The End.

Holy cow I can’t believe I’m going to be done with this blog when I’m done with this post! It’s crazy, this year has gone by so fast and I have no idea where all the time went, it just flew. I’m going to miss everyone so much, we’re all separating, going to different schools, and growing up. I don’t think I’m entirely ready for high school yet, but I guess I have no choice but to move on. Okay enough of my sad sob story on too more important things that won’t make you bored…joking you’ll probably get really bored here in a moment, I’m that good of an entertaining writer when it comes to blog posts. Anyway,

Dear Future Honors English Students,

You are in for a ride, seriously I don’t understand why people think it’s too hard or that they don’t have time for it, maybe even that it won’t benefit them in the end…boy, they are wrong. It isn’t very hard because along the way you will get help if you need it, Mr. Thompson is willing to help you. You also learn things along the way that will make you a better writer and speaker… oh, and reader because you’ll do a lot of that stuff. In the end it really does look good on your transcript knowing that you completed a challenging or “challenging” course (it is harder, but not to the extreme). People from colleges will be impressed with you.

Okay, so I said you do a lot of reading. Yes, some of it can become a little tedious and you’ll want to stop, but don’t! Keep reading, don’t even stop! Just keep going, because in the end you’ll have appreciated it. Compared to a normal English class you might read about 5 or 6 more books than them, and don’t procrastinate… ever! That’s what makes it harder for, so I would recommend not don’t that.

Every term the list of Honors English students decreases more and more. It stinks seeing all there hard work go to waste, because seriously I don’t know how many times I’ll say it, it’s worth all the hard work even though you may have your doubts, it will all be okay and you’ll get through it. Like I said before, Thompson or whatever you want to call him…eyeball guy, baldy (no offense Mr. T!), etc. he’ll always be there. He might be a little sarcastic, but don’t take anything literally with him…unless you know he’s being seriously. Sometimes I had issues knowing whether he was kidding or not, but then once you get to know him better you realize he’s been joking around the whole year.

Oh! Some advice, read your peer’s blogs! It will give you many ideas if you run out! I did all the time, so it’s not cheating…unless you copy their writing (or anyone else for that matter). Always (if you can) be on time with your posts and on the discussion board because you don’t want to fall behind too far or else it’s really hard to catch up.

Sincerely,

One of The Old Honors English Students

motivation

So, with all the drama going on, this and that to do, and people just being plain annoying I've come to a point where I need help. And where do I turn to? Why Pinterest of course... there's only one thing I look at on pinterest (that's not totally true, but it's what I do most of the time), I look at quotes. I love being motivated or just laugh when I can, it lightens my mood and let's me know that it'll all be alright (for the time being, then something else explodes in my life ha ha). So here are a few of my FAVORITE quotes.

1. "Everybody deserves somebody who makes them look forward to tomorrow." -unknown
2. "You're off to great places. Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way." -Dr. Seuss
3. Three simple Rules In Life
     1. If you do not go after what you want, you'll never have it.
     2. If you do not ask, the answer will always be no.
     3. If you do not step forward, you will always be in the same place.
4. "Do not judge me because I sin different than you." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf
5. "Why fit in when you were born to stand out." -Dr. Seuss
6. "Every Cinderella has her midnight." -Thomas S. Monson
7. "If you want something in your life you've never had, you'll have to do something you've never done." -unknown
8. "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible!'" -Audrey Hepburn
9. Fact 760: People with big smiles live longer, the bigger you smile, the longer you'll live.
10. "When everything seems like it's falling apart that's when God is putting things together the way He wants it."
I wish I knew who said this! Probably some really holy dude! ha ha Anyway whoever they are, they are my hero! (well pretty close). But seriously! Like this quote I've seen it before, but of course I didn't really thing anything of it because everything was going great it my life I had good grades (don't take me wrong I still do), I wasn't fighting with anyone, and more, but still! Everything was going just fabulously. Then, when everything did go down the toilet I got onto pinterest and low and behold! I found it! (yeah, it is pretty great). 
11. "stressed is desserts spelled backwards." -unknown
Now I wouldn't actually follow the advice of this quote. Dessert is never a good thing because most of the time you end up having way too much, and you don't want to be fat. So I guess if you're stressed treat yourself to some nice pieces (maybe a cup or two) of fruit. A fruit bowl or a few veggies is always the way to go, then you don't have all the extra unneeded calories.

So I hope you liked some of the quotes, and my healthy tip for the day or week or maybe the whole entire time I've had this blog, maybe I should post more about healthy eating. Ha! I can't believe school is almost out! Hurray for me!

I can do it.

Sundays are the days where I do all my homework that's been saved up till the last minute. Where I pretend I'm sick so I don't have to go to church, or where I sit around and be lazy and think about the week that just passed by like all the others before it. This week though has made me learn so much, I've laughed, I've cried, I've yelled, and I've died a little inside, but I've also found a part of me that I've never met before. This whole post might sound like the cheesiest thing you've ever read so I'm going to warn you before you get to far ahead of yourself. There will be religion in this post, there will be sadness in this post, and hopefully good things will come out of this. So if you aren't willing to read this, then don't, but if you are, go on ahead.

So, let’s start at the beginning of the week, shall we? Monday was pretty much like any other Monday, going to school, talking with friends, telling everyone how (let’s call him Bill) much I’m upset with Bill and that on the Friday before he was flirting. He said a few words and I said a few back to defend myself. Long story short, he found out that I liked (we’ll call this guy Tom) Tom, told a few of my secrets, and we’re not friends any more.

Tom was there to help me along the way, and when Bill said those hurtful things to me and let my secrets out to the world, Tom was there to tell him to back off. He told me that all of the things Bill said weren’t true and that I shouldn’t ever take crap like that from anyone ever again (Okay, I was trying to stop like you kid why the heck did you have to do that? Just make me like you even more haha).

My Aunt was diagnosed with cancer on Wednesday. We knew it would happen to someone else in the family, we just didn’t know who it would be. This didn’t tear me apart though, I felt bad because it makes her life harder and her husbands, but I know that she’s going to get through this. She’s strong and always has been, yes I cried for her, this was just another thing that happened in my life and I couldn’t let it tear me apart, just like the Bill thing. I knew everything would be okay.

My Grandpa passed away this week, don’t feel bad for me though, that’s not what I want to accomplish from this. Now, every time I hear bad news it doesn’t finally set in till I’ve gathered up all these emotions. I just explode in front of whoever is there to gather me up in their arms. I felt that maybe God was punishing me for some reason, but I couldn’t figure out why, what did I do? Was this about Bill? It wasn’t my fault (at least not all of it), why was I the one being blamed. I cried a lot, and after I found out I got a call from Tom. He was in the best mood. He has just won his soccer game, putting his comp team in first place (for the moment ha ha). I didn’t tell him at first what had happened because I didn’t want to ruin his big moment, his happy moment. I told him a little while after and he told me so much, he told me how I can be stronger, how I can get through this, and how coming closer to my Heavenly Father will help me. I liked Tom even more now, I think my Grandpa knew that something in my life needed to be changed. I’ve had issues with religion for the longest time and this one person, this guy, has made me change in just 2 days.

I found that my attitude needed to change in order for anything to work out. I needed to bring my family in, not push them out. I needed to take chances, forgive and forget, and know that there will always be someone here to help me along this crazy highway of life. I’ve also realized that Tom is pretty much perfect and whether I want him to be or not, he’s apart of my life, and I guess trying not to like him isn’t a choice at the moment. I miss my Grandpa, but I know that he’s watching over me as I write this down and I believe that he sent Tom to me when I needed him. I’m proud of my Aunt for doing all she can to beat this cancer, and she’s been such a great example for me. And as for Bill, I think I’ll live without him for now(; haha.

Eating Disorders

I watched a movie for my Fit for Life online class and we had to watch a movie about eating disorders and summarize what it was about and what it talked about.

 

Weight has always been and always will be an issue for girls in the world. Society isn’t always helping either, you look left and you look right and you can always see pictures of models who are skinny and famous people who are super thin. Girls look up to these people and want to be just like them so they decide they need to lose weight so they can get down to 110 and people will think of them highly. Weight shouldn’t be an issue for people and it doesn’t have to be, but sometimes our emotions and experiences get caught up with us.

In the movie Nova: Dying to be Thin it talked about ballet dancers who are supposed to be strong, balanced, and skinny to the bone. They have to look a certain way so they can look “perfect”. Dance teachers and couches, and I’ve even seen it myself, comment on weight all of the time saying, “she could lose a few pounds” or “she could be better if she lost a little weight”. It hurts those inside and out and they do whatever they can to lose weight so they won’t be criticized anymore.

Models are always known to be tall, beautiful, and skinny. To be a model you have to look a certain way and look good in almost anything. Not true. Weight doesn’t matter when it comes to modeling because all that matters is that you are you and nobody else and you just care about what you think and not what others think. Everyone always says, “oh you’re so tall and skinny, you should be a model” and when other girls hear this they think that they need to be skinnier so they can get those types of compliments as well.

There are many factors to people having anorexic or bulimia like society, the people around them in their communities, family, friends, distress, and more. Studies have shown that people who are OCD have a good chance of having an eating disorder because they want everything to be perfect and follow a path and if looking good is part of that path they will do their best to get there. Many people have also been abused in their lives and the stress and anxiety takes over and they stop eating or they eat and vomit it back up.

No matter who you are you shouldn’t feel like you need to be perfect for everyone. You can be yourself and be healthy and lose weight if you need to in a healthy way. When people tell you to lose weight just don’t listen to them, you need to listen to those who care and yourself. Having an eating disorder can ruin your life and the treatment and be extensive. If you have a disorder don’t keep it a secret because you may regret it later on because you can become so sick and even pass away. It’s so sad that people think they aren’t good enough and that they don’t look good so they stop eating and starve them selves, it’s not worth it. You are perfect no matter what anyone else says and appearance isn’t a priority.

growing up, up, and away!

I can't wait to be out of school! FOREVER! I mean, um...yeah! I can't wait till summer, but I really want school to be over all together. Even college. No more homework, no more term projects, no more reading stupid books, etc. I'm so tired of it! ha ha ha. I really want to grow up and get out on my own and experience life in my own way. Wait?! No! I don't!

Okay, I want to leave the house without people nagging at me to do chores every minute of everyday. I want that, but I don't at the same time. I'm going to be in high school soon and I want to drive a car and have more freedoms, but I'm scared. I'm scared for high school and I'm scared about money issues and family. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way either. I had a party the other night and my parents were getting mad at me because everyone wasn't gone by a certain time, don't get mad at me for that! If I come home two minutes late I get yelled at. I've never been grounded in my life, but I hate it when they get mad and yell, it's the worst thing ever! I know they were disappointed, it's the worst thing to disappoint your parents. I feel like they need to cut me some slack though. I don't fight with them and I don't yell a lot and I do what I'm supposed to the best I can, they are just super strict. My friends parents are so laid back and they can do more than I can. I know I shouldn't compare my parents to other parents, but they need to realized how lucky they are (if they're reading this I'm probably dead ha ha ha). I don't hang out with friends that often, I do my homework without being told, and when we have a family thing going on I go. I do more with my parents than a teen should! I care about my future so I do the best I can now so I won't have to fix it later, and I don't think they understand that. My mom always complains about how I'm always doing homework, that is not my fault it's my teachers...no offense! Sometimes ya'll just pound us way too much with that junk! Math and biology are the worst! So much homework and it over powers my whole life sometimes. I mean, after this I have to go to my math homework and work on a term project and essay for biology and it just kills me. I can't get to bed at a decent time even if I start homework right as I get home. My parents are still getting mad and it's not my fault. Okay I need to stop this whole poor me, poor me thing.

I just can't believe that I'm growing up and I'm old enough to drive and do so much! It's going by so fast.... well actually, it's pretty slow, but really the years just keep going by faster and faster.

How important is sleep

Have you ever wondered how important sleep is? Do you get enough of it? Chances are, if you are a teenager like me, the answer is, well, no. Ever had an all night-er? How was the rest of your day? Did you feel like crap? or Did you just want to sleep the rest of the day away because you were so exhausted? Yeah, sleep is important, and not just when you are ‘growing’ but when you’re an adult too.

You’ve always heard that you need to get eight hours of sleep, but I guess it turns out as long as you get 6-8 hours you’re good. No more, no less, it’s not the healthiest thing ever to sleep in as well, which is a huge bummer because we all like to sleep more than what is needed. I was reading an article the other day because I was actually trying to prove to my mom that’s it’s okay if I got to bed around 10:30 each night, I wasn’t that successful, but hey at least I know now… I just won’t tell my mom that!

There was this…lady I think… I didn’t actually see who the author of the article was… anyway! She decided to try this Uberman sleep schedule to see if just taking naps could take care of all the sleep you need and you can still have enough energy. In case you were wondering because you don’t want to read the whole thing, it doesn’t work! Don’t try it! She may have some different symptoms than you would, but still don’t try it, it’s totally not worth it. So not only did she try it, she did it for a month! How crazy is that, if I did that for a science project I would want a big prize for that! She was doing it for her job though, but still I don’t think she got paid enough for it ha. So anyway, she felt like crap for the first week and had a little fatigue, the second week was even worse. She started have canker sores and pimples and she didn’t know what day it was, and couldn’t take care of her own hygiene because she was so confused. The third week got better and she though it was starting to work, she was finally having more energy and everything, then the fourth week came along. It all went downhill again and she couldn’t wait till she could finish the whole thing. When she was done she slept for 15 hours strait and her friends told her she looked a ton better than before.

So, sleep? Yeah it’s important try to always get 7 or 8 hours and if you can’t try to the next night. Don’t sleep in often either because you would just known as lazy and a bum, but also you aren’t being healthy, too much sleep can make you sick and gain weight. Also when you don’t get enough sleep you tend to eat more, losing weight though in an unhealthy way… again. So, just sleep, it’s good for you! Goodnight!

For more details: http://www.menshealth.com/spotlight/sleep/8-hours.php

Social Networks

In the year 2012 people are busy on their laptops, tablets, iPhones, and Androids. They’re using them to update their status, telling Facebook how they’re feeling and twitter what they’re doing, and looking at all the latest trends on Pinterest. They never seem to stop, but my question is, what would you do without the technology and social networks?

Facebook has been around for years, becoming so addicting to some people that in school their grades are lowering, at home their families aren’t coming together for dinner, and in the world outside they don’t talk to people face to face but instead by IM. Since 2004 this social network has been up and millions of people have joined, but have their lives improved? Was it worth getting a facebook? Twitter, not as popular as facebook, though it has not been around as long, seems even worse. Most people, sorry to say, don’t care what you did with your dog two seconds ago. We don’t care that you’ve been playing COD for two hours strait, or that you’re a party getting drunk. Pinterest, it’s there for people to make them feel like they aren’t good enough. Looking at pictures of people’s homes that look perfect, with the perfect family, with a nice porch, and handmade spring wreaths hanging on the cutest front door. Giving people weight loss tips because you just don’t look like that model in the pin above wearing a red and white striped bikini.

I’m guilty, I have a facebook, a twitter, and even a pinterest account, but I can’t even remember what life was like without any of these things. I wish I could look back and say, “Hey! I was doing perfectly fine before all of this!” Yes, I have attempted to get rid of my facebook, but I’ve become so addicted to it, that I can barely go a day without getting on facebook, twice, twitter I can live without. Pinterest doesn’t even seem that bad, it has cute ideas for crafts, cute clothes, quotes, hair ideas, recipes that everyone will enjoy and home improvement ideas, but what do you feel like after you’ve pinned all that stuff onto your boards? I probably will never get around to make anything, or do my hair, or buy the clothes that looked amazing on the girl in the picture, and, I hate cooking.

Our society today has made men, women, girls, and boys think they need to look a certain way, do certain things, and live a life that seams flawless. We think we need to impress people so we will be liked, but if you look around, your true friends and your family don’t care. They don’t care that you have stick strait hair when the style is curly, they don’t care that you don’t weigh 120 when you’re just a few pounds away, they just want you to be you. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try your best, but that you shouldn’t try to become someone you’re not. I can honestly say I miss being able not to care what people say about me, and that I didn’t have to get on facebook everyday when I get bored and I want to feel like I’m pretty and that I’m not messing up as a daughter or a friend or a sister, I wish society didn’t take over the lives of people.

So, imagine one day where facebook, twitter, and pinterest are all gone and weren’t ever coming back. What would you do that first day? I picture that everyone would freak out for the first couple of hours, sit around realize that they’re bored, and go outside. Hang out with friends and be with their families, and be worry free. I guess my grandma was right when she said, “That facebook will rot you’re brain and people are going to be taken over by it,” or when a lady that lives by me said, “Pinterest will get old and people will get tired of feeling like they haven’t accomplished a thing in their lives.” I’m going to go delete my pinterest right now.

Spring Break 2012

    Spring break? Like it? More like love it! First of all I get a load off of homework and school, just what I’ve been needing! Second, I can chill and do whatever I want and not have to worry about a single thing. Third, it was my birthday this week! I didn’t have to go to school on my birthday, that right there is the best gift of all. I haven’t done much this week, but it’s been a total blast. I hung out with best friend we went downtown and hung out a city creek, that place is female heaven! I think my favorite place was Sephora, it’s a makeup store and I fell in love just looking at the mascara. We didn’t really but anything because most of the stuff there is way out of our budget, a budget of 20 bucks! ha. We went out to lunch and saw a couple friends, oh! Don’t eat a Suki Hana, that place is greasy! Then Wednesday my mom took me out shopping, again, we went on Monday too and she took me out to eat. Thursday I had a sleepover with my friend, made a cake, watched movies, had Hawaiian Haystacks, and stayed up till like 3. I was supposed to get home at 9, I didn’t get home till two o’clock. Then, I was met with the reality of online homework due Friday.

    I would highly recommend, if you want to get ahead or just didn’t pass a class, to take online schooling… if you live in this area. If you live somewhere else I don’t know how the Online Education is but Davis Connect Online over here is awesome. I’m taking two classes with them and you don’t have to focus on that class too much, it’s just like any other class, but on your own. You might meet up with your teacher a couple times depending on the class and most of them are amazingly organized and nice. Anyway, I hadn’t done anything with my online stuff and I got home and realized I had 2 assignments for my computer tech class and one for my fit for life, I seriously panicked because I’m heading to my Dad’s who doesn’t have a computer. I didn’t need to worry one bit! I finished all 3 in like ten minutes and I was soooo happy, but now I have all my other  homework to do and the joys of spring break fly out the window, and fast!

    And then there’s the weather today, seriously mother nature must be bipolar because it snowed today, I was wearing shorts earlier this week because it was hot! Now I’m wearing pants and a long sleeve with a jacket/coat thing… I honestly don’t know what to call it, but it’s nice, lightweight, and soft. So as I’m looking out the window I see mountains covered in snow and it makes me so sad, luckily it didn’t snow on my birthday I would cry. Okay so there’s my overview of this week, have a nice weekend!

Science stuff about Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin: A Gentle Revolutionary

Charles Darwin’s Grandfather, Erasmus Darwin was a physician, and so was his father Robert Darwin. Charles thought that he also wanted to be a physician and went to school at Edinburgh University. He ended up thinking it was boring and was disgusted by the open cadavers. After realizing that being a physician wasn’t for him he and his father decided he would be a clergyman. He went to Cambridge University studying about Christianity and sciences. He started learning about biology, zoology, theology, and geology, collecting beetles was his passion and his loved seeing the many different types and difference between similar types. One day he found a new beetle and didn’t want to lose it so he popped it in his mouth, and he then had an acidy fluid on his tongue and spit it out, he lost the beetle.

He met many people while at Cambridge, but then he felt that it wasn’t for him and his pursuits for being a clergyman were gone. He met a man, Captain FitzRoy who was sailing to South America, he was a well-educated man and didn’t want to travel with people below him and invited Darwin to go with him. They ended up arguing every time they discussed something, but by the end they were friends. He then met Lamarck and Lyell who believed that life forms gradually grew up the “ladder of life” and became human beings being at the top. Darwin met many other people that had ideas on evolution, but he wanted to find out for himself.

He went many places including the Galapagos Islands and saw many animals, particularly birds. He this saw finches there and later when he went to Chile he compared the finches there with the ones in Galapagos. They were very similar with only some differences. He thought maybe that animals would be different due to the climate they lived in, but noticing that the finches were similar he decided that wasn’t entirely true. He stopped for a little while with his research and started a family, he was married and had children, he was now again in Cambridge. Darwin started up again and read an essay by Thomas Malthus. In the essay it stated that there was a “struggle for existence”. Darwin started thinking about this and realized that may be animals were fighting for resources and had to adapt to where they lived and what they did for survival and that’s why there were so many different variations for species.

Darwin didn’t have all of his ideas come together at once, he thought about it all for a long time and kept having different ideas or add-ons to his previous ideas. He had his own ideas and knew that not every scientist would believe his findings and opinions. He was also afraid that he would be judged by his research and didn’t publish them right away. It wasn’t until a friend Alfred Russel Wallace had similar findings did he realize he needed to get his ideas out there. Darwin consulted a couple people first before he told the world in his writing, then in the August of 1858 the Journal of the Proceedings of the LInnean Society of London published a paper by Darwin right by Wallace’s. He started writing one The Origin of Species, and on the first day sold out with 1250 copies.

Many Scientists didn’t agree with Darwin and some religions see him as an evil person, which isn’t true. Darwin’s ideas were finally accepted in the 1900s, but not by all. While Darwin fell away from religion for some different reasons he still believed in many things and was buried next to science icon, Isaac Newton.

Steroids, more fit for life ha

You always hear about how steroids are bad for you, but most people don’t even know the effects of actually taking them. They can affect the way you act, ruining your relationships with family and friends. They can affect the way your body looks, but also in negative ways as well not just building up muscle tone. They will change your whole life in the blink of an eye, and you’ll regret it forever. Think before you even consider using steroids.

            Your attitude at first will seem normal, but after the first couple of weeks your friends, not you, will start noticing the way you’re acting. You become stressed, and violent, but you won’t understand why you’re doing it. You’ll be acting just fine one moment, but the next you’ll be destroying everything in your path, even hurting your loved ones. You become depressed and having mood swings, then your body starts to change.

            Males will lose a little percentage of testosterone, developing female looks. They will develop bigger breast, and have hair loss. They will start to develop bigger muscles, sometimes getting too big where people will look awkward and possibly in pain. Women take steroids as well, though not as much as men, but when women take this drug like substance, they change too. They grow facial hair, and become bulky in their body type, their hair may start to recede as well.

            Steroids, once taken, are hard to get off of. Steroids are a drug and they become addicting and this will charge your life. You won’t be able to stop and your body will change significantly. If you do however get off of them, you will change, but life will be better. Your body will reduce in size because you aren’t taking it, your skin, being stretched out will sag. However, many people aren’t so lucky and people have died before. If you play sports for a high school and they find out that you are taking steroids, your whole team could be disqualified. You could lose everything you have in school.

            Don’t even think about steroids they are terrible, they may seem cool and neat at first, but you won’t be the same person on them. You will have ruined your life, and everyone will see you differently. You may be ruining not just your life, but others lives as well, people will see you differently. They results aren’t even worth it, so work for it, do your best, and you will become naturally fit and tone.

Fit for life homework

Muscles are a great contributor to your health. They help with strong bones, better sleep, better metabolism, lower risk of injury, and more. Muscular strength is how much force can be put together against something trying to resist the force, in other words how much you can hold, push, pull, etc. Muscular endurance is how long you can withstand a hard activity, like biking, running, hiking, and more. These are important to maintain because you will have an improved, healthier life.

            Isometric exercise is building up your muscle strength, but the joints don’t move. When doing this type of exercise you are working with resistance against force like pushing your body away from something. Isotonic exercise is used to build up muscle strength like isometric, but your joints move around when doing this exercise. Doing push-ups is a type of isometric exercise because your arms are moving in a range of motion. Isokinetic exercise is an exercise that isn’t constant, but has continuous limb movement. An example would be jogging in place or one a bike that stays in place.

            Lifting weights can be a real benefit to losing weight and gaining strength, but there are some precautions that you should take. Don’t overdo it because you can possibly die from overexertion. If you feel any pain stop, you could make it worse by continuing lifting weights. Don’t lift weights till about 15 or 16 because lifting weights can stunt your growth. Just remember to be careful and watch yourself as well as having someone with you when you are lifting weights. Along with the safety of lifting weights there is also natural weight lifting and supplemental weight lifting. Most weight lifters you see take some type of supplement for weight lifting, but they are careful when choosing the right ones. They all say that they are the best and they will give you the best results, but you have to read more than just the label. They are both okay and if you want better and faster results then taking the supplements would be good, I would recommend doing it all naturally though.

Something new!

School. Need I say more? Yeah, it's not the best thing in the world, it's not the worse though either. I like it, sometimes, but I definitely don't hate it. There might be a few teachers I could slap right now, but I won't. I've always had an issue with stress about school and now that we're towards the end of the term, I'm super nervous. My grades are good, but not as good as I would want. I feel like I talk about this all the time and if you're reading this you're probably getting super duper tired of me talking about my grades all of the time, trust me you're not the only one. So, I'm going to talk about something else.

Technology, the internet, facebook, twitter, youtube, commercials, reality TV, and more! Did you know that reality TV isn't always reality what they film is the "most important" parts that will get the producers money, but they don't show everything that happens when the cameras aren't rolling! Facebook, seriously I honestly only know about 2 people that don't have a facebook account. The terrible thing is most of the posts are from people that probably should have their facebook taken away because their posts are pretty much their journal. Facebook is not a journal, so please, don't tell me what your cat just did while you went to the bathroom, because I don't care. ha ha. Twitter, now this, this is pretty close to something that's your journal, but you update it every 2 minutes. Don't mix up twitter and facebook though when it come to posting, please. Even then, most of the post are like hey follow #someonethatwantstolookcool, they will follow you back! or OMG! you need to see this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dj-4RYjbdY&feature=youtube_gdata_player just a bunch of links, or maybe once in a while you get something funny.

Seriously though, what the heck has happened to society? People are crazy these days. Commercials. Whoa, I mean some of the local one's are super dumb, then most of them are insurance commercials. Allstate, farmers (we are farmers! bum dabum bum bum bum bum!), or Geico, and I seriously have seem these commercials over and over again that I have them memorized, whatever happened to watching an actually episode of friends when there were like 2 commercials the whole entire time, not 20.

Youtube + facebook = famous! If you haven't heard about Kony 2012, you're crazy and need to go watch this, yes it's long but who cares. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc it got like 32 million views within a day or two it was crazy, but if you want to everyone to see something get a bunch of friends, put a video on youtube, get people to share it on facebook and the world goes crazy! If it's a crappy video, it will be famous, but people will also tell others not to watch it so make sure it's something good. My grandpa, he's 80, was telling me the other day that this generation is the craziest he's ever seen and watched. He thinks we'll all be brain dead by 2015 with all the computer, cell phones, and TV radiation waves going to our head, who knows? He might be right.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I always told myself that I wouldn't pile my stuff with things to do. Then all of the sudden February and March totally took control of my life, bassoon lessons, band concert, band recital, bassoon competition, homework, church activities, party commitments, working, meetings, and that's just the beginning! I've been so stressed and now were close to the end of the term and my grades seriously aren't bad at all, in fact they're pretty good, I want to get one of the up though to an A and I don't know how I'm going to do it. I've just been feeling way overwhelmed and I had no idea when it was going to stop. I had to wake up at 5 today, it's Saturday, to go to a convention thing... I'm so exhausted. My parents were complaining about how I'm never home, and if I am I'm always working on school stuff and I just never stop. When I got home from the convention, I did stop. My mom took away my lap top, my phone, my homework (who does that?), and we sat and talked.

I really had no idea how much stress I had put on myself and I never knew just talking could make me let it all go. She took me out to eat, we watched a movie, and just relaxed... I couldn't even bring up anything about school or things that I needed to do, my mom wouldn't let me. I finally got my stuff back and now I'm working on my homework, but that little time that I got to just let everything go was awesome. I finally realized that yes, school is important and so is my music, but I can't let it take over.

Seriously if you feel a little stress or just feel like you need to get something out in the world that you feel like you've held in for a while, do something about it. Don't let it build up till you explode, because if you're anything like me, you will explode and the earth will move like God is playing basketball with it. If you have a best friend or your mom or just someone you can trust, tell them what's going on because if you don't you'll later regret it. If talking doesn't relieve your stress just take everything off you mind and find your favorite movie, for me it's anything that's a old 90's classic Disney movie, I seriously can't get enough of them. Make sure that you have your favorite snack too, but don't pig out, you don't want to gain weight because then there's another thing that will build up your stress. I know just getting outside and being active also helps me a ton because I just learn to relax and enjoy the outdoors. Music is also something that really helps me, as long as it's not some depressing crap that feels like your story, listen to something fast, and happy that you'll enjoy.

These are just some of my favorite things(:

If you know me, you know that I'm a little crazy and do weird things, say weird things, and just act pretty nuts most of the time. A lot of you guys don't really know what I like though, so that's what I'm going to write on.
1. Laughing- that's a no brainer though haha I laugh all of the time.
2. Music! I seriously have no idea what I would do without this stuff, I mean I listen to it everyday and play 5 instruments ha.
3. My room, ha it's probably where I spend most of my time and it's just full of stuff that represents me.
4. Singing- I only sing in front of people I'm really good friend with though ha.
5. Shoes- I have like a gazillion pair, I don't even wear all of them I just think they're cute and maybe they'll come in handy one day.
6. Google... it completes me(; not really but just about ha.
7. Taking pictures- I just love capturing precious moments(; ha
8. Watching movies- I can never be bored with a blanket and a good movie.
9. Running around at midnight with my friends- haha they're the reason I'm crazy.
10. Playing/watching basketball- I love being competitive, I even get into it when I'm watching.. and that is why my voice sounds so weird right now (not that you can hear it), because I've been yelling at games ha.
11. Eating- I love food just in case you weren't aware.
12. That moment where you know spring is coming(:
13. wearing shorts.. or sweats... I just love it!
14. Family... when they aren't being annoying haha, but I still love them.
15. Water, whether it's drinking or splashing around I just love it! ha
16. Creating house plans- I think that's what I want to do when I grow up.
17. Writing the beginning of stories- I can never finish them though.
18. Camping! yeah you smell like smoke when you get back home, but who cares.
19. Talking, which is why I can't get rid of my voice issue either haha.
20. Cooking(mostly experimenting) Shh! don't tell my mom, she thinks I hate it! haha
21. English- Yeah I'm kind of a nerd when it come to writing and grammar and stuff.. reading though, not my forte.
22. Decorating- as long as it's not Christmas or something haha, and not when I'm being told to.
23. Autumn- I love crunching leaves!
24. The beach- and this is why I want to move! haha I can't stand it here.
24. Playing jokes on people.(in case you didn't notice, there's two 24's)
26. Even numbers- I'm kinda OCD and I can't stand odd numbers... I skipped 25 ha.
27. Cheese- it's delicious.
28. Animals! They're adorable!
29. Stalking people on facebook- it's kind of a bad habit, I don't enjoy that much but I still do it haha.
30. Sleeping in! 
31. Shopping! I just hate the feeling of losing money though.
32. so, um Money haha, it's kinda bad but I do like it.
33. Nice people, they're awesome.
34. Those little helicopter things that come of those trees.. I have some in my backyard... I don't know what they're called though. ha
35. Ending at the right spot.

Healthy junk(;

So my mom has always felt bad about letting herself go and gaining weight, I really don't think it's that bad but of course she does. I think we're always paying attention to society though and comparing ourselves to them and I know she does this sometimes, but she really doesn't need to. So, she's trying to lose weight and I'm proud of her for doing that she's being a really good example for me, but we've been eating the strangest foods ever now and I'm trying to show her that we can still eat normal things, and she can still lose the weight.

Quinoa, yeah look at the way it's spelled... it's not how you pronounce it though it's more like Keen-wah! ha ha. Anyway if you go to costco you can get this stuff and it's probably one of the weirdest things I've ever ate in my whole entire life... and I've lived in weird places with weird food. It's like this little bean things that you steam and it's kinda like a grain, but it replaces your grains with protein. It's strange, and I don't like it, it tastes like the smell of smoke, now I don't mind people smoking but there seriously should not be a food that tastes that way. Mom! Come on! You're killing me here!

So I did some research on the internet(Hopefully this stuff is true though, unlike somethings you find on the internet). I found that onions are probably one of the most healthiest things you can eat, who would have known I though it would have been something that was green at least. Now I don't enjoy onions plain that's nasty and they have a weird spicy taste, not a good one. Anyway, sautéd onions are really good though, so I did that and hopefully my mom will read up on onions. This article I was reading said that onions can help prevent some types of diseases, cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart problems and lots more. I was so surprised!

Lemons, so they aren't so good for your teeth but just one lemon is more than 100% of your daily intake of vitamin C. So along with that it will help your cholesterol and bone strength. Broccoli, now I'm probably one of the weird kids, but I like pretty much every vegetable and broccoli is one of them. If you're needing in vitamin K, eat broccoli. One medium size stalk of broccoli is more 100% of you're needed daily vitamin K, and 200% vitamin C so you're set to go just with broccoli. It also helps with cancers too!

Dark Chocolate, yes! I love it! I can't really stand any other type of chocolate don't ask my why, but I just love dark chocolate 110% ha. So, just 1/4 of an ounce of this yummy stuff can reduce you're blood pressure.  It also reduces bad cholesterol and increases good levels of cholesterol. Potatoes! So I recently learned that sweet potatoes can help with those who need potassium, like me, because I'm allergic to bananas which are an amazing source of potassium but I had no idea what other types of foods had it, so potatoes are like my fave! They're also a great source of Vitamin A, and can help prevent cancer as well. Salmon, I had this for dinner last night! I seriously can't get enough of fish I love it! Salmon has niacin in it which is known to help with Alzheimer's and memory loss. I also was watching the news the other day and they said that individuals who intake a lesser amount of calories with have a better chance of not having memory loss, so I'm now at the end of this post and I'm pretty sure I'll remember this for the rest of my life. I hope this will help ya! Have a great week!

Just what any girl needs to hear

Today I heard one of the best things ever! I serious almost cried because it's exactly what I've been doing to myself. Now if you're a guy you might not find this interesting at all, but you know whatever just keep on reading if you want. So I know that every girl has compared herself to another girl. She might be really good at basketball or she has nice hair, those are her strengths. You, however, may not have the best hair (it's probably genetic anyway), and might not be very coordinated enough to play a sport, but that's your weakness. You may be really good at playing a musical instrument or singing or just being kind to everyone, those are your strengths and you need to focus on those things because that girl that you're jealous of because she's good at basketball probably isn't good at any of those things. You can't compare your weaknesses to her strengths, it's not going to turn out very well for you. You'll feel terrible about yourself and you don't need to, because there is probably someone else out there who wishes they could sing just as well as you. I've found this to be so true, and yes! I've done it many times, but I know now it's not going to get me anywhere.

Facebook, twitter, and even Pinterest may seem like fun at first, but once you finally sit down and realize what's going on, you'll finally see that you're looking at people that just seem perfect, and they aren't. You want to be perfect, you want to have all the things the girl next door does, but if you were really meant to have them you would, and you don't, so it wasn't meant to be. We, as girls, need to be happy with ourselves and our lives just the way they are. People love us no matter what we look like, because they look at our hearts, but it doesn't mean that we need to stop caring for ourselves.

You may feel like you need to help everyone you can, and be happy all the time and try to keep yourself together. Everyone needs to break down once in a while though. We need to give ourselves time and stop and appreciate ourselves. We need to stop and look around us so we don't explode! I do this all the time! I get so caught up in school and friends and work that I never stop and to see what's happening to myself. I just needed to pause and let everything go. It really helps, so if you feel so overwhelmed and you can't stop, just stop. If someone is nagging you tell them to leave you alone and take care of their problems for a little while, yes you may sound like a brat, but you deserve to just relax.

We also need to be around positive people so we can always look on the good when the situation is bad. I've learned that some of the decisions I've made in life haven't been the best, and I'm young! The situation I was in wasn't the best but I learned to see all of the good things that could come out of it. Everything happens for a reason.

A needed friend(:

Over the course of a lifetime you learn many things. You learn how to spell definitely right, which is a word I've had issues with my whole life. You learn right from wrong, not to drink and do drugs, and not to break the law. And, you learn to make friendships. There's also the moments where you feel like there is no one there for you that isn't your mom and when you need a friend the most no one shows up. Then you start to feel bad for yourself and complain all the time and the thing is you don't really need a friend at that time, you want one. Things aren't earned the right way when you want them, you have to need them. You may say that you need food because you're starving... well, at least you aren't the old man that sits on the corner because he's homeless, he's the one that's starving you're just the person that wants food. It's the same for pretty much everything else too, including friends. Some people have issues finding the right friend where others are surrounded by great people that would always be there for them and they have plenty of best friends. I used to be that way until I was just friends with everyone and I didn't have a best friend who would always be there for me. I've had so difficult times socially and also with my health and then I found who my best friend actually was.

I owe her everything! She's always been there for me when I've been down and I try my best to do the same. About a couple of weeks ago though, we found out that she might be moving there's like a 1 and 3 chance that she won't move. After both of us complaining to each other about her moving I figured that I should actually be positive about this. I don't want her to feel crappy about her moving knowing that I didn't support her. So I kept mentioning all of the good things that could come out of this. She could meet new people, she would experience new things, she'd still be close enough for us to see each other, and she'd get a bigger room in the house they're looking at. I noticed when I started doing this her mood became better and she wasn't as sad about moving and I'm glad I took the chance to be positive about her leaving.

It still won't be the same without her and strange not being able to hang out all the time and living like 2 minutes away from each other, but we can manage. Just a couple days ago after being all positive and stuff my health went way down hill. I knew I was sick because I've been coughing a lot lately, but it wasn't what I was expecting. After test, test, and another test, I need to go through a lot of treatment. It's not too serious, but it's enough that it risks me and my family. After finding out that I was sick and didn't know when I'd be getting better my best friend came along and helped me and it makes me even more grateful for her. I realized that nothing can get in the way of us being friends and that we'll be close forever. I'm glad I have a friend that I can count on and share everything with. I'm just here to tell whoever is reading this that you need to stay positive and look for the right people in your lives.

So, I may sound like a fatty when you read this but this week I went out to eat, which is pretty rare in my house. Anyway, so we went out to eat 4 times and three out of the four were really good. So if you ever are thinking about what to eat and you live in Utah then you can go to these places.

1. Gabor Brother's - It's this little place in a location where you would least expect it to be. They have pizza there, salads, soups, burgers... pretty much everything. I've been there three times and every single time I've really enjoyed it. I think there best thing on the menu (I haven't even tried everything though) would be there pizza's hands down. It doesn't matter which pizza you get though because they're all amazing. Now, when we were waiting for our food to come out my mom decided to get an appetizer for all of us and she got the cheesy bread. The first one was burnt and our waitress discounted like 5 bucks off of our ticket (which wasn't much to begin with the total was around 15 dollars). She gave us another cheesy bread and it was so good. So out of all the pizza places I've been to, this is the #1 best place to go.... I think it even beats The Pie.

2. Tucanos- Now, I wouldn't recommend this for just a casual dinner because it's a little pricy, it's more of a look nice and have a nice fancy dinner kind of place. The cool thing about it though is that you can pig out and still have a great time because everyone else there is too. You can have the salad bar, which is amazing because there are so many varieties. Then, they main thing is the endless types of meats. It just keeps coming and coming and when you've had enough you flip over this little thingy (I don't know what it's called) and they know not to give you anymore, you can still flip it back if you want ha. My favorite is their grilled pineapple, it's delicious my dad and I just love that stuff, my mom's favorite however is the chicken hearts. If you like that stuff and all go ahead and eat it but that is not my forte, so I don't eat it. This place is probably one of my favorite places to go and I would always recommend it for a date or just a special night. If you're vegetarian though I would go ha.

3. Noodles & CO. Okay so this is the place that wasn't very good, and I've never really had any issues with this place, except for a couple of things. Don't order their tofu... it's nasty and I like tofu, its super dry and the taste isn't great. I've also had some trouble with the employees, they don't do their job correctly and are rude sometimes. Now I wouldn't just stop going there, I'd go to a different location and I'd order something else off their menu. Still good just not as good as it could be because it has potential.

4. Zupas- The best soup, salad, and sandwich place you'll ever go. This would probably be more of a lunch place, but it's still good for dinner too. Their sandwiches are just to die for, they aren't dry, they have just the right flavor, and they give you just the right amount. My personal favorite is the cranberry turkey sandwich and the lobster bisque soup. MMM!... so good! Now if you not a fish person, get a different soup ha.

insperation(:

It may seem hard, and it might be crazy,

But when your dreams tend to be hazy,

You have to take a leap of faith.

You’ve got to stay strong,

And follow your heart,

But taking the first step

Is always the hard part.

You look left and you look right,

And you might have the excuse

Of being taken over by fright.

But don’t be scared no don’t panic,

Just take that leap of faith.

Start your life all fresh and new,

And let that faith carry you.

You’re not going to trip or fall,

Have confidence, be hopeful,

Stand strait, and be tall.

Life is going getting you down,

It wants to see your precious face frown.

But look below at life and laugh,

Just smile, go on your way

And don’t ever look back.

Don’t let yourself go,

No don’t make it complicated,

Because complication is your foe.

Fight through the obstacles,

And take your leap of faith.

I wrote that poem when I thought everything was over. Obviously it wasn’t and I just had to realize that for myself. I never knew life could get so difficult and confusing and I just wanted it all to end. I knew by problems weren’t going to change themselves and they would stay my problems till I dealt with them. I had to make hard choices, and it doesn’t always turn out the way you want it. Marilyn Monroe once said, “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” I love this quote and now I appreciate so much more now. Things did get better, amazingly better and I want you all to know that giving up shouldn’t even be a choice. Giving up is possibly one of the worst things you could ever do, you have to take your chances and at least one of those chances will make everything fall together in one piece.

“You were given this life because you were strong enough to live it.” –unknown. Whoever said this definitely knew what they were talking about. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t strong enough, and by here I mean where you’re at in life. It may be tough and hard to go on, but deep down you know you’re going to make it and that everything will change for the better. I also recommend going to the website Pinterest.com ha ha, this is where I find all of my inspirational quotes, and boy, have they helped me!

I know they’re just quotes, but actually they are so much more than that. They can inspire and teach those of us who have been in tough situations. I’ve learned that I need to surround myself with positive people so that their energy rubs off onto me instead of that negative crappy stuff. If you need help, just remind yourself that it’s not the end of the world, not until December 21, but you know what I mean ha. Just make the needed changes in your life and I promise you will feel so much better about that choice you made.

quotes(:

I've been having a little trouble lately and I've been bored as well, so I've been looking up quotes on the internet and I'm going to share some of them with you, hope you like them.

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” -Dr. Suess  "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'" -Audrey Hepburn "Sometimes what you want isn't always what you get, but in the end what you get is so much better than what you wanted." -unknown "They say you are what you eat. That's funny, I don't recall eating a sexy beast today." -DdR "When I was five years old, my mom always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, I told them they didn't understand life." -Bob Marley "I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday." -unknown "I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles." -Audrey Hepburn "Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." -Marilyn Monroe   "Stressed spelled backwards is desserts." -unknown "One advantage of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." -Winnie the pooh "Procrastinator? No. I save all of my homework until the last minute because then I'll be older, therefore more wise." -unknown. I love this one though because I can use this all the time now and my mom won't be able to argue about it ha ha.  I don't know what I would do without quotes, or the amazing people that actually said it because then I'd have to come up with my own things to say to make me feel better. They also help me get creative and put them all over my room so I can be more positive. I hope you liked them, and of course feel free to use them! That's what they're there for.

The cure(:

So lately I've been experiencing a ton of headaches like once everyday, and it's just so annoying as you can imagine. So I looked up online to see what I could do to get rid of these stubborn things.
How to get rid of your headaches (if you don't want to take pills)
1. Have someone massage your head or just put pressure on your head.
2. Try to relax and stay in a quiet room.
3. Yoga, meditation, aromatherapy are ways that can relieve stress.
4. Avoid slouching, and watch your posture.
5. Put ice on your neck, or forehead.
6. Drink fluids, and eat a snack (healthy, of course)

I found a lot of these to be very effective and I hope they can help you to (when you have a headache of course). These could also be very good habits to make so you won't get headaches in the first place.

My essay for English

Courage [Kuhr- ij]
Noun-
The ability to do something that frightens one.

 If you follow everyone else’s footsteps, then you are not showing courage. Doing what you think is right may be what everyone else thinks is wrong. It takes a great person to stand up for what they believe in, even if every single person in the world is sitting down staring at them in disgust. “Courage is doing what you think is right even if the odds of succeeding are against you.” Many characters in the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee show what real courage is by fighting for what they believe in, the right thing, and they never sat down to join the others.

 "Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do." Atticus Finch states. In the eyes of his children Atticus Finch was the best person in the world. He did everything to help his children, to help his community, and to help Tom Robinson. When the community was scared of the rabid dog, Tim Johnson, he shot the dog. He saved everyone from danger and showed that he wasn’t scared. The world is a bitter place and when the words, “#&(%^*-lover,” come out of the mouth of Francis, Atticus didn’t care because he was one. He didn’t care if people were black or white and that’s why people in the town of Maycomb, Alabama despised him so. He knew that there was nothing wrong with Tom Robinson or any other black person in the world, and that’s why he defended Tom, because he knew it was the right thing to do.

 “’Do you defend n******, Atticus?’ I asked him that evening.

 ‘Of course I do. Don’t say N*****, Scout. That’s common.’

 ‘ ‘s what everybody at school says.’

 ‘From now on it’ll be everybody less one-“’

 Atticus didn’t want his daughter disrespecting black people like everyone else had already done. He knew it was the appropriate thing to do by telling her to be different and not offend black people. They may have been hearing that word their whole lives, but that doesn’t mean black people necessarily enjoy being called that. People needed to learn that saying words like that were rude, they still are, and it needed to change, a change that was needed in their community. Atticus didn’t mind people saying that he defended black people because that’s what he was actually doing and he wanted everyone to know that. It was okay to defend Tom, but everyone said that it wasn’t supposed to be done because they were racist. Atticus was showing courage by standing up for Tom, he wasn’t afraid.

 Jem and Scout heard all the words of their neighbors. It bugged Scout at first until she sat down with her father and he explained to her not to take everything too badly, and also not to resolve something by beating people up. She then learned why her father had to defend Tom. Jem had to deal with the same exact things, but just in a different way. He had to help Scout, handle with all of her actions, and cooperate with the neighbors. He knew what his responsibilities were and did them without question. The children had to stay positive even if times were hard, but with that tough time they finally understood the lives of other people being judged. They learned to like the people who were misunderstood, even when no one knew why. They got to know the people for who they really were and they knew that understanding their lives was the correct thing to do. It was the right thing to do by showing everyone else that Tom, Boo, and other people that they weren’t bad, or strange.

 “’I wants to know why you bringin’ white chillun to n***** church.’

 They’s my comp’ny,’ said Calpurnia. Again I thought her voice was strange: she was talking like the rest of them.

 ‘Yeah, an’ I reckon you’s comp’ny at the Finch house durin’ the week.’

 A murmur ran through the crowd. ‘Don’t you fret,’ Calpurnia whispered to me, but the roses on her hat trembled indignantly.

 When Lula came up the pathway toward us Calpurnia said, ‘Stop right there, n*****.’”

 Calpurnia stood up to someone of her own race, because she wanted them to know that the children, Jem and Scout, were okay and weren’t going to do anything to them. She stayed strong in front of everyone in her church so they would be aware of what was going on. Calpurnia wanted blacks and whites to get along instead of fighting each other. Calpurnia taught herself how to speak, and act like the white people she was around all day to be accepted by them. Atticus didn’t care, they children didn’t care, but the people in the community did and she wanted to be known as normal in both environments. She worked hard, but when someone went against what she believed in she stood up in front of them and let them know how she felt. Not only did she do this, but she also raised the children, helping Atticus along the way.

 Mrs. Dubose an older lady in the community shows how she has remained to have courage. She was addicted to morphine, and her spirit showed how she remained strong throughout her fight. Miss Maudie showed what she believed in and let everyone know that she was against racism. “Miss Maudie’s voice was enough to shut anybody up.” Tom Robinson was convicted of a terrible crime, something he didn’t actually do. He fought so he would stay out of jail, and so he wouldn’t be known for such a terrible thing. Mayella Ewell, even if she was portrayed as a bad person, she showed courage too. She had to take care of her younger siblings without the help of a mother. Mayella also had to struggle with her father brutally beating her, but she didn’t tell a soul and stayed strong. Heck Tate and Judge Taylor show courage by helping Boo Radley, so he would be safe from harm and the wrong people. “Let the dead bury the dead.”

 To people all over the world who have read this book, Arthur (Boo) Radley is the character that shows the most courage. He dealt with people mocking him, making jokes about him, and not knowing his true personality. Nobody knew a lot about Boo, and most of them just assumed that he was a crazy person that stayed indoors at all times with no life. The truth about him though is that underneath all those accusations and lies, he was an amazing person. He was nice to everyone, he sewed up Jem’s pants that night of the fire, and gave Scout a blanket, and he saved the children’s lives, and he even helped them afterward. He was bold and dared to protect them when they were helpless. He was the one who proved that he could be more courageous than anyone else, he was a true hero and no one had any idea of what he was capable of.

 To Kill a Mockingbird teaches so much. It teaches you about racism, the lives of the depression, but even better, courage. It shows what people will do to save lives, help others, and act different for the good. The right thing may seem like the worst thing anyone could ever do to one person, but the best thing to another person. These people all succeeded in their own ways. When everyone put them down and shoved them to the ground they stayed up to help those in need, even when they didn’t need to. They wanted to, that’s what real courage is.

This week has been crazy! So we get back to school on Tuesday and stuff(thank goodness we didn't have to go back Monday) and we're assigned all this crappy homework. I don't think there is a single class I don't have homework in... in fact there isn't a class that I don't have homework in. Not to mention the end of the semester is super duper close and all of the teachers decided to give us as much homework as possible, and me being my busy self never ever have time to do homework and get a good nights rest. This whole week I've been going to bed super late. I hate it! Now I know I shouldn't have all of this negativity built up inside of me, but it's stressing me out big time. I'm a perfectionist, I have no clue where I got it, but if I don't have good grades in school I freak out. There's people that care too much about school, those that don't care, and then the people in between. Everyone wants to be successful, some people just don't show it as much. Here's some tips for people that want to be great students and do well in school, without making it you're entire life so you stress.

1. Limit the amount of extra curricular activities you have that make your life seem too hectic.
2. Check your grades constantly.
3. Don't ever procrastinate, even if you feel like it's better, it isn't.
4. Do your best.
5. Take time away from the computer, friends, video game, etc. to work on homework, but don't make it your whole life.

Making these tips into habits though is hard and you have to work at it. Everything doesn't just change over night, you've got to break your bad habits to make them into good ones.

2012, make it better!

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life… like a lot… I’m talking a trillion mistakes that I’ll probably never ever be able to fix. I’m young though, I’m a teenager it’s kind of my obligation to make mistakes and learn from them so I won’t make them later on in life. It still doesn’t mean that I want to keep them in my head forever, I wish they could just go away and I could pretend that nothing even went on, but we all know that’s never going to happen because of guilt. Like I said though, we can learn from our mistakes so we wont do them again, we can make goals to stop it.

New Years Eve is the time where people make resolutions to change their lives and become a better person, goals to make the year ahead of them better than the one they’ve had to deal with for 365 days. Some of the information given below may be pointless to you, so you don’t have to read it, but after the list is done you can read again.

Mistakes I don’t want to go over:

1.     Wasting a kiss… yes, I have kissed someone… duh I’m a teenager.

2.     Falling apart from family members.

3.     Being lazy. (That’s a big one!)

4.     Not returning a phone call.

5.     Missing out on great opportunities.

6.     Telling secrets.

7.     Trying to grow up too soon.

8.     Sneaking out.

9.     Not leaving a party.

10.  Lying.

Why these things happened?

1.     Ummm… I’m not sure I want to give this information to the public ha ha.

2.     School, homework, friends, bad attitude.

3.     Not getting enough sleep, not seeing the point in doing something besides laying around all day.

4.     I was mad at the person.

5.     I thought I couldn’t handle it, didn’t believe in myself.

6.     Thought I could trust certain people, I have a big mouth, peer pressure.

7.     I’ve been told I look older than what I actually am and sometimes I think I can get away with more things because of that.

8.     Didn’t think my parents would have let me go, I like feeling rebellious.

9.     I didn’t want to leave my friends even if there were bad things going on.

10. I feel like people can’t handle the truth.

What can I do differently?

1.     Get to know someone better before hand.

2.     Don’t procrastinate, be positive, and spend more time with family.

3.     Going to bed earlier, just because there is a computer by me doesn’t mean I need to use it.

4.     Forgive and Forget.

5.     Believe that I can do anything.

6.     Don’t tell other secrets, or my own.

7.     Stay young… it’s better than being old ha ha.

8.     Ask.

9.     Call someone to pick me up if I feel uncomfortable.

10. Take chances and stop making up a long story. (Tell it how it went.)

I read something once that said writing down your mistake and evaluating it can help you to fix your mistakes. If you don’t write it down you won’t remember it because your brain stores thing and sometimes you can’t find what you’re looking for. Studies show that people who write down their goals are more likely to be successful than those who don’t. Write down everything, if you write an RSVP to someone you won’t forget it, if you say you’ll go to lunch with a friend you’re more likely to forget. Talk literally is cheap, writing isn’t.