Contrast Essay

“Oh you poor woman.” I’ve heard it time and time again. Ever since the birth of daughter number 2, and through the stages of girliness that have occurred with the raising of the little ladies. It seems as if the common opinion on the matter is …”ICK!.....girls suck! They’re SO whiney, and needy, and they scream really loud ALL the time, oh you poor wretch, I wouldn’t wish your fate on anyone! Just wait ‘til they become teenagers!” Well we’ve made it through and it really hasn’t been quite that bad. Through my decades of owning and operating a daycare, I’ve learned that there are just as many whiny, wimpy little boys out there as whiny, wimpy girls. I truly wanted a boy child of my own, but as fate would have it, my mission was to learn that there seem to be just as many differences between two daughters as one would expect between a daughter and a son. My girls are polar opposites in every way. Their physical attributes, their taste in clothing and their approach to life are commonly compared, and referred to as day and night.

The gene pool is so cool; it’s like a bag of scrabble tiles. Throw in all the separate pieces, shake it up and Voila! One unique kid. You’d think there would be some similarities between two unique kids if you’re using all the same tiles right? Wrong. Jade, my eldest, is a petite 5’ 2”, 110lbs soaking wet, brown hair, green eyes….cute, (which she hates to be referred to as, she would prefer beautiful.) Nia, my youngest daughter, is 5’ 8”, 145lbs, blonde hair, blue eyes…beautiful, (her face turns red and she disagrees vehemently every time anyone even suggests she’s even a little bit pretty.) Most people, upon meeting them, wouldn’t even believe that they’re sisters.

Jade spent the first 10 years of her life in dresses. She refused to wear pants…..they squeezed her legs….(it’s funny now). Imelda Marcos would be jealous of her shoe collection and there have always been accessories to match any outfit, as opposed to being able to count on one hand the amount of times Nia has had a dress on…..Her clothing usually consisted of some type of uniform, either softball or maybe a Gi, almost always filthy dirty, and she wouldn’t put on a pair of shoes until she started Kindergarten, and then we had to bribe her.

Jade will always stick her toe in, twirl it around a little bit, test the temperature, then decide if she should go swimming or not. Which bathing suit should she wear? What if the hair gets wet? What if the water is polluted? Has anyone tested the water lately? There may be high levels of mercury you know! It’s all about the research for her. It’s her approach to nearly every task she has encountered. Her sister on the other hand jumps in with both feet. Not a bit of concern over temperature, hair, or what she may or may not be wearing at the time. She got caught skinny-dipping at a Baptist summer camp….she was 12 and couldn’t imagine why everyone was so upset! She approaches every task as an adventure.

It has been an entertaining and intense ride through this parental phase. I find my head boggled by the express nature of it all. We’ve entered phase 2 now. I’m not sure what to call it yet, but I’m finding it similar in many ways to the birth-20 era….so far. It’s early in the game though, and I can vividly remember staring into the sweet face of my first born child, silent and sleeping soundly in my arms, and thinking, Awwwww…..how can something so perfect ever do anything upsetting to anyone? (Add SFX- hysterical laughter)

Samhain

The moon is full, Samhain is right around the corner, AND we get a full lunar eclipse too! It's quite like getting a cherry on top to me! We're moving into Scorpio, so hopefully everyone has their emotional body armor on, or somewhere nearby. It'll be a good time to practice "letting things roll of your shoulders." Things are bound to get a bit intense. It's a great excuse to plan a party or a get-together to celebrate the holiday. There's nothing better to lighten the spirit, than to dress up in your favorite Halloween ghoul-wear, invite the friends over, relax and have fun! Take advantage of any reason to get together with the peeps, it's going to be a long Maine winter once again. Thank goodness us "Mainahs" are raised to deal with these minor inconveniences!

classification essay reaction

Writing, learning new formats in which to write, and rewriting. I really didn't realize that there is such a process to follow. I'm sure I learned it all before, in an english class from times long gone, but I forgot. It's been sorta fun...I guess. I did find that just writing straight ahead was a lot easier. I liked the classification essay much better than the cause essay. The boundries were still there, but I ignored them. Not on purpose mind you, I just didn't think to apply the same rules that we learned from writing the first one.

Authors

My family and extended family is full of them. Mostly journals and newspaper articles, but a real novelist as well. I'm still waiting for a copy of his first BIG published work. It's called "The Lost Village" and it's by Mark Hall. It's so exciting ! He has also published a few short stories, and his second published work will be out soon. It's a collection of short stories. I got to see the art for the book jacket last weekend... Incredible....I can't remember the title, I was too impressed with the art work to notice any title, something about an opera. It's a collection of short stories, in the horror genre I think. The lost village is horror too. I'll do a critique on my blog when I'm finished!

classification essay intro 2

They all bounced excitedly from tree to tree checking the deliciousness of each apple gene pool. Finally, the unmatchable two weeks out of every autumn were here, and the trees were dripping with ripe, luscious, juicy fruit. Time to experience once again, what fresh tastes like. Mac’s, Cortland’s and Granny’s, the top three picks, and each a different favorite for everyone in our apple picking party. I, on the other hand, make a direct beeline for the furthest tree in the orchard. My only ideal apple requirement is taste, and the furthest tree is where I’ve always found it. Everyone else meandered through the rows, checking a few from each tree, discussing important criteria like size, depth of redness and absence of redness. The boys all seem to head for the biggest apples, taste is somewhat important, but size is of the most significance to them. The girls are looking for overall appearance, as they will be displayed in a delightful basket in the kitchen for as long as the fruit flies stay away. The little ones only care about climbing the trees. Getting the apples from the highest branch is their quest. Amazing! Who knew that the flavor of the apple is not the ultimate deliberation when choosing the perfect pomme.

classification essay intro 1

I was on a mission. The same mission I undertake every October at apple picking time. Upon entering the orchard, I make my way unfalteringly to the last row, the last tree, the furthest apple, on the furthest branch. I pluck it without hesitation and bite. I have to say, no matter which orchard we’re picking from, that is where the best apples are. I fill my bag knowing without a doubt that I will bake my pies and turnovers and they will be superb. The apple picking party with me is sauntering slowly through the rows scrutinizing each tree along the way. They pick a few from each, considering some aspects, such as type, color and size. The boys all seem to head for the biggest apples, taste is somewhat important, but size is of the most significance to them. The girls are looking for overall appearance, as they will be displayed in a delightful basket in the kitchen for as long as the fruit flies stay away. The little ones only care about climbing the trees. Getting the apples from the highest branch is their quest. Amazing! Who knew that the flavor of the apple is not the ultimate deliberation when choosing the perfect pomme.

Attitude

It's really not the greatest living situation in the world, but a lot of people choose to live downtown. For whatever reason, it appeals to a large number of people. All ages, backgrounds and social classes. There are some definite drawbacks, like parking, or lack of. Early morning noise from construction workers or utility people working on street lights or various other downtown stuff. It's loud! Well, most learn to deal with it, and if you work nights, downtown living really isn't for you. This morning was one of those when the jack-hammer-holding guy was jacking for all he was worth. A whole team of construction types doing something to the street light in front of the apartment building. I was grateful that they waited to start after 9 am, that's not typical at all. There are many occasions, even on weekends, when they are at it by 7am....Anyway...one of the tenants on the 3rd floor, apparently threw a bucket of water, out his window, on the workers. Now get a visual...here's this unsuspecting electrician type, with each hand grasping large bundles of wiring from the signal light, looking up, dripping wet. A look of sheer terror in his eyes. He didn't dare to move. 220 thousand volts, man was he lucky, just wasn't his day I guess. The police came and went to the suspect apartment to speak with the tenant and you'll never guess....pure denial! He hadn't done it! Didn't know what we were talking about! Meanwhile the officer went to the window and pointed out the soaked windowsill and the stream of water coursing down the side of the building. The officer was calm and asked him to take responsibility for what he had done....Yeah right. More denial. The officer said "O.K. we can play this your way...I'll be back with a summons for assault. Not a good day for the guy in 302.

long weekends

Another long weekend gone...just like that. It's amazing how fast time flies when the homework is all caught up, the workplace closes for the holiday and the kids have their own things to do. We had some adventure time. A nice drive through the state doing the leaf peeping thing. Lots of pictures. There's a place not too far from here that is a bit of a hike, but once you're there, it's like standing on top of the state. You can see for miles and miles. Lakes and valleys and the foliage is at its peak! Whether from Maine or from away, Autumn is the most beautiful time to be here.

writing the Isearch stuff

After completing the first 3 sections of the Isearch, I've realized that they are not complete at all. A work in progress as they say. Always improve-able I'm sure. Being from the "Old school," I wrote everything out long hand, then re-wrote them in a Microsoft word program. I passed them in and learned that they also needed to be posted on this blog site. I spent over an hour typing the background section on my blog, then lost the internet connection, and yes, lost all of it. I went on to something else, steaming and fretting. My daughter came by later and I asked her if there were an easier way to move the writing from Microsoft word to the blog. She sat down and within 30 seconds had published all three sections on my blog. Amazing. I am an idiot.

Classification essays

I read the 4 examples of classification essays from the link on the faculty page. Interesting I guess. I particularly enjoyed the one about bugs. That's all I have to say about that.

SEARCHING

It sounds like the title to a really great piece of poetry but alas....It is not. Merely a blog to post on the topic of searching, or researching, I'm not sure there's much of a difference. Regardless, I've done a fair share of it. I'm a learner, as we refer to people like me in my family, most are teachers of one sort or another. Not me! I am the question asker of the clan. The student. Always have been. I never got past the "age of 4 -Why stage." I have no interest in doing anything with the information I have acquired, I just like to have it. Stored somewhat neatly in my uncluttered-as-possible brain. Lots of it, useless trivia for the most part. Pick a subject, any subject, and I guarantee I know SOMETHING about it! If I can't find a shred of information anywhere in my memory, I become anxious, annoyed and a bit excited about the quest of yes...seeking more information! woo-hoo!!! ( Now I just have to figure out what to do with it)

Columbus Day

EEEEK! Even though I truly appreciate a day off from school and work, the whole concept of a day celebrating the life of a sub-Human like good ol' Chris Columbus makes me Ill. Who came up with the idea of a day just for him? He murdered, raped, assaulted and robbed the original Americans. Lots of them. Burned their homes, stole their land, and systematically disposed of entire communities all over America! Hmmm...Then He abducted the pretty ones and took them to Europe where they died shortly after their arrival because of diseases they had never been exposed to....Let's celebrate! Maybe even a parade!?

lookin' at blogs

I've been wandering my way around the blog sites, both student blogs as well as some from all over the world. The most fun so far are the ones where foreigners are using the blog as a tool to learn English. It's very funny. Things like, "I am beach going day this. Go you beach please? " Too cute! I am also enjoying the responses to the national news events like the debates and hurricanes. It's nice to be able to read only what I'm interested in, then discard as easily as that, and no-ones feelings get hurt! It has taken me awhile to see even the slightest amount of value in the blog. I've found some. Yay.