Bittersweet Farewell

     I am very sad to say that this is the last blog post that I will be writing for my AP Composition Class but I have gotten pretty fond of Blogger. No I am not a frequent poster and no, my posts are not all that interesting but I can assure you that I can be pretty funny. I am going to go ahead and end the semester with a post about cats. As many people may know, I am very much a cat person. To say that is such an understatement though because cats are always on my mind. Some would say that I am cat.... Yes it may seem sad to some people but I cant help it that they are so cute! I cant help but smile every time my cats look at me! I don't know if you have seen the movie Bridesmaids but when Megan is telling Annie that the dolphin looked into her soul, I know what she is talking about because whenever my cats look at me I know thats what they are doing; It really is a crazy thing. And they are the cutest when they are sleeping! I mean look at them....

Tux

Tie

     Ever since I was a little girl I have been in love with cats. I always wanted one. My dad claimed that he was a allergic to them so we were never allowed to get them but one day when I was casually at a barn, just kidding I was horseback riding, my mom and I saw these two little kittens that were obviously in desperate need of a home. They just don't fit in with all of the horses. After a lot of ocnvinving my dad finally caved in and let us get the cats. He was not happy about it but now he loves them almost as much as I do (which is pretty impossible). To be honest the day that I got my cats was the best day of my life. We named them Maddie and Bella at first, but then after finding out they were boys, we named them Tux and Tie and the names stuck. Of course I have come up with a few nicknames like booboo babies, bubbies, my babies, bubbie boos, the the ocasional kitty slips in. Every day I am a way from my kitties gets harder and harder. I honestly don't know how I am going to make it through college without them. 

    I have to admit that every once in a while my day gets swallowed up by surfing the net for cat videos and pictures but it so is worth my time. I cant believe that I am actually sharing this with everyone! So many people tell me that I am going to become a cat lady when I grow up but I disagree. Yes I will have cats, but I will be happily married with children and maybe one, two, or three cats ;) Also, don't get me wrong, I love dogs too, I have nothing against them so I will have a dog or two also. Lets just say its going to be busy at my house.

    I am going to wrap it up saying that even though I may have a small obsession with cats (only because they are the most amazing thing in the world) I am not a crazy cat lady! I may be a cat lady, but don't call me crazy!

Here are my cats just chillin'

Thank God For Tampons

     After spending hours reading The Body Project by Joan Jacobs Brumberg I realized how ridiculously crazy american girls can be about their bodies. Brumberg covers a large span of time ranging from the early 1800's to now. In the beginning half of the book she covers the topic of periods. Jordan if you are reading this post right now I sincerely apologize for making you read that book for the project. If I were a boy I would rather jump off of a bridge then read that book, but fortunately I am not a boy and I happened to enjoy the book very much. It was so relatable to me because I have gone through all of the troubles that the women in the past had too, the only difference is that I have tampons and not reusable pads. Thank god! HA! Enough about tampons.
      The main argument in this book is that women are too obsessed about the way they look and it has been this way since the early 1800's; It has only gotten worse throughout the years. Brumberg uses formal and high diction. She throws in a lot of big words also which work perfectly into the piece. This shows that she is a very intelligent and bright individual and it is okay to use this type of diction because the book is informational and was written for learning, not just for entertainment. She uses a lot of examples of women in royalty to show us that normal civilians are not the only ones who have "girl" problems. This makes us girls feel better about ourselves because we know that we are not alone.  There are so many little factoids in this book and many people would think that is boring, but really all of the facts pulled everything together and it made me enjoy and understand her argument a lot more.
      The documentary that we watched, The September Issue, was not outstanding. To be honest I am not the biggest fan of documentaries but I did think this one was pretty interesting. It is all about the editor of Vogue, Anna Wintour and how she has so much power over the girls of not only the United States, but also all over the world. By using advertisements she tears down girls self esteem by using images of beautiful but fake models and hurtful words. Their argument with the documentary was also to show how much people care about their bodies and also why advertising can have such a big effect on people. Women these days are so obsessed with what they look like that they will do absolutely anything to become something that they have been tricked into thinking is true beauty. That is why the Wintour has so much power. She is also looked up to by so many people as if she is god.
    Both of these pieces were very interesting to me and even though they were very different, they were so similar. They both were dealing with the way society is so screwed up. We believe even the stupidest little things that don't even matter. We see an advertisement with a beautiful model, freak out, then run to the store and get the same sweater that she was wearing and happened to be advertising, just so that we can look "exactly" like her, or at least close to her, we hope. Even though I enjoyed the book, I believe that the documentary was more successful. It was a little bit more to understand and it was so very interesting to me. I loved the examples that were used and seeing the way people looked up to Wintour was intriguing. Who knew someone could have that much power with fashion and beauty.

Passion, It Doesn't Last

Writing my revision essay I have to say was quite difficult. Being told that your essay has potential is really hard to hear sometimes. Yes, it is a good thing because I can go somewhere with it, but I know that I still have a lot of work ahead of me. I know that it is not good and it is hard to understand. The next day after hearing this I took the bull by the horns and turned my essay into the best I could. Recently I have been having a hard time with myself with family and personal issues getting in the way of my life but being in the situations I am in, I have had many good things to write about. Not all of them I have published, not all of them are exciting, but one thing that has caught my attention lately is passion. Not only love passion, but hobby passion. I have been trying to my dismay, nothing seems to be sticking. One weekend we were given a blog assignment to write about an idea, something non tangible to write about on our blogs; I chose passion. It had been a rough week for me and yes I was being a total Debbie Downer but I was trying to convince others that passion doesn't last, whether we want it to or not. I though, wow, this is genius Jane, so why not use this topic to write my revision essay, and I did. I took the blog post, transformed it into an essay and added more thoughts in my thesis. My thoughts are that passion has a way of taking over our feelings and brainwashing us. It may be with sport, love, writing or any other hobby, but it works its way into us without warning and takes us over completely. I wrote my essay as a warning to people to let them know that if you gain your passion and lose it all of a sudden, don't worry cause you will find another passion but also just be careful because if you are passionate towards someone know that the passion may not always stay.  This may sound cliche but it is scientifically proven that once you lose some of the passion between someone and yourself and things start to get bad and you may find yourself in fights all the time, you have to stick around because if mature enough, you will realize that you are falling in love. This is not always the case but most of the time if you guys can both realize this, you may find your soul mate. Anyway this is just a small portion of my paper. I try to explain that if you are too young and the passion dies and you are not mature enough to realize that good will come out of it, you will lose a very good part of your life without realizing it. With hobbies, many people spend their whole lives trying to find their niche, their passion. Hence, they are always losing passion for things they try. A Chef may have been a teacher for most of their life thinking thats what their passion was and then realize at 80 that they were meant to cook for a living. It takes a long time to find your true passion for something for most people but in conclusion, we almost never find passion and keep the same feelings for it our whole lives.

No, You Calm Down!

       One of the things I really hate the most is when people tell me to clam down. Okay sometimes I really do need to calm down but it's the times when I don't when others say it! If there is ever a time when I want to voice my opinion about something and I am very passionate about it, I will get worked up about it. This is totally natural, for anyone. I mean everything is an argument ;) Chances are I am having a casual argument with someone and when I disagree with them, I want them to think in the end that I am right. So lets say I am arguing with my friend and my brother comes in and tells me to clam down... NO! You don't say that. First of all I am not talking to you, second of all there is no reason why I should have to calm down. I have the right to voice my opinion and to maybe get a little heated about it. 

     It really is the worst when they tell you to calm down and there is absolutely no reason why they needed to say those two words. So I am in the basement pouring my heart and soul into my Wii Zumba game that I got for christmas, yes I am all over the place, yes I am sweating buckets, but no my brother does not have the right to come downstairs and tell me to calm down if all I am doing is dancing! I just need to get in some good cardio for the day. If you want to say it, don't say it to my face! I don't care if you say it under your breath or in the next room, just don't let me hear it. 

         Reading this right now you are probably thinking "Wow this girl needs to calm down...." but I am not going to take it. Let me rant once and a while about what I hate and move on with the rest of your life.

My Big Fat Family

       This week has been pretty eventful to say the least. From snow tubing to snuggling up by the fire on a cold winters night, I have to say that I had a unforgettable christmas break. Arriving at my grandparents house in Brainerd is only the beginning. The feeling of being greeted by all of my relatives from all over the U.S. is such a wonderful feeling. Aunt Carol, Uncle John and their foster child Kilan (8 months) arrived from North Dakota around the same time as my cousins from Texas, my cousins Matt and Sarah, both coming with their loved ones from Boston and Washington D.C, came for a couple days before they had to leave and spend christmas with their other families, and my aunt Shelly and her children Abby, Cam and Caitlin from Rochester and Chicago showed up on christmas day just in time to start our meal of prime rib, mashed potatoes and much more. 

        After we said our goodbyes to most of the family on christmas day, my family from texas decided to come stay in our guest cabin for the whole week. Every day is a new adventure with them considering they barely ever see snow. We got to take them out snowmobiling, sledding, snowboarding, skiing, and snow tubing. For some of them it was their first time experiencing the snow in that way and for others it wasn't but it sure is fun making fun of them for being so naive. Other than spending time in the snow, it is family tradition to end all of our nights together watching a family movie. Mom makes the hot chocolate, while dad and all of the cousins make popcorn and scrounging for candy in the cupboards. On our last night together we decided to break tradition a little and spend the night outside next to a cozy fire. It has been something we have been meaning to check off the bucket list for a long time. Even though it was a little chilly, we all got on our snow gear, cuddled up together and all of the parents told stories of when they were young.

        Every time my cousins come visit us up in Minnesota I have the best time of my life. They are so fun to be around and when all of us are together, there is never a dull moment whether they are making fun of me, goofing around with each other, or just sitting in the living room having a casual conversation. 

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Every year before the holidays everyone seems to be scurrying around trying to find the perfect decorations, gifts, and food in order to have a wonderful Christmas with their families. In my eyes, simply having my family with me all together on that one day means the world to me. I mean of course the presents and food is great to have too, but when everyone gets together on Christmas day nothing else seems to matter. With Grandma and Aunt Shelly knitting in the living room, the little ones playing out in the snow, and the others playing Pictionary in the kitchen there is nowhere else in the world I would rather be. Every Christmas my family and I head up to Brainerd for the week until New Years comes around. Every other year my Cousins from Texas take a two-day trip to visit us up here in Minnesota.  The seven of them stay at my family’s guest cabin on Horseshoe Lake for the week that they are here. It is such a special treat for us to have them come up here because we all get along so well and we really have a great time together. On this side I have a total of 12 cousins including Lilyanna, a fairly new addition to our family. There is never a time where we feel bored when we are all together. This year, our Christmas is going to be very different considering my much-loved uncle passed away in the spring. It has been a rough 8 months for us all but he is always in our hearts and prayers and his joyful humorous spirit will stay with us forever.

When the big day finally comes we all head over to grandmas house for a dinner/lunch (linner) of prime rib and potatoes. At Night all of us go to a movie late at night as a Christmas tradition. Throughout the week we usually spend our time at the cabin snowmobiling, sledding, and snowboarding in the yard and because I only get to see my cousins twice every other year, I always stay up late with them every night. Even though it may not be the best idea, it is still worth it. I hope that this Christmas will be filled with joy for everyone and that everyone can get the chance to spend some time with his or her families. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Change

Narration
     The day after I failed my first Biology test, I promised myself that I would change. Change my study habits, change my grades, and change myself. Little did I know, it would be a lot harder than I thought. After a few days of changing my study habits I realized that this wasn't going to work. I was bending over back and staying up late for things that didn't even make a great impact on my grade. I knew that what I was doing was right, but I just couldn't keep it up.  "From now on," I told myself, "I am going to take it in moderation". I decided that changing that soon was not the best thing for me to do at the time. I feel that over the years, I have changed the way I study but still not to the point that I want.

Description
     The scrunchy, slimy green cattepillar scooted along the stick inch by inch wondering when he was going to be ready for mother nature to take his body and transform it into a magnificent winged creature. When the creature became full grown he cozied himself upside down on a branch and waited for the chrysalis to encase his body fully. About ten days did it take for the caterpillar to awake from his slumber. Breaking apart from the chrysalis emerged a magnificent creature, wings spread apart, long legs stretched out. Now its time to take flight.

Comparison/Contrast/Argumentative
    The difference between staying the same and changing is that when you change is simply that your different. The answer is in the question. Nancy Mairs once thought her life was over after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerocis, but one day she realized that if she didnt change she was going to live the rest of her shortened life very terribly.  Once she realized that she was going to die sooner than she thought, she decided to spice up her life and come into terms that she was going to die. She ended up being okay with the way she was and she now is living life to the fullest.
     
Process Analysis
     Asking someone to change is like asking someone to finish a 10 page paper in one night. Its nearly impossible. The process takes some time. First you have to make the person aware of the problem that has come up. Without them knowing the problem, there is no way that they can fix it. Often times venting to someone about your problems and issues helps a great deal. That way you can get advice as to what you need to do to fix it. This tends to come in handy with anyone. It is scientifically proven that the mind and body feels better after talking to someone when you are feeling down. It helps release stress. Next you need to do some self evaluation. This way you can contemplate what changing can do to make you feel better. Check to see what other goals you can achieve in life by changing. The last step in changing is making sure that you can make that change. It is necessary for you to believe in yourself in order to make the change needed. Once you have this process down, you will be one step closer to making your change.

Division of Analysis

     In order to change, one has to know the three different types of change. The three most known types of change are developmental, transitional, and transformational. In order to change, one has to know the different types of change. Developmental is when you recognize the need for change. Instead of starting from scratch, you are just refining yourself you make it better. Transitional is when you realize you need to take on a completely new course of action. Transformational change is something you cant control as much as the others. A new process creates itself as a result of the failure of another. It is usually not planned. 

Cause and Effect

       Many things, good or bad, can happen after you change. If you were once the nicest person in the school and something inside you snaps, this could be very bad. You then find yourself alone in the world wondering why you changed. If you were once the bitch of the class, then come back the next year as the sweetheart, you are going to end up making a lot of new friends and everyone is going to want to be with you. Depending on what you are changing from, you never know what the consequences are going to be. Good and bad things will always come from change. It also depends on the person whom you are talking to.

Definition

    Instead of having many different meanings like any other normal word, change is the exception with really only one meaning. Change simply is to become different. You could be giving a completely different form or appearance to something or you could be changing on the inside instead of out.