Week Three: Extra Reading Diary Jewish Fairy Tales

The Giant of the Flood

This unit caught my attention because there are so many lessons within the first section. Most of us know the story of Noah and the Arc. The giant stuck out to me the most because in life we all have wanted something. We have all needed someone's help at some point in time and made promises. We have to remember that a promise is a promise. We should treat each other how we would want to be treated. Karma comes around, if we do not uphold our promises.

The Beggar King

I love this section. We, as people,  forget that everything we have is a blessing and tend to become unappreciative. Unfortunately, the king had to learn that lesson the hard way. It is always best to remember that we can lose our status just as quickly as we received it.

The Quarrel of the Cat and Dog

This section made me laugh. I have always wondered why cats and dogs do not get along. I finally have found a great explanation.

The Water-Babe

This section reminds me that there are people that are jealous of what you may have. Unfortunately, people lose sight of what truly makes them happy because they want to please others. We have to remember that the opinions of others do not matter.

From Shepherd-Boy to King

I liked this section too. It is amazing how everything will work itself out. 

The Magic Place

There is always somewhere to go in a time of need. 

Noah's Ark

Week Two: Famous Last Words

Once upon a time, there was a pretty young girl named Chandler. She was very outgoing and excited to try new things. It was her last semester of college and she was well on her way to graduating on time. Yay! She was enrolled in 18 hours and very active in her sorority. She also worked two jobs to save for a brand new car. 

It had been two weeks of school and she noticed she was somewhat behind in her school work. So, she had to be honest with herself to find the root of her procrastination. Senioritis. Smh. The worst thing that could ever happen to her. Somehow she had to get back on track and stay focused on what was truly important to her, graduation. 

She decided to commit to study hours during the week and get work done ahead of time. She knew the route she was currently taking was not the route of success. As far as her extra curricular activities, she knew she had to schedule those accordingly.

She was the chairman of a regional conference event, chairman of a chapter event, and community service chairman for her chapter. She also had to find time to lose the freshman fifteen that she gained from the Caf. She designated each of these activities time during the week that did not interfere with her course work.

Luckily for Chandler, she figured everything out and got a handle on herself. She went through the semester completing tasks ahead of time and making excellent grade. Give her a round of applause. *claps*

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, be honest with yourself as soon as possible. It is never too late to get back on course and focused on your goals. Always know that there is someone that has been where you are or has it worse than you do. You can do it!

Source: The Harmonic Oscillator

Week Two: Storytelling

Gimme Some Color

Once upon a time, there was a a cactus, born and raised being bullied by everyone around him. His own parents did not want much to do with him because they said that he just did not fit in with the family. He spent his days alone doing the rain dance, which he created himself. The cactus, Christen, considered his rain dance a way of showing respect and a way of praying to the rain gods. No one ever understood why the cactus always wanted it to rain so much. According to everyone else in town, the rain ruined all fun activities. When it rained, students did not get a recess, employees missed a day of work, and no one could enjoy nice weather. The cactus did not have any friends because of his strange belief.

"Dear Rain Gods, I really wish that it would rain, that it would pour. Rain, Rain, don't go away. Come back and don't stay away. Please."

After a long, deep sleep, the cactus awakened to cats and dogs falling from the sky, literally. He ran outside to happily jump from one puddle to the next. Christen knew what was coming next and could not wait to fall in love all over again. He wanted to see the rainbow, taste the rainbow. Ooooh rainbows! The rainbow brought such vibrant colors to his dull and lonely life. He lived in such depression with all of his white cactus flowers. He knew that he was destined to shine bright like a diamond. Diamonds have a way of sparkling in any light! He knew that there was a reason why he did not fit in. He just wished that everyone else recognized why he did not fit in. Christen needed a creative idea that would help him prove it.

Finally, the sun came out! The rain gods answered his prayers. The rainbow started to form in the sky. It stretched and arched across the town. He knew that the rainbow was selfish and did not want to share all of its color. Christen created a plan to trick the rainbow into sharing its color. After all, he did not want that much. He grabbed some grass to camouflage himself and hid in the bushes. His goal was to blend in with the bushes so that the rainbow would fall onto him without knowing.

The rainbow continued to grow and grow while searching for a place on the ground to land and place its golden treasure. Yay! The rainbow was getting closer and closer to the ground. The cactus moved a few steps to the left, then a few steps to the right. The cactus scooted towards the north and slid towards the south. He was successful in getting really close to the rainbow. Before the rainbow realized it, it was sharing its color with the cactus. The rainbow tried to move but the cactus was holding on for dear life. He was never letting go because this was his only chance.

Later that day, the cactus went back in town glowing with color. Everyone looked and noticed that the weird boy was now the coolest boy in town. They ran to him asking for autographs and how he became so cute. The cactus just laughed. He said, "Please don't kill my vibe." Christen's colorful legacy lived on for eternity.

Source: Michael Fletcher

Author's Note:

When the Rainbow was Torn, from the Tejas Legends, was a simple reinvented life lesson. I chose this writing style because it reminded me of the original story. Sadly, there is always someone that lives a life with no friends, no love, and no support. Many times there is someone in the world that goes unnoticed or unloved until someone else needs something from them. By that time, it is usually too late to become friends with that unwanted person. Never judge a book by its cover. This story was great. I believe that it just needed a boost. I added a main character, Christen, and a plot. Personally, I feel that the color white can sometimes be very boring and lonely. So, I chose to give the cactus a boring and a lonely life. The first thing that came to mind was a child that has suffered from bullying and being made the outcast of his family. From that thought forward, the rest of the story seemed to fall into place. I have found that the easiest storytelling is that which reminds me of a movie. That is a true story. It gives me the visuals to provide more detail and the entertainment to actually like what it is that I am writing.

Florence Stratton and illustrated by Berniece Burrough (1936). 

Reading Diary A: Bible Women

The Women of the Bible

EVE

This story is about the temptings of evil and lack os strength. We should always follow the word, when we are tempted. If we stay on track, everything should go as it should.

SARAH

Sarah felt like bearing a child at her age was impossible. She didn't think that she would be able to give her husband, Abraham, a child so old. God said that he will bring the couple a blessing and so he did. We must always keep faith for he is capable of all things.

HAGAR

Hagar, the maid, was given to Abraham by his wife, Sarah, because she didn't believe that she could bear children. Unfortunately, when Hagar conceived Ishmael Sarah became angered. She forced them out of the house and God still blessed the mother and son. He grew to be an archer.

REBEKAH

She was found by the servant of Isaac. She wed and  comforted Isaac as he grieved for his mother. She birthed two sons.

RACHEL

Rachel was the younger sibling of Leah. Jacob traveled miles to find his wife. He promised to work seven years for her hand in marriage. After seven years, the dad gave Leah to Jacob to marry. It was a rule that the first born has to be married first. Jacob worked another seven years, so that, he could marry his true love Rachel.

LEAH

The fact that Rachel had Jacob's heart bothered Leah. She decided to have children to make her husband love her. That did not work. Rachel gave her maid to Jacob, so that, she could have children for her. Leah quickly did the same with her maid and then Leah gave birth again. In the end, Rachel passed while giving birth.

POTIPHAR'SWIFE

Potiphar's wife kept trying to get Joseph to sleep with her. She begged and begged. He refused to commit such a sin. She finally got him alone but he broke lose, leaving behind his garments. She kept the garments and blamed Joseph for trying to sleep with her. Unfortunately, Potiphar believed his wife and Joseph was jailed.

JEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER

She forced her father to keep his promise to the Lord. So, he sent her into the wilderness for two months. When she returned, everything was fine.

DELILAH

Samson professed his love for her. She kept testing him to see how much he rally cared for her. After he failed a few times, he went to prison.

HANNAH

She was a great woman. One of the most talked about in the book of Samuel. 

Source: medialifemagazine.com

Week One: Famous Last Words

Wow! I cannot believe that one week of school has passed us by. There will come a time when I feel like May just cannot get here soon enough. There will come a time when I feel like this semester was over in a glimpse. This first week of school, I have had a hard time getting into the classes that I really needed to be in. Many Communication classes are capped at 30 students, which can become stressful your last semester. Luckily, I was able to get the classes that I needed.

I have had a lot of fun with this course. A friend has been encouraging to start my own blog, which I have because of the knowledge that I have gained just this week. I didn't think that much work went into blogging until this course. It truly takes time to make a blog your own style and to express yourself. I think my best writing this week was storytelling. It was fun trying to rewrite the story how I interpreted the words. Also, reading everyone else's creations and introductions was nice. Many people say that you can't really get to know your classmates with online classes but I disagree. I know more about peers in this course compared to my other classes on campus.

I am trying my best to stay ahead in this class. I do not want to miss out on points because I was too busy to remember. I really want my last semester to be epic! I want to achieve a 4.0 this semester and really enjoy all that the University has to offer. I have never been to baseball game, wrestling match, and other campus events. I want to enjoy all of those things before I leave. Also, I wish everyone else a great semester too!

My first semester! Source: Chandler

Exploring the UnTextbook

I am a little nervous about this assignment because I am probably going to change my mind a billion times. So far, I have chosen...

West African Folktales
During an intercession course, I took an African Dance course and really enjoyed it. I quickly learned that those of the African culture have a story/lesson behind their music, clothing, and etc.

Bible Women
Being a female, I can learn a lot from the women of the Bible. I think this would be great exploration for me.

Myths of the Cherokee
This would be really interesting because they are all animal stories. Hopefully, choosing this will help me better understand the Cherokee culture.

Italian Popular Tales
Once again, I love romance. The Italian stories will provide all the romance stories I crave. The artwork for this book makes me think of a writer that spent the winter type writing about his summer fling.

Italian Popular Tales

Thomas Frederick Crane (1885)

Storybook Favorites

I have chosen the storybook Cupid on Trial. I love love! The idea of romance or two people falling in love is just wonderful. Also, I love suspense. The fact that Cupid is on trial is a great plot twist. Can you tell that I like to  watch televisions shows such as: Scandal, Castle, How to Get Away with Murder, and CSI: Miami? Similar to the introduction, many people blame Cupid for not having a successful relationship or someone that is not even interested in them.  Hopefully, writing about this will give me ideas on making the upcoming Valentine's Day exciting!

The next storybook that I looked at was Cinderella...or whatever her name was. First, I pretty sure that everyone from there to here and back know the story of Cinderella. Cinderella is equivalent to cereal. Everyone has heard of cereal. Lol. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating. My point is that the title of this storybook made me laugh! SN: I would have greatly appreciated an all expenses paid trip to see the Cinderella Broadway show with KeKe Palmer and NeNe Leakes. I agree with Melissa Schwartz, the author of this particular storybook, that "there are so many versions".

The last storybook that I have chosen is Fairy Tales: The Other Side because of its title too. I want to hear the antagonist side of the story! I am very understanding of both sides, right or wrong. The Three Little Pigs story was really entertaining. I also appreciated the cliff hanger at the end of this storybook! As far as illustration or pictures, the picture of Snow White being arrested was funny. When I think of fairy tales, I do not think of the characters being arrested in real life.

Snow White's Arrest

Source: Web Culture Pictorial 

I love to read! When I go to Barnes & Noble, I usually pick book by their titles. All of these storybooks grasped my attention by their titles. Looking into these deeper was a bonus!

Week One Introduction: It's Me, Chandler!

Hey Everyone,

I am so elated about this semester because I am graduating in May! There were so many nights and days that I thought I would never make it to graduation. I will graduate with a degree in Communication and minors in African-American Studies and NonProfit Organizational Studies.

As a freshman, I started with 25 concurrent enrollment hours and majoring in International Business and Marketing with a minor in Spanish. I was so convinced that that was the path that I should take in college, especially after making a 3.5 my first semester. I did not do so good the following semester because I was not motivated or passionate about my coursework. I hated going to class because it was just so boring. Long story short...I found what I something I was passionate about, which has lead me to present day.

I have had the opportunity to serve in many student organizations such as: Camp Crimson, Black Student Association, Sooners Helping Sooners, OU ConnectU, Sooner Promise, and many others. I have also had the chance to work in various offices on campus, my favorite was being a Tour Guide for the University! It was so exciting to see incoming students and be one of the first to share the loving OU family traditions and stories.

Today, I am focused on walking across the stage and finding my next step in life. I am so open to many possibilities as far as my career. I like to learn new things and don't want to limit myself. Also, I am narrowing down my graduate school options. I would like to move out of state some time soon but am waiting until I am financially stable.

Ummm...I like to read. I love going to Barnes & noble. I LOVE TO SHOP! If it's not on sale, I don't buy it. I am the saving queen. Family is really important to me. Also, I like to plan events. Its fun and allows me to be creative.

This is me.

Taken by Chandler

Week One Storytelling: Lets Fall in Love

THERE was a little boy and a little girl
Lived in an alley;
Says the little boy to the little girl,
[202]"Shall I, oh! shall I?"

Says the little girl to the little boy,
"What shall we do?"
Says the little boy to the little girl,
"I will kiss you."

Once upon a time, there lived a boy named Charlie. Charlie would rise early every morning to see the lovely Olivia walk into town. She was a petite and sweet girl with a smile that brightened the world. One day Olivia asked, "why do you follow me into town Mister? You can simply keep me company on my morning walks." Charlie looked forward to those morning walks and carried all her things. After about six months, Charlie finally found the courage to say what he had been wanting to say.

Charlie: Olivia, I have something to ask of you.

Olivia: I may have an answer for you.

Charlie: What if I asked you to be with me for eternity? What if I said I wanted to care for you and begin a legacy with you?

Olivia: I will follow stand by your side and love you for eternity. I will nurture our family and support your leadership.

They kissed. They wed. They loved. They started a family. Charlie and Olivia lived happily ever after!

Marriage

Author's Note: I chose this proverb from The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang (1987). This "Love and Matrimony" piece stood out to me because it was simple but had so much depth to it. I chose to write about a boy and girl that fall in love. The girl, Olivia, had a feeling that Charlie was in love with her and she felt the same. Unlike today's unwritten dating rules, Olivia allowed Charlie to be the leader in the relationship. I appreciated that he took his time to get to know Olivia by partaking in the morning walks. A woman is to be submissive to her husband just as he is to be respectful of his wife. I admire relationships that are built on friendship, patience, and true love. 

My Favorite Place in the Whole Wide World

So, my most favorite place is Fort Worth, Texas aka The Funk!

I am originally from Fort Worth but I have grown up in Oklahoma City. My T-Jones (mother) is the only family that I have in Oklahoma. I never got to go to my MeMe's (grandmother) house after school or spend the night with my cousins. I come from a very close family and missing out on functions was hard for me. My mother sent me home for every holiday, school break, and summer. I spent that time all over Texas with family such as: Arlington, Dallas, Beaumont, and Waco.

DFW Area, Source: Fort Worth

And It Begins...

For my Mythology & Folklore course, I have to create a blog. I am really interested to see how this goes. My friend has been encouraging to create a personal blog since the beginning of time. Hopefully, this blog will inspire me to finally do just that.