Spring, the tease!

Spring is such a tease. I mean practically the whole time it is here it makes us think of one thing….summer! We feel the temperature start to rise and it makes us think of summer. We smell the barbeques and we think of summer. We see the bright colors start to reaper from the drab winter colors of nature and yet again we think of summer. No matter what it is about spring, it makes us eager for summer.

I can’t wait for that feeling of diving into a pool and that blast of coolness you feel as it washes over your boiling skin. I can’t wait to feel the heat waves on my skin; the warmth is so comforting after a long winter. I can’t wait to eat popsicles every day, and hang out with my friends more, and play soccer in the back yard. I CANT WAIT FOR NO SCHOOL! No school means fewer worries, and less on my mind. I am way freer in the summer. In the summer I really enjoy the small things that life gives u, I can recognize them more because I finally have the time to.

I also can not wait for the summer fashions, the crop tops, shorts…..and of course, the swim suits. Oh man do I love swim suits! 

I think since I live where I do it makes me appreciate summer more because we have to go through an awful winter to get to summer. The warmer temperatures are just such a relief once we finally get to them! I think by the time summer gets here we really deserve it!

And oh! How could I forget! The summer food! The lemonade, the watermelon, the smoothies, the frozen snicker bars, the peanuts, and the pistachios. I could go on forever. The best part about eating outside in the summer is that if you make a mess you can just fun through the sprinkler of jump in the pool to rinse of the Popsicle drippings of the watermelon juice!

Of course spring is fun, I mean who doesn’t love the start of good weather? But it knows that it’s just making us beg for summer! (365)

Staycation

 

Recently we had a spring break off from school. My family and I usually don’t go anywhere special for spring break because all of the resorts are so crowded so I decided to have a little vacation of my own. I knew I wasn’t going anywhere special but I was still going to make the best of my vacation time. I think one of the most important things to stop you from being bored is having some good hobby’s that you can always turn to, especially if you share those hobby’s with your friends so you can do them together. Also find a friend that has the perfect party house, you know, like the friend with the parents that let them do anything or are always gone as well as house that always has tons of good food! That way you can hang out whenever anyone is bored and that way you know exactly where the party is at, at all times.

 

Another idea is sports. Sports are an easy way to have a lot of fun weather you want to play some soccer inside an arena or play tag football outside. Another thing that is surprisingly fun is going to a park at night, that way nobody is there but you and your friends. You can run around, jump off of things, and be crazy because you have the park to yourself.

            Something I love to do is go to a craft store and buy some random art supplies or just use what is already in your house and make some crafts. My personal favorite type of craft to do with friends is making room décor or clothes and accessories. You can always get creative and have fun just being goofy with the supplies.

            Something else you can do while you’re on a “staycation” is clean. It doesn’t sound that fun to most people, but it is a good use of your time off because if a room really needs to be reorganized then it actually is a lot of fun, especially if you do it while jamming to music. Also when the room is finished you will have an awesome feeling of accomplishment.

            Another idea is make your favorite food that you haven’t had for a while, just because you’re not in the Bahamas doesn’t mean you can’t still eat delicious food. You could even have a special day when you have all of your friends bring over their favorite food and have a feast. Maybe watch a movie and play some games while you’re at it!

            You can have fun no matter where you are! (438)

Dating sites???

            Dating sites should only be used for finding someone, not for dating them online. I get that there is a mathematical way that the computer matches couples together but I don’t think it can fully find that special connection that people need to find on their own. That is why I say that it’s ok to find someone on a dating website, but you need to get to know them in real life. You may like the person you talk to online, but they could be a completely different person in real life because over a computer you can make yourself seem more perfect but in reality you need to experience the person’s vulnerability to see if you really like them and you cannot see that through a computer. “Vulnerability is the essence of romance” says Kutcher in his article here.

            Sian Meades says that “social media should be for flirting and nothing more.” (Find this article here). I completely agree, dating websites are a type of social media that help you connect with someone and maybe flirt a little, but that is it. You need to get into real world situations like seeing how they are around kids, or going out to dinner to realize if this person has what is right for you. Facebook, twitter, and dating websites cannot fully show you if they have these qualities that you need. Romance needs time. Texting, tweeting, and face booking only give us 140 characters to say something and that is not enough space to write the emotions you have. When you are in a real relationship you need to know how to deal with each other’s emotions as they are happening and texting doesn’t teach how to deal with them on the spot because you can give it a few minutes to decide what to say to the person. Overall social media does not help you learn how to talk to people and strike up a conversation, or what to do when their feeling are hurt.

            Finding a “soul mate” on a dating website can also lead to problems because you never know for sure who they truly are until you meet them in person. There is just something about person to person contact that a computer or phone really cannot beat. I don’t care how advanced technology becomes, real life relationships are so much better. (397)

Heath food stores!!!

               I love health food stores. It is so fun going to health food stores because you know that pretty much everything in the store is so much better for your body because everything is organic, and most everything is lower in calories, fat and carbs. I feel like it would be better to have more heath stores because there doesn’t seem to be too many around, especially where I live.

Some health food stores even have a restaurant part were you can get sandwiches with meat that contain no hormones and were butchered locally and not at factory farms. There are also heather choices in the bakery because they use ingredients that are not only organic but also whole wheat and locally grown as well. Most health food stores also have a section of dried fruit and nuts; all of the nuts are raw so they are better for you because there is no added sugar or spices that they have when they are roasted. All of the dried fruit is made from organic fruit and most of the dried fruit has no added sugar so it is all natural as well. One of the health food stores I really enjoy is called “pioneer food co-op” it has trash cans that are labeled “compost, metal and plastic” so that when you are done eating you will properly dispose of your food and eating utensils. It’s awesome because it forces you to use it because it is there, so you might as well use it. If all restaurants had this the earth would be so much cleaner and have so much less trash in the landfills.

               The heath stores are not only all about making you a heather person, but they also strive for a heather planet. A lot of the packaging is biodegradable and as I mentioned before they are very big on recycling. Another interesting part of health food stores are that on their restaurant section the food that is displayed in the cases lists every ingredient along with bolded ingredients that people may be allergic to so that you will know if you shouldn’t eat it. I think this was done because some people with a lot of allergies can eat only very specific foods and that’s why heath food markets are good because they know exactly what they are putting into their bodies. The food sold at these stores is so great because you aren’t questioning what you are putting in your body because most everything is natural and good for you. It’s awesome knowing that you aren’t harming your body, even when the food still tastes so good! (442)

Animal shelter

Volunteering at an animal shelter is more fun than you would expect it to be. I love going just to pet all the cats. It’s interesting to see how they all have such different personalities like humans do. For instance you have the “hateful cat” that literally gives hisses and snarls at every living thing that walks by. You also have the “bored cat” that stars blankly at a wall no matter how much you try to make it purr by petting it and giving it treats. You also have the cat that loves everything, you pet it just once and it already starts to purr. Then you have the cat that wants attention, it will pass on water, food and toys, it simply just wants you to pet it. Then you have the cat that just always has an itch so you stick your hand out and they rub their head against it and you don’t have to do any of the work.

Taking care of the dogs at the animal shelter is a whole different story though, they all want to have attention. Once you walk into the big room with all of the dog cages they immediately do everything in their power to get attention from you. Something that really makes dogs and cats different is that cats pay more attention to the other cats surrounding them (like if they are in their personal space) than if there are humans around, but dogs don’t even notice the other dogs around when there is a human around. I think that’s what makes people tend to like dogs better as friends because they are more loyal to humans then cats and they can build a better relationship with you because dogs really care about what the humans are up to.

Sure there are some gross things that you have to do if you volunteer at an animal shelter but that is nothing compared to all the love you feel after you have paid attention to the animals. They just want someone to show them that they care, and by showing them that you care they will show you that they care too. (363)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your future

When you are on your last couple years in high school there comes a time when you start to get nervous about your future. You worry about what college you will go to, and before choosing that college you have to find what interests you so that you have an idea of what profession you want to become.

               I have had a hard time deciding what I want to become. When I was you  it was a ballerina, once I got older it turned into chief or masseuse then it turned to physical therapist or dentist and now I am leaning toward a health specialist, or in other words a dietitian. This shows how you may never know for sure what you want to become when you are still a teenager, but what helps me not freak out about not knowing what I am going to do with my life is knowing that just living life will help me make the decision. As I experience new things in college I will realize what I love, and also what I don’t. I think at this point in my life I should just be grateful knowing that I want to take science and preferably heath related courses. As long as you can get a big outline of what you will do for college the rest will slowly fall into place as your last year of high school ends. Of course it is a lot of work to figure out college plans but I guess what I am trying to say is don’t stress out, it may take more than a few weeks to figure out exactly where you are going and doing with your adult life.

               To get the big plan make a list of what interests you and your hobbies. With this list find someone you really trust like your parents or even a best friends and think of professions that suit most of these things on the list. I think the most important thing is to find a job that will make you happy every day that you do it. You don’t want to waste your years away doing something that you hate doing just because you need the money! Also something to keep in mind, are you a people person or not? If you are then you would be better at certain professions when a non-people person may be better at other professions. If you are good with people then a job were you have to communicate with people daily would be better for you and maybe even more intriguing to you because you will love what you do. (440)

Falling Slowly

The song falling slowly by Glen Hansard is a very intriguing song because it has some very soft moments as well as some very intense. The fall and rise of the song is really impacting on the listener because it’s kind of like a flood of emotions.

I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You'll make it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice

You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing it loud

 

As you can see by the lyrics there isn’t really a chorus which makes the song seem more like a story that they are telling because each paragraph is different. The song is sung in the musical called “once”. The melodies between Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova are beautiful. Glen sings some very high notes which makes it very cool to listen to because it is unlike anything I have ever heard. At some points he is actually singing higher than Marketa. This song has a very calming effect to it even though it does become sort of “emotional” at times. I just really like the feel of this song and the story type feel it gives. (295)

Jar of hearts

            The song “jar of hearts” by Christina Perri has been one of my favorite songs for a very long time. I love this song because I think the words can connect with anyone. I also love the lower range of the song because a lot of songs sung by girls these days are in a very high range but this one is a lot deeper. This song can definitely carry a lot of different meanings depending on who is connecting to the lyrics.

 

And I've learned to live half alive
And now you want me one more time

And who do you think you are
Running around leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts,
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
Don't come back for me
Who do you think you are?

 

         Most of the song is composed of these lyrics (the chorus). It is very simple because these are mainly the only lyrics she sings but they have so much depth that it really is all that the song needs. Her song really does get through to you and within the first few seconds of the song you understand the pain she is going through, almost as you are seeing it through her eyes. I could definitely see this song being really good as a duet between a man and women, it would sound beautiful. The acoustic version is also very beautiful, and it has a very different feel to it. I think there could be a lot of different versions that could be done using this song. (267)

Do you realize were your food is coming from?

The last two days in class we watched a film called “Food Inc.”. This film is so persuading that I have not been able to eat any type of meat for three days know. The topic about where food comes from and the harms it can have on you really interests me. I have grown up in a home with nothing but nutritional food. I thought I knew close to everything I could about the food that we eat, but this film showed me that there was still a lot to learn. I had an idea that our meat is not as fresh as they claim it is, and that animals are not treated like they should be, but what surprised me is to what extent the food we eat really is contaminated and how it’s received in cruel ways.

 

I started to think, what disgusted me more, the unsanitary conditions of the animals and packing plants, or how the people and the animals were treated. And honestly I found myself more disgusted at how the people and animals were treated. The chickens never saw light and they were injected with grow hormones, so that even with the short life they did have it made it a miserable one. And the people working in the meat packing plants were treated exactly like slaves. Their conditions were horrible and their jobs were restless because of doing the same thing over and over again for days upon days. And all of this work was done with very little pay.

 

Something that really interested me was that a large reason people have very unhealthy diets is because since unhealthy food is cheaper it is what is bough by those with less money, therefore the poor people don’t have much of a chance to be healthier. It should not be this way, if unhealthy food was more expensive and healthy food was cheaper it would be a whole lot easier to be a healthy person. But because unhealthy meat is made so rapidly, it is what most of the population eats, and in return the companies make a huge profit. 

 

It’s amazing how fooled we are into believing what they say about how our food comes from a nice farm, where really our food comes from machines. It also comes from hormones, and torture.

 

I believe every person and animal should be treated with respect, I get that we need the animals to be eventually killed for food, but I don’t think we need to give them such a cruel life before we kill them. If we just expanded the land that the animals lived on and let them grow up naturally without hormones then the animals would be way heather, which would be less cruel to them and heather for us to eat. We need to start caring about our heath, and these mass corporations are not helping us by feeding us what could be considered fake meat.

 

If we all started getting our meat from farms that we knew treated the animals correctly and didn’t add fake crap to the food then the world would be changed for the better, the mass producers of meat would realize that we want the real stuff, and they would met our demands.  The companies don’t control us, we control them. Like they said in the film, if we show what we want they will do what will make them money, even if that’s treating the animals, our food, better. As well as treating the employees better.  

 

I have learned how important it is to read labels and to know about what I’m eating because I care enough to know what is right and wrong for me. I will continue to eat what I believe in, not what has a chance of harming me. (638)