to write a truthful memior. If we take her ideas and apply them to Frey's book, his book is not a nonfiction memior. Most of the events that Frey writes about happened but are extreamly exaggerated. Schwartz besically states that it is how you remember the events that happened in your life, but if while you are writing something and conciously know that it is false or exaggerated then this is not a memior, it is a work of fiction. There is a fine line between fiction and non-fiction and Frey crossed it. When they question him about changing the names in his book and not writing a disclaimer he explains that it was to protect the privacy of the individuals. I believe that it is ok to change a name and not state that because you are not defined by your name. You are defined by your character and if that is writen truthfully that is all that matters. I read Frey's book, it was very intense. I am not as dissapointed as TSG and Oprah were when they found out alot of the story was untrue. It still entertained me although I do believe that he should not have categorized it as a non-fiction memior.

Blog #6

Life in the Sunshine State In Florida I felt that I could be anyone I wanted, it was a new beginning full of excitment. I went out and bought a guitar; I would be the next Jewel. My cousin came over and asked me to play a song for him, I was embarrassed at first but reluctantly agreed. We sat on the cream colored couches. My cousin and his girlfriend sat across from me on the other couch. I began playing and singing my original song. I got really into it, my hands moving across the strings and my voice echoing in the air. Sunddenly, My cousin screamed, "Look at that. Ahhhhh." I stopped what I was doing, startled by his screams. He pointed to the door, our heads turned to look out the windows of the french doors. There was a huge rat outside the doors. It stood there looking in with it's beady eyes, staring right at me. (This is same rat my mother beat to death with a broom weeks later.) Then it scattered away. I thought, "It ruined my song, whaa" I never got to finish it. My song lured the rat to the door and I was definatly no Jewel. I was excited as I sat at on the armrest of my green couch waiting for him to arrive. This would be my first date since I moved to Florida. He was a pharmaceutical rep who came into the pediatricians’ office I worked at. He had brown hair, which was parted on the side; he always wore a suit and looked put together. I could not help but think that he was cute. What else could I ask for a man with a good job, a nice appearance and a great smile, I felt like I had won the jackpot! I was sitting at the large desk, which was positioned right in front of the door. It hovered high above the patients. This was the spot where he asked me out after months of harmless flirting. As he pulled up and I walked out to meet him as a approached he shrank. We were eye to eye, well not quite, I was about 3 inches taller than he was. He immediately apologized for running late, he had been playing tennis and the match ran late. He was wearing tennis short and white tee shirt meanwhile I was dressed for a nice dinner. The beads of sweat were forming on his face. I leaned in the kiss him on the cheek and as I pulled away, I could feel the damp residue on the corner of my mouth extending to part of my cheek. He drove us to the restaurant that was located in Lincoln Road. We sat down at our table, I sat directly across from him, and began talking about random things. He took a big gulp of his drink and began coughing so uncontrollably that he spit his drink all over me. I was in shock as I felt the sticky soda hit my entire face. He immediatly handed me a napkin and I pated my face with it but it was so flimsy that it began to fall apart and pieces of paper began to stick to my face. I got up and went to the bathroom to really freshen up. I was a complete mess; globs of white paper on my face and mascara running down my face. I had to wash my entire face and go back out to my date. Needless to say, this was was the worst date ever and we never went out again.

Blog #5

Analysis of Personal Essay

My essay is about letting go of guilt and realizing that ultimately things are out of your control. You can't live harboring the feeling that you could have changed the course of life, all the "what if's" can not change the past.

I am happy with the segments. I really like this style. I like the story itself and concept that I am trying to get across.

I dont know if my essay's focus is clear and concise, if the reader actually gets my personal message. My word choices can be better, with more imagry. Also I think it might be a bit confusing for the reader to understand the segments, I might have to throw something subtle for the reader to understand. My sister read it and said it was a bit unclear. Also I think the ending needs some work.

Blog #3

My first memories as a child
going to school in Florida, crying
breaking my arm in kindergarten
getting in to the car accident with my mother and Aida in the car, on the way to the cleaners, in Florida


Things that scared me
Third grade in class
Talking about dying
My dolls coming to life
Getting caught doing something my parents would be made at me about.
going to school, the girl that picked on me


Important people and why
my sister, she is always there for me and acts like a mother in a sense and I appreciate that. She will be there for me always, she protects me and makes me a better person and although I make fun of her and pick at her I really admire her. my grandmother, she is the loving side of my family. she was always getting us the hugs that we needed. She loved me and Pepito the best and it showed. Now he is the favorite I feel. going to her apt in nyc was like going into another word. I felt safe around her too.

Angry
I am angry at dave. he sucks. To this day he makes me feel like crap. he still thinks that it is all my fault that we broke up, “you were always mean to me”….what!??!?! I was mean to you. would you like me to start telling everyone about all the mean things that you did!!!! Come on now. Your mind is so warped, I think you need help. you made me feel like crap everyday of my life. and now I am angry that I stayed with you that long. I am the idiot. you made me lose my friends, you made me lose my self worth. You broke my porcelain dolls, on purpose and still when I think about it I want to cry and beat the crap out of you at the same time. but you will never get it. you will never understand because your mind wont allow you, you are always the victim, in your own mind, but your not I was!!!

Place
my old house it made me safe. I grew up there. I felt happy there, most of the time. I always drive past it. I wonder who lives there now and who they are and what they are doing. how their house is set up. it was a comfort and I no longer have it. since I have left it I have felt lost. more anxiety. sometimes I wish I were back there and that nothing had changed. last night I went to my sisters because it is full of life and family and I miss that. it gives me a sense of happiness to be around them. I don’t want my own but I like to be there. it comforts me too. it makes me feel like a kid, she takes care of me. feeds me looks after me, makes sure I am happy and comfortable. like a mother, everything is so clean and all the sheets smell good. there is food in the fridge, it’s like a home, not just a place to sleep. it has life with children running around. and parents reprimanding.

Family story
They tell everyone how scared I always was a child. They make fun of me. Dave tells me all the time about when I was young and I couldn’t eat in front of him cause I said I couldn’t swallow with him staring at me. They all embarrass me and with things that I do not want anyone to know.