Post #37: The Importance of Societal Norms In Victorian England

I am a total Masterpiece Theatre junkie. I love it. Downton Abbey, The Jane Austen Series, Mr. Selfridge, you name it, I probably watched it. Along with the amazing costume design, I love the view on societal norms. Only invite your closest friends to your wedding? Scandalous. Don't change for dinner? Even more scandal. Dress yourself? Unheard of. It sounds silly now, but 100 years ago, that was what was expected. One of my favorite plot lines on Downton Abbey right now is the transition from a Victorian estate to a post WWI world. To watch things shift from season one, which was set in 1912, to this season, set in 1921. Barely a decade has gone by, but things are rapidly changing.
The Importance of Being Earnest was so funny because it really just poked fun at the norms, as well as being exceptionally witty. Mr. Wilde knows what makes society tick. At a time when arranged marriages were still quite plausible and what you served for tea could make or break your position in your community, Wilde took those norms, made fun of them and set them alight with deft satire. It's brilliant.
On the capstone front, on Friday I was a "Victim" for the Mock-Mass Casualty Incident the medical academy hosted. I was a RED in the medical academy's mock-Mass Casualty Incident. Red meant that I couldn't walk, but I could answer questions, and my vitals were a little wonky. I needed immediate care. It also meant that I got some super awesome contusions on my arm. My mom came to help out, as she has a degree in theatre arts and is super awesome at doing stage makeup.

I scared the poor produce guy at Safeway when I forgot about the makeup and pushed my sleeves up.
Go forth and create.
-D.

Post #36: Self Poet-traits

So, once again, art for a grade comes back to bite me. The only class I've ever gotten a not-so-great grade in was sixth grade art. The side that was art history? No problem. The side that was me imitating the art? Problem. The teacher said that "I failed to follow instructions" When we had to do self portraits, and I did mine Picasso style. There was nothing in the instructions that said it had to look realistic. It just had to be an accurate representation of me. Fast forward a year, and I have signed up for an art class at the rec center. I come prepared with all of the materials and twenty minutes into free-handing circles the instructor comes up to me and says "Your circles aren't roundy-round enough. I instructed you to make round circles." needless to say, I did not take Art For Children II.

I come from a family of creative people. My mom makes jewelry and collages stuff, my grandma paints, and my uncle is a LEGO master and a mixed media artist. I like to knit and collage and write and do artistic things, but in my free time. Sometimes for profit, but usually just for the heck of it. There's a great cliche about how art is "about the process", but it's true. Sometimes my projects take ages, just because I have to think things through. Other times I work on a project just to have something to do with my hands. 

But now,  for English we have to make a self portrait. Based on a poem (hence the post title). So, I've managed to collage and glitter my way through, and hopefully all works out. 

Go Seahawks! 

-D.

Post #35: Shrinky-Dinks

 A few weeks ago, I found a pack of blank Shrinky-Dink paper. Super magical Shrinky-Dinks. So, I've been experimenting with sharpies and colored pencils and gel pens, and I've made buttons and some jewelry thus far. I am really proud of the set I made that says 'Scribo', which is Latin for 'Write'. Shrinky-Dinks are magic. You color them, and then you stick them in the oven and they get curled and wonky, and then they flatten out, making fabulous tiny pieces of art. It's a great analogy for life. Add pressure or heat, and things will get wonky and curled, but when all is said and done, nothing was as big as it seemed, and everything straightened out. It's magic.

I finished another knitted hat, but it turned out looking like a WWI Army helmet. If you know anyone putting on a production of War Horse, let me know. I'm not sure what I'm going to work on next. I've sort of got a sweater going, but it's more of a weekend project than a TV Tuesday project. I think I might make another hat. I've got the materials to make a trapper hat... Or maybe I'll make some socks. Decisions, decisions. I still need to work on valentines and a birthday gift for the LilSis. So many crafty things, so little time. When it warms up, I think I'm going to make a PVC pipe bow and some arrows. For now, I guess I'll work on some more Shrinky-Dink jewelry. 

"Give me a sledgehammer and give me strength, watch the world come crumbling down." - Fitz & The Tantrums

-D.

Post #34: Learning It All Vs. Knowing It All

AP is a challenging course, and I love that. I thought I knew Hamlet, and I thought that it was too easy, only to discover I really had no idea how funny and weird and powerful it really was until I got to discuss and read it with my peers. And also with a ton of help from Mr. Burge.
Poetry has never been my strong suit, and I really would love to feed the Perrine's book to The Crusher from that BBC show The Life Laundry. I'll admit, sometimes I consult the interwebs for help. I'm not above having someone explain it to me. The minute I say that I know and understand  it all and that it's too easy is the minute I stop learning. And I almost let that happen with Hamlet. I never ever want to be a know-it-all, literally or figuratively because then I'll never learn anything new. Learning is one the few things in life that I could never possibly tire of. I want to learn as much as I possibly can in my time here in this life, and even then it could never be enough. I want to learn about poetry and writing and I want to learn new knitting stitches and I want to learn how to do coin tricks and tie knots. I want to know more about science and physics and how dishwashers work. One of my favorite school memories is of my Uncle explaining how airplanes get off the ground (it's not magic, in case you were wondering) and the concepts of balance in regards to weight when I was seven. Up until then I just figured airplanes were magic. But, with help from someone, my life was enriched and I learned something new. Granted, I'm a little fuzzy on how airplanes work now, but what matters is that someone was willing to explain something to me. Someone cared enough about me to make help me become a little wiser. I have been blessed to be around people who want me to learn and encouraged me to ask questions and were willing to explain things. They helped me to see that knowledge is power, but learning is just as important, if not more so.
As long as we learn something every day, and contribute our views and ideas, our future is bright.
"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." -Roald Dahl
-D.

Post #33: Capstone Update

EMR is one of the coolest classes I have ever taken. Ever. I am super excited to get my first responder certification. Last Friday I got to see the inside of an ambulance for the first time, and I got to be the patient on the gurney. Those things are neato! They have all sorts of buttons and hydraulic features. We also got to practice using a stair chair. I discovered I don't have much upper body strength, but I have good lower body strength, and I'm in okay shape. We start patient assessment tomorrow. I'm pretty excited. The only downside is trying to keep my hair out of the way. We do a lot of hand on work, and if you're the patient, it means you are lying on the floor, and ponytails, while convenient, are not that comfortable if you're lying down. And also, hair easily gets pulled and caught when you're being lifted, moved, and put into cervical collars. So, I'm working on figuring that out, because let me tell you, I have a lot of hair.
On the Poetry Front, I've about had it with the Perrine's book. I really like poetry, but I like to read it and discuss it, not answer questions about it. I want to experience it and enjoy it, like the class did on Friday when we just watched poetry be preformed. Perrine's makes poetry seem like a chore, and it shouldn't be. I can't wait until we go back to novels.Heck, I'd rather do multiple choice questions.
"The winds of change, they blow in my direction" - Fitz and the Tantrums
-D.

Post #32: The Return

Welcome back! This is my last semester in high school, and holy cow I'm going to graduate in six months. Six months and I'm going to walk across the stage. Six months and I'm done. Wow. And then off to college. And it's 2014!
Mr. Burge definitely dove right into poetry. I wasn't too thrilled to begin with, mostly because I had mixed up my binders this morning, but then once we got started, I got into it. I actually like analyzing poetry, when it comes down to it. And at this point, I'm glad to just be analyzing things. I got a little bored over break, so I wrote an informal thematic analysis of Fight Club. But now everything is back in full swing, and one of poems for tonight's reading is "Bright Star" by Keats. I love Keats. He is one of my favorite poets. And also, we read "It Sifts from Leaden Sieves" by Dickinson. I think that it is my new favorite poem. I love the way she metaphorically describes the snow. And sieves are cool kitchen utensils.
I think my favorite Dickinson poem is "There is no Frigate like a Book". It perfectly describes why books are so wonderful.
Capstone update!
We were supposed to start the EMR course in mid-February, but instead we started on Wednesday! I am really excited to be taking this class, and I'm even more excited that it counts for my capstone project too. Paramedic has become a serious career possibility for me, and might even trump police officer.
Happy no more 2013!
-D.

Post #31: Last Week On The Homefront

Last week on the homefront was an eventful one. I filmed my short film, I started writing a pattern for a cowl similar to the one Katniss wears in Catching Fire, and of course, the coming of 2014. And FAFSA.

I am excited for the new year. 2013 was a suckfest. I am trying very hard to be optimistic for 2014. I want so much out of this year, including new opportunities in college, graduation (yay!), and I am looking forward to love. And not just a beau, although I would be down with that, and maybe a first kiss, but just more love in general. Doing more things that I love, being around people that I love, and being open to love. I know I sound like those corny jewelry commercial with the 'open heart' pendants, but I know that I have to be open to the possibilities that the universe is putting before me. And also that first kiss. That's on my list. Right after graduation, grades, and college. I know how to keep my priorities straight. 

My shoot for my short film was a lot of fun. I wrote, directed and co-starred in it, and I got to play Mark Wahlberg, sort of. I love Mark Wahlberg. I based my impression off of a combo of his post- "Mark Wahlberg Talks To Animals" SNL appearance and his role as Staff Sergeant Dignam in The Departed.
FAFSA was not as bad as Mr. Burge made it sound. It only took about 45 minutes.
I hope to have the cowl done before break is over. I want to wear it to school.
-D.