Week 3 Storytelling: Saint Comgall and the Friendly Mice

There once was a friendly and loving Saint named Comgall who lived in the beautiful green hills near the town of Bangor. Even though the hills were luscious and filled with beautiful flowers and ancient trees, Comgall never felt quite right living on his own because of those he saw in the town. He felt badly for the orphans and poor children of the land, so he opened his own monastery where they could all learn, laugh, play, and be together forever. He taught the eager students to interact with nature and to love all animals they encountered, from the swans in the lake and the bears in the forest to the rabbits in the field and the mice in the monastery. Saint Comgall showed his students to look out for these dear animals and to perform small acts of kindness for them whenever possible because one day, these small animals may return the favor. In this way, the pupils continued for several years.

(Comgall's Monastery in the hills near Bangor. Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Unfortunately, one winter, it became much colder than it had ever been in the past, which limited the amount of food that the town or monastery could gather and prepare. Comgall gave up his most of his own rations each day so that his pupils could eat and have full stomachs while they tried to learn. At last, however, the rations were so small that even Comgall's meager portions could not feed the poor children. They began to starve, growing weak and thin, with sunken faces and a diminished light in their eyes. Comgall could no longer stand the sight of such hunger in his precious children, so he decided to visit Prince Norbert, the monastery's neighbor, to ask for more portions of food. It was rumored that the Prince had more than his fair portion of grains and Comgall believed that he could appeal to the goodness in the Prince Norbert's heart by telling him about the children.
Comgall walked to Norbert's palace and knocked on the door, hoping to convince him to help the young pupils of his monastery. Instead, he was surprised to see a wicked, old woman crack open the door, peering through with one eye. She instantly slammed it in Comgall's face and then he heard a loud voice.

(The harsh winter they faced. Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

"Lurch! Dear, Mother Lurch! Who was at the door?!" a man shrieked in a high-pitched voice. The door immediately swung open to reveal the ugly and cruel Prince Norbert with a half-eaten loaf of bread in his hand. "What do you want?"
"My sir, Prince Norbert, my name is Saint Comgall and I own the monastery just next door. Our poor students are starving and they are but young children. Could you spare a loaf of bread or two?" Comgall pleaded.
Without hesitation, Prince Norbert responded, "No, Dear Lurch and I will have all of the bread to ourselves and, mind you, we will enjoy it!" as he slammed the door in Comgall's face yet again. Comgall was devastated and stood still for a moment before thinking to himself.
"Hmm...I know the world Lurch... it means "mouse"... and I know a few mouse friends of who would love to help me out..." Comgall pondered as he walked home to the monastery empty-handed.

As soon as he entered his home, he ran to the dining hall and clapped his hands twice- the cue for all of his mouse to run out of their holes in the wall. Over one hundred mice soon surrounded him, scampering around and on top of him, as he explained the monastery's plight. Each mouse, angered by the words of Prince Norbert and his mother Lurch, vowed to help Comgall however they could. They schemed into the late hours of the night before they settled on a plan and returned to Prince Norbert's palace. Comgall led the mice up to the door, where he pointed to a small hole in the wooden door he had noticed earlier, and let all of them scurry in one by one to overtake the palace.
Norbert and Lurch each awoke with screams as they felt furry bodies surround them and heard small squeals in the night before realizing that they were being carried out of the palace on the backs of a wave of small animals. They grasped at the doors and furniture to keep from being taken from the palace, but the mice were too fast and dashed to the door, still carrying the Prince and his mother. Comgall smiled with delight as he watched how Norbert and Lurch were so kindly escorted from the palace and into the dark of the early morning, leaving the door wide open and the grains unattended.

(The mice scheming all night to help Comgall. Photo from Pexels)

At sunrise, Comgall rushed home to the monastery to wake all of the hungry children and lead them to Prince Norbert's palace. When they arrived, he flung the door open to show the magnificent meal he had prepared after the mice had taken Norbert and Lurch. There were bagels, toast, fruits, oatmeal, apples, oranges, nuts, and anything else the children desired. They screamed with joy and swarmed Comgall to embrace and thank him while he stood at the door smiling at his happy students. And when he glanced out the door, he caught the eye of one of his mouse friends, who smiled at him before scurrying back into the forest to make sure that Norbert and Lurch never returned so the children of the monastery could fill their empty bellies at last.

Author's Note:
For this story from Saints and Animals, I kept the basic plot the same with Comgall owning the monastery, his kind and friendly interactions with animals, and when all of his students were starving during the harsh winter. When he asked for the Prince's help, he was turned away and asked his friends, the mice, to help him. However, in the original, the mice actually eat all of the grains and leave Prince Croadh and Lurch with nothing. I wanted to change the ending so that the children actually got to eat the food rather than only the mice being fed. I thought it would be a little happier of an ending for the young children to be happy and full! I also expanded on how evil and cruel the Prince and his mother were as well as changed the name of the Prince to Norbert, which I found to be even uglier and nastier than Croadh. I had fun trying to make this story sound like a children's book as well as making my own additions!

Bibliography: 
Link to Saints and Animals, based on Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown

Reading Notes: Saints and Animals, Part B

The Fish Who Helped Saint Gudwall:

• Saint Gudwall moved to a new home on the Welsh coast with his pupil in a deep cave where they could keep their books and belongings
• The sea became angry as winter arrived and washed out the cave and drenched them both
• But the fish of the sea built a barrier between Gudwall and the sea so he could still live there
• Could add some drama by having Gudwall's pupil swept out to sea with the waves and Gudwall and the fish must search for him in the angry and intense waves

The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe:

• A little Irish baby named Ailbe was abandoned by his parents and taken in by a kind mother wolf, who raised him as her own with her wolf pups
• One day, a hunter prince found Ailbe in the forest and took him home to his wife, despite the protests and pursuit of his wolf family
• He was richly raised in a castle, became the Bishop, and protected his wolf family from harm of hunters while providing food for them everyday
• Something to change would be to have his cruel first parents enter the story again and see how he would react to them

The Ballad of Saint Athracta's Stags:

• Athracta was a beautiful maiden princess who yearned only to be in the wild until she was bidden by the King to help build a fort without the help of a man
• When she had chopped enough trees, her poor horses could not carry it so she called to the stags of the wood who flocked to ger to pull the wagon
• When the chains broke, she fixed them with her beautiful hair and the King realized she was more powerful than he was 
• Could change it so that her hair didn't fix the chain, so other creatures of the woods came to help her carry the wood

The Ballad of Saint Felix:

•  In Italy, there was a cruel emporer persecuting Christians and Saint Felix, whose name everyone knew, hid instead of running away
• All dressed in disguise, a kind spider spun a web so thick that the soldiers couldn't find him
• He stayed in hiding, where a Christian woman brought him food everyday, until the danger was gone
• Could rewrite the spider's role as instead of helping Saint Felix, he was actually capturing him for his own and Felix has to try to escape

The Ballad of Saint Giles and the Deer:

• A hermit named Saint Giles lived in a secluded forest far from everyone except his Deer friend
• When the deer was shot by hunters who stumbled into the wood, Giles lifted her up and took the blow of another arrow instead, falling to the ground to die
• The pagan King arrived and nursed Giles back to health and when he saw Giles' Christian lifestyle, he became a Christian himself
• One thing I could change would be that the hunters brought Giles back to the King's palace to heal and the sweet Deer ran to his rescue

Saint Francis of Assisi:

• Saint Francis was a poor, ill, and homeless man who lived his life as closely as he could to Jesus's life and had an almost magical ability to smile and bright everyone's day because everyone knew his smile
• Francis tamed and taught a terrible, vicious wolf (who had been devouring cows and men alike) to beg for his food everyday and play with the little children of Gubbio
• When Saint Francis went to dwell on Monte Alverno, they were greeted by a multitude of singing birds (as he had been before) and he felt blessed to live on the mountain top
• Could rewrite the story so that the birds didn't know when to stop singing and praising God and Francis, so one day he accidentally snaps at them and they run from him, ruining his name and reputation so that he must remedy the situation immediately

(Saint Francis preaching to his friends, the birds, from Wikimedia Commons)  

Bibliography: 
Link to Saints and Animals, based on Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown

Famous Last Words: Getting the Hang of Things

Week two of this semester presented a unique set of challenges for me from the first week. I finally felt like I was getting the hang of writing again and able to whip out many of my assignments in record time (for me, at least), but my struggle was instead finding time to complete the work that was due. I felt a little stressed with a major paper deadline, several small assignments, readings, and this class. However, the assignments in this class continually felt like a breath of fresh air and allowed me to get back into the swing of being a writer.

I haven't written very many things that aren't scientific reports since high school and this class is really helping me channel my inner writer again. I felt like my best writing was my Week 2 story about Cupid and Psyche. Once I stopped overthinking the assignment and understood what I needed to do, the story came to me very naturally and easily, with the whole assignment taking me about 30 minutes. I also found myself having more fun as I watched my fingers type my thoughts faster than I realized what I was even thinking sometimes. This familiar feeling also allowed me to write my Humanities paper about the Catholic and Baroque period influences on painting, something which I know essentially nothing about. I am very happy that this class is helping me reignite a passion for writing that I haven't experienced in years and is even helping me with my other classes- who knew!

My goal for this week is to be proactive and stay ahead. I am currently several days ahead with assignments in most of my classes, but I would like to create even more buffer room for when the semester gets hectic. Checking in on other people's blogs from this class also helps me stay motivated as I see the great work they are creating, so I hope this well help me stay on top of my goal this week!

(Reminded of my passion for writing this week! Image from Flickr User Anthony Easton)

Reading Notes: Saints and Animals, Part A

Saint Kentigern and the Robin:

• Kentigern was the smartest pupil in the school and loved by the fatherly figure Saint Servan
• All of the other schoolboys were jealous of Kentigern knowing all the right answers so they decided to prank him and get him in trouble, but their tricks go wrong and Kentigern becomes even more loved by everyone
• Could change it so that Saint Servan was on the schoolboys' side in hating Kentigern because he was smarter than the Saint himself

Saint Blaise and His Beasts:

• Saint Blaise was a Christian in a town of heathens who loved animals and prayed for all of them, even the wild ones in the woods and fields
• The soldiers of the town took Saint Blaise away from his animal friends and tortured him so that he would renounce Christianity
• The soldiers try to drown him, but instead he walks on water and willingly is beheaded
• Could add a small animal friend that follows him into the jail where he is kept and frees him

Saint Comgall and the Mice:

• Saint Comgall, the "goodly pledge" built a monastery with many pupils and friends nearby
• Comgall loved all animals and called to all the mice in the land when his monastery was starving to eat all of the grain that was stored at the evil prince Croadh's hall 
• Could rewrite the story so that the mice actually carried Croadh and his mother Lurch away from their hall so that Comgall and his pupils could then inhabit the place and eat all the grain (which is a happier ending!)

The Wonders of Saint Berach:

• Berach was a young monk learning from Saint Coemgen in a monastery when one day his favorite cow's young calf was snatched up by a hungry wolf
• Berach had great power over animals and nature, so when a young boy was sick, he turned the winter and snow into April and was able to collect juicy apples and salad for the biy
• He was summoned to court one day and mistaken as a beggar, so he performed several miraculous acts and the King noticed him, bringing him inside and giving him gifts
• Could change the part of freezing the naughty boys where Berach was unable to fix it after and the crowds were very mad at him, but the animals he saved came to his rescue

(The Monastery at Glendalough where Saint Berach was the Abbott)

Bibliography: 
Link to Saints and Animals, based on Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown

Wikipedia Trails: From Cyclops to the Concorde

I started my Wikipedia Trail with inspiration from one of my group member's Week 2 Storytelling that included a funny picture of a Cyclops in his original story. As I read about Cyclopes (which I did not previously know the plural name for) in Greek and Roman mythology, I learned that three cyclopes in particular created Zeus' lightning bolt weapons, adding brightness, lightning, and thunder to each. I then learned about thunder depending on increases in pressure, temperature, and expansion of air to create a sonic boom that can be a loud clap or a low rumble. Thunder is described as a moving pulse that is similar to the shock wave at the front of a supersonic aircraft in flight. On the supersonic speed page, I read about the rate of travel that is faster than the speed of sound, meaning any sound at this frequency is outside the range of human hearing. The most famous supersonic passenger aircraft named the Concorde, which is a British-French turbojet supersonic airliner that was operating until 2003. I have never heard of this jet before so it was cool to read about its maximum speed being over twice the speed of sound. It was really interesting to see where the Wikipedia Trail brought me from something classical and mythological to a jet airliner I had never heard of before!

(This picture of a friendly cyclops made me laugh!)

Feedback Thoughts

Receiving feedback is something that I have always struggled with and taken too way personally, so I was excited to read these articles and see what nuggets of truth and advice they provided. I found interesting suggestions and tips in each one!

Getting Feedback...
The first article I read called Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head was one that greatly resonated with me and was extremely relatable in my life. I often have trouble listening to any positive feedback because I focus so obssessively on the negative, no matter how much the positive may outweigh the negative. I even obsess over negative comments from over 10 years ago. I often dismiss positive compliments as "luck" or "nothing big" instead of accepting them as the form of encouragement they are meant to be. I really liked the idea in this article to practice a five-to-one ratio of positive and negative comments because I would say that right now, that ratio is completely reversed for me,  often leaving me anxious and uncomfortable with how I believe others perceive me. This is certainly not a healthy or maintaible mindset and I would very much like to change it for my own well-being and also that of others.  Certainly something for me to keep in mind!

The second article Using Harsh Feeback to Fuel Your Career was also engaging to me because of the premise of using harsh and negative feedback to further and better your goals and overall self. As the author writes, we have all experienced some sort of failure or embarrassment that pushed us to overcome and be better than we were before. For me, that was during my college musical theatre auditions all over the country where some of them went very well and some of them were absolutely abysmal. Because not everyone felt defeated after each audition, I often found that I couldn't express how I was feeling because I was embarrassed, but the article's first step of embracing emotions really stood out to me because of this. It's okay to feel a certain way after failure, but it must not become consuming or a definition of oneself. I learned instead to treat myself to a single-dip cone of Cappucino Chunky Chocolate ice cream after each audition so that I would have something to look forward to while allowing myself to feel the emotions. I really enjoyed reading this article!

(Feedback from Pixabay)

Giving Feedback...
In Presence, Not Praise: How To Cultivate a Healthy Relationship with Achievement, I really appreciated the stance that the author takes (even referencing Carol Dweck) in the harm the praising children for things they ought to be able to do. I agree that it can teach a mindset of complacency and laziness, only doing the bare minimum to get by, when a child is praising for average completion of tasks other children do as well. I liked the idea of praising hard work, dedication, and eagerness to learn are qualities that set a child apart and when praised, will motivate one to work even harder.  I also liked the author's reference to Charlotte Mueller's interaction with a four-year-old boy who was drawing and she was simply present with him, listening and observing, while he painted. She commented on how much blue there was in the picture, rather than saying it was wonderful, and it spurred him to tell her about the inspiration for the painting being his grandmother's house. These type of interactions and feedback seem truly productive and inspiring, rather than complimenting people on things that everyone is expected to do. This article brought up really good points!

The final article that I read, Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset,  made several excellent points about the growth mindset and how it is encouraged by "being a mirror": reflecting exactly what is present instead of focusing on what could be there or what could be done to improve. Something that really sparked my eye was the idea of taking "myself", the critique, out of the statement because it often implies that the work was done to please the reader, viewer, or teacher. I often find myself mentioning things that I enjoyed or that I related to in comments, when in reality, I should never be mentioning myself in the feedback if it is truly about the work presented. While it is sometimes relevant to add "I loved it!" or "My favorite part was when...", my new goal for feedback this semester after reading this article is to entirely focus on the creator and the work presented and leave myself out of it for the most part. This really spoke to me and was an excellent read!

Tech Tip: Blog Profile

For this week's tech tip, I chose to remove the "About Me" portion from my blog because I couldn't think of a clever way to summarize myself into a few sentences and I didn't want to distract any viewers from the blog post options in the labels section. I think it looks cleaner on my blog page without me rambling about myself. :) Though, I love seeing what other people write on theirs (I'm just not quite as creative) and getting to know people a little bit better through their blogs!

Week 2 Storytelling: How Psyche Found Her Lost Love Cupid

There once was a beautiful princess- in fact, the most radiant in all the land- named Psyche who was married to the handsome god Cupid. However, Psyche did not know who her mysterious husband was because he was sworn by his mother to keep his identity a secret and thus visited her only in the pitch black night, always gone by morning. Cupid longed for Psyche to know who he was, but he could not disobey his mother Venus's divine orders for she did not approve of his marriage to the mortal princess Psyche. Psyche also yearned to know who her husband was, so one night, while he was asleep, she snatched a candle she had hidden under her bed and lit it with a match she had found.

Unbeknownst to Psyche, Venus had placed a spell on her son Cupid so that if Psyche ever discovered his true identity, the god Zephuros would send a mighty wind to snatch Cupid up and bring him back to her divine palace. While she loved her son very much and wanted him to be happy, she did not trust her mortal daughter-in-law, so she devised this spell in case her son were ever in danger. The second the light from the candle graced her husband's face, a fierce wind threw open the balcony doors to their room, untangled the sleeping Cupid from the sheets, and swept him into the sky. Psyche could hear Cupid crying out her name as he was taken from her and she knew she must follow him.

Without hesistation, she flung herself off the balcony and caught the tail of the mighty wind that had carried Cupid. As she passed through layers of clouds and saw the brilliant beautiful stars, Psyche was gently lowered from the stream of wind to a soft cloudlike surface. She looked around in amazement to realize that she stood at the gate to a divine neighborhood, beautifully lavish and fit for the gods and demigods. She knew that Venus must live here, for she was far too social to miss out on this type of neighborhood, and rushed through the gate in hopes of finding her dear Cupid.

 

(Royal Palace inspired by The Hall of Mirrors)

The first palace she approached was ornately decorated with beautiful flowerbeds, a small stream, and gold statues of legendary feats and fights of the gods. Psyche knocked on the enormous french doors of the mansion and was greeted by a young servant. She asked to speak to the god or goddess of the palace and was brought to the beautiful goddess whom she recognized as Juno draped in the finest silks and being fed a platter of grapes. Psyche fell to her knees and pleaded for assistance in finding her husband.

"Venus is a dear friend of mine, sweet princess, and I could not betray that friendship by helping the very woman she is simply trying to protect her son from. I am sorry. I cannot help you and I must ask you to be on your way," whispered Juno as she dismissed Psyche from her presence.

Discouraged, Psyche left the palace to repeat her request to the next god or goddess she met. After knocking at the next palace and being greeted by a servant, she was led to a royal chamber where the goddess Ceres was having her luscious locks of flowing hair braided into an elegant updo. Without even looking Psyche, Ceres briskly asked what she needed and why she was bothering her.

"Listen, child, Venus and I have been friends for many years and she would be extremely angry with me if she knew I was even speaking to you. She told me all about your relationship with Cupid and I must say that I agree with her. Now leave me so I can finish readying myself for a lunch party with Venus herself this afternoon," said Ceres after hearing Psyche's story and still arrogantly staring at herself in the mirror, never even bothering to look at Psyche as she was escorted outside.

Psyche sat on the sidewalk outside of Cere's palace and sobbed in dismay that no one would help he find her one true love. Then just when she thought she would never see him again, the goddess Aphrodite paused while on a stroll and asked why she was crying. Psyche, through many tears, explained her plight and requested the goddess's assistance.

"Oh honey, Venus has been driving me absolutely crazy for the last million years and I would love nothing more than to bother her in any way possible, especially if that means reuinting you with your one true love. Come with me. I'll sneak you into Venus's house through the back entrance and help you find Cupid!" Aphrodite excitedly offered while grabbing Psyche's hand and running to the most beautiful palace in the whole neighborhood.

Aphrodite led Psyche through the back gate, inside a back door, through a closet and secret hallway, finally approaching a bedroom. Aphrodite swiftly opened the door to reveal Cupid staring longingly out the window while his mother Venus tried to convince him to forget Psyche. Upon hearing the door fling open, Cupid cried out in joy and ran to his beloved wife, smothering her in hugs and kisses. As Venus screamed to the guards to take a laughing Aphrodite away, Cupid and Psyche saw their chance to escape the divine neighborhood and return home. They lived happily ever after and even moved to a new house so that Venus could never find them and interrupt their love story again.

(Cupid and Psyche reunited. Painted by Jean-Pierre Saint-Ours)

Author's Note:
For the most part, I followed the premise of the story when Psyche is searching for her Cupid and runs into Juno and Ceres. However, I thought it would be fun to create a heavenly neighborhood and explore the relationships between the other goddesses and Venus. It was fun to imagine her running around lost through a neighborhood of beautiful mansions. I also wanted to expand on the relationships of Juno, Ceres, and Venus and even added another character, Aphrodite, who didn't side with Venus after all. I thought this was funny that she would be the only one who did not want to help her, insteading helping Psyche. The final change I made was that Cupid was unwillingly whisked away by Venus, rather than him running away from her as in the original story. I wanted them to both be yearning for each other and to be reuinted so that there was a happy ending when they did.

 Bibliography: This story is based on Cupid and Psyche by Apulieus and translated by Tony Kline

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche, Part B

• Venus is absolutely furious with Cupid and scolds him for falling for the very girl she meant to punish. Her friends, Juno and Ceres, defend Cupid and tell her that he is not a child anymore and can make decisions for himself.
• I could add Mars, Cupid's stepfather, in as a character in the scene rather than simply a reference.
• I could also change the story so that Venus snatched Cupid away from Psyche and is holding him hostage to keep him from her. 
•  Psyche desperately searches for Cupid, knowing that Venus is on the hunt for her,  and encounters Juno and Ceres, each at their own palace. But she is turned away when asked for their help and refuge because of their friendship with Venus. 
• I imagine her approaching each palace as if they were lined up on a street in the heavenly neighborhood of gods and demigods, which would be fun to write. 
•  Venus enlists the help of her brother Mercury, the messenger god, to proclaim the pursuit and ransom for Psyche with the reward of seven kisses. Venus's mistress found Psyche and brought her forward as a hostage.
• Venus tortured and beat Psyche and assigned her several impossible tasks, including sorting a pile of lentils and wheat, obtaining golden wool, and a phial of freezing liquid from a swamp.
•  I could change the Eagle that helps Psyche complete the task to Cupid's best friend and pet, who knows that they are lovers being kept from each other.
•  Venus is helped by a turret through the traps of the underworld and the steps necessary to obtain Persepone's beauty in the jar. 
• Instead of a turret, there could be a kind old man (who had been a mentor to Cupid and knows who Psyche is) explain all of the traps and help Psyche.
• Cupid finally escapes and discovers Psyche, who opened the jar and fell asleep, but frees her and asks Jupiter for his support.
• I could change Jupiter from being a father figure to Cupid's absolute best friend growing up, who could also list many negative and awful things that Cupid has done or they have done together.
• There is an assembly of all the deities and Jupiter officially pronounces the wedding of Cupid and Psyche. She drinks the ambrosia and becomes immortal.
• I could change it so that Psyche is actually allergic to ambrosia, causing her to be unable to drink it and become immortal, so Cupid resigns himself to mortal life on earth.  

(Wedding Banquet of Cupid and Psyche by Rafaello)

 Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche by Apulieus and translated by Tony Kline

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche, Part A

Psyche:

• She was the most beautiful of the three daughters and people flocked to see her
• People began to say that she was the goddess Venus herself on earth as a mortal
• Venus was infuriated that people were worshiping Psyche instead of her 
• She was so perfect that men did not wish to marry her, only admiring from afar
• Could write about a terrible curse or spell that Venus casts on Psyche to punish her

Cupid:

• Venus's son who is wicked and with bow and torch in hand, ruins marriages and is shameful
• Venus asks him to punish her by causing her to passionately love an insignificant man 
• He brings Psyche to his palace, visiting her only at night to keep his identity a secret

Psyche's father sought out the oracle of Apollo and learned of the ritual and fatal marriage that would be Pysche's end. They left her on the precipice to die, but she was lifted by the wind and carried down the cliff where she stumbled upon a god or demigod's palace.

• Could change so that Psyche sneaked away from the ceremony (or even did die) and ran until she came upon the beautiful palace.

Her mysterious husband, who is actually Cupid, warns her not to see her sisters, but after she pleaded with him, he allowed her to visit them, but not to investigate who Cupid is. She seduces Cupid into bringing the sisters to the palace, but they were jealous when they see Psyche's new life.

•  I could expand on this idea of sisterly jealousy and even add influences of Cinderella with her two evil step-sisters. They could devise a scheme, possibly dressing up as Psyche and switching places.

Cupid warns her that she will bear a divine child if she speaks no word of Cupid, but her terrible sisters convinced her that Cupid was an evil beast and told her to kill him. But when she saw who it was, she woke him up, and he flew away. She fled to her sisters and when she told them what happened, they hurried to take her place in Cupid's palace but died trying.

 (Psyche discovering Cupid's identity by Giuseppe Maria Crespi)

Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche by Apulieus and translated by Tony Kline

Famous Last Words: Senioritis!

Unfortunately, this first week of school has been hard for me because I have been facing a bad case of senioritis... I have watched too much Netflix, taken a few too many naps, and not been as productive as I could have been. However, when I have sat down to do homework, I have been able to focus and I have quickly realized that this is my favorite class this semester because it is such a fun and creative outlet for me. That is a big change of pace from my usual science and health classes. I took several creative writing courses in high school where I wrote poetry, short stories, anthologies, and even plays, so this is enjoyable for me to try again after several years. Even though it was initially hard for me, my favorite assignment was expanding on a myth or folklore with our own story and characters because it was exciting to add my own twist and create the characters as I imagined them to be. Another assignment I enjoyed was the Growth Mindset assignment because the Carol Dweck videos really resonated with me and encouraged me to not be so obsessive and "fixed" in my thinking, rather seeing myself as a work in progress.

I also really liked reading other students' storybooks because each one I read had a different style, tone, personality, and creativity that inspired me and excited me for my own project. I particularly liked the "My Brothers Grimm" story since it was such a unique idea to add a heroine to a set of stories that are so well known and the additions were excellently woven into the plots without changing anything major, simply adding small details that were certainly plausible. I liked the layout of the storybook as well as the images used because they both set the scene and supplemented the story perfectly.

 (Brothers Grimm)

I am starting to get the flow of my classes this semester and with two of them being online, I would really like to solidify a schedule and stick to it. Two of my classes have a tremendous amount of reading and several essays per week, so I want to be sure to stay on top of things and see this class as a fun and refreshing outlet for creativity and pieces I actually enjoy writing. My goal is to be proactive and stay ahead in my classes so that my case of senioritis can't affect me too much!

(Source: Free Stock Photos)

Wikipedia Trail: From Grendel to Georges Cuvier

I started my Wikipedia trail with Grendel because one of my favorite storybooks I read this past week had a villainous character that referenced and was clearly influenced by Grendel. I enjoyed reading Beowulf in high school but couldn't remember many details about Grendel, so I decided to look him up on Wikipedia. Beowulf is depicted as a monster or a giant and feared by all (except for Beowulf) and was loosely based by Cain, the first murderer in the bible. I noticed some of the debate on Grendel's appearance, which led me to the Peter Dickinson's argument that Grendel walked on two feet.

This led me to the term bipedalism, which is a form of locomotion on two feet, which humans and many mammals, primates, and amphibians do. Bipedalism is described as having several types of movement, including standing, walking, running, and jumping. There were several mammals described to have evolved independently into bipedalism as their primary way of moving, which is where one particular mammal listed caught my eye...a sloth.

But this was not just any sloth; in fact, it was an extinct ground sloth, also scientifically known as a  Megatheriidae. These sloths lived up until 11,000 years ago primarily in South America. Their skeletal remains indicate that they were absolutely massive (which made me excited and laugh a lot) with reports of one of the earliest ones being 17 feet tall, 6 meters in length, and 5 tons in weight. I just about lost it when I read that portion because I love sloths and I instantly googled images of these beautiful creatures.

Megatheriidae received their name ("great beast") from Georges Cuvier, so my final stop on the Wikipedia trail was learning more about him. Cuvier was a French naturalist and zoologist and one of the founding fathers of palaeontology. He essentially established the field of comparative anatomy and taxonomy grouped into classes of phyla. He also did not believe in evolution and engaged in public debates about the topic.

 (Skeleton of the MASSIVE extinct ground sloth)

Source: Wikipedia

Tech Tip Cheezburger Meme

(Image Source: Cheezburger)

Growth Mindset

I have never heard of either Carol Dweck or the concept of "growth mindset" before, but they were certainly words that I needed to hear. I tend to have what Carol defines as a "fixed" mindset, because I have always been obsessed with making good grades, excelling above and beyond expectations, and being naturally gifted at whatever task set before me. Regardless of prior knowledge or experience, I often expect myself to be instantly good at things and become incredibly frustrated when I am not. Throughout high school and the beginning of college, I had always been a straight A student, but I had never stepped very far out of my comfort zone of learning. Since I was studying music, something I had done since I was six, concepts and techniques came naturally to me and I was never faced with much failure.

When I transferred to OU, I challenged myself with something completely new and become a science major (even though I somehow managed to get through high school with barely any science classes). It was often difficult at first, but I began to see unsatisfactory test grades as stepping stones to true understanding and stressed out less about my grades and GPA, instead appreciating the concepts I was learning and the growth I was experiencing. Whether or not it was reflected on a test, paper, or even an entire class, I was learning information that would be useful to me in my future career as a Physical Therapist. That's when I really began to enjoy practicing, studying, reading, and truly learning so that I could always challenge myself to take it one step farther and become smarter.

I enjoyed the videos of Carol's talks because they greatly resonated with me and encouraged me to step outside of this "fixed" mindset. My favorite example of hers was the grades of "Not Yet" earned by stuents because not immediately excelling is not the end of the world as we often see it. It is simply postponing to ensure future success. That story reminds me of my brother's Pre-Kindergarten teacher telling my parents that my brother needed "the gift of another year" when she decided to hold him back. It ended up working out wonderfully and the "Not Yet" grade reminds me of this.

Personally, I would love to implement this Growth Mindset into my academic and social endeavors because I truly think it is the healthiest mindset for peace and happiness. One class I'm especially hoping to experience this in is my government class since that is a subject that I have no experience and extremely limited knowledge in, meaning I know it will take time for me to understand and I must be patient with myself. I am inspired by this topic and would like to learn more!

(Growth Mindset Image from Flickr)

Time Strategies

Time management is definitely a difficult thing to master for many people, especially college students, so I have found that planning out my days is incredibly important.  So I chose to read the The Myth of "Too Busy" article because I find myself using the word busy way too often.

Even though it is frustrating to realize, I liked the points that Tim Grahl made when he said that we are not usually busy, we are simply misprioritizing and mismanaging our time. When he described it this way, I realized that the small portions of time I do manage to have available throughout the day could be used for much more productive and relationial activities instead of browsing Facebook, Instagram, and whatever other social media notification I have received. He made an excellent point that once you set your priorities, it only makes sense that other things have to give. It is impossible to get everything done in a day and still have time for oneself and all possible friends and family, so something must change to allow for maximal productivity and enjoyment of life.

Usually, I often overload each day with more activities, events, meetings, study groups, etc. than I can actually physically participate in and attend in a 24 hour day. Hence, this article resonated with me. However, this semester, I have made it a personal goal to say "NO" to things that do not make me happy or further my goals of graduating college, maintaining relationships, and attending Physical Therapy school. Even though it has been difficult to do so, I realized at the beginning of this year that it would be important for me to have time to get everything done this semester (especially since I am taking two online classes and 16 hours total, participate in multiple extracurricular activities, and work a part-time job as a Physical Therapy technician) WITHOUT going crazy.

Thankfully, to manage my days and newly found time, I use the MyAgenda planner and absolutely love it. It has excellent organization for all of the categories and sections of life that need managing. I have used it for four years now and it keeps me on track with all of my meetings, due dates, appointments, studying, and work schedules while also allowing for a social life. I have found that when I plan each part of my day, I know what to do with the time when it comes and can make the most of it. Thus, I will write in my planned hours of work for this class (Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday) as if they are in-person obligation so that I will be prepared to be productive and even work ahead when I am able to do so. I also use the app "UpWord" which allows me to make virtual checklists, organize them by importance, and have the satisfaction of checking them off with the swipe of a finger when I am done. I used this app for all of my To Do, homework, and even grocery lists and it is excellently organized to make keeping up with life a stress-free experience.

Even with UpWord and MyAgenda, time management still comes down to determination and hard work and that is something that comes with practice and good work ethic. So I will continue to use these methods for this class and Spring 2017 semester because I have found that they work best with my personality, organizational style, and desire to be proactive. Hopefully, this semester will be less stressful and allow me to enjoy life thanks to the tips in Tim Grahl's article and my trusty planner!

(Personal photo of my fun and life-saving MyAgenda planner)

Reading Options

After reading through the Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook units online, it was very difficult for me to pick three for my reading options because so many of them sounded interesting and unique.

For the Week 2 reading, the title of the Cupid and Psyche Unit really caught my attention. I am always intrigued by a good love story and with Cupid being the god of love, I felt like it was bound to be an exciting read. When I read the overview, I saw the tale described as similar to "Beauty and the Beast", which is one of my favorite movies and stories as well as a musical I have been in. That, and the reference to one of my favorite authors (C.S. Lewis), solidified my interest in the tale. I glanced through the "chapters", read the first few, and I am already hooked on this story. I look forward to watching the story unfold!

(Cupid and Psyche. Illustration by Spencer Stanhope.)

 

The The Monkey King Unit caught my eye because initially, the title sounded fun and silly. However, when I selected the unit, I realized that it was an intense story of a miraculously gifted monkey king who trains both as a warrior and a magician and then rebels against heaven, causing Buddha to become involved. This piqued my interest both of my brothers and my father are passionate about Martial Arts and I imagined everything they have learned and studied through the years when picture the Monkey King's training. It has been exciting and entertaining to see my family become so passionate about Asian culture and I have found myself really enjoying it, so naturally I was drawn to the Asian Mythology unit. After glancing through it, I liked the writing style and tone and I feel confident that it is a piece I will enjoy later this semester.

(The Monkey King. Wikimedia Commons.)

 

The final unit I browsed and was interested in was Dante's Inferno Unit. I have actually always been interested in reading Dante's Inferno, so I was excited when I saw that this was an option in Week 13-14's literary works. I am a little nervous that this piece might be more challenging, especially of its reputation, but the topic and overview are fascinating to me and I love Italian cultures and influences. I am interested in the Purgatory and Paradise and intrigued to see how the Christian theology of hell is integrated with characters and influences from ancient mythology.

 (Dante's Inferno. Illustration by Bartolomeo Di Fruosino.)

My Storybook Favorites

The three stories that piqued my interest were My Brothers Grimm: The Diary of the Only Grimm Sister, College of the Elite, and Not to Touch the Earth. Each of them was extremely different and creative and it was exciting to see the similarities and imaginative additions to each story from the original tale. 

The first story I read was My Brothers Grimm: The Diary of the Only Grimm Sister and I knew it was going to be good when I saw the layout of the website and the perfectly depictive illustration. The layout of the page was consistent with the initial picture and the font created a humorous and whimsical tone that was reflected in the style of writing. I was intrigued by the title because I have two brothers and could perfectly relate to Charlotte's character being the only girl in the family and always having to help her brothers out. I thought it was incredibly creative to create such a storyline that seamlessly connected Rumplestiltskin, Hansel and Grethel, Jorinda and Jorindel, and the gang of cannibal men- all of which I would have never connected before. The stories were perfectly written to allow Charlotte to play her role yet also preserving the original story that the brothers tell and that are popular today. I greatly enjoyed reading these stories and believed as well as related to the characters wholeheartedly.

(Image Source: Old German Town. Source: Wikipedia.)

The second story, College of the Elite, was clever, humorous, and exciting to read. I chose it because I am currently in college and was not sure what to expect with the name. It was about the Elite University where students of different races- including Vampire, Banshee, Fae, and Siren- are beginning their Freshman year of college and want to disband any archetypical stereotypes that give them their reputations. I lived with a random roommate my first year of school, so it was funny for me to read the interactions between Brea and Evie as they adjust to rooming together, which can tend to be a shock. The transitions between points of view were clear and well-written as the last line of one story became the first of another. These deeper looks into each scene gave the characters a greater sense of humour as the reader understands their thought processes and different interpretations of social experiences. I especially liked the images- screenshots of both the text and email- that the writer, Katie, created to give the story a sense of realism.

(This is Corpus Christi College in Cambridge. Web Source)

Not to Touch the Earth, the third story I read, was very different from the other two. I initially selected it because of the title, which I was completely unfamiliar with and definitely wanted to discover.  It was based on the story of Beowulf and the villain he faced, Grendel, and I was excited to read this piece because of how greatly I enjoyed reading Beowulf. The plot was wonderfully accentuated by a post-apocalyptic theme, something I am fascinated by, that presented many unique settings and dark places for nerve-wracking action.  I also enjoyed the Great Gatsby influence with the side character, Fox, to the leading hero, Rye. I found that to be a unique perspective for the details in the story. The illustrations of abandoned, dark buildings and empty streets excellently set the scene and tone and I was on edge throughout when imagining the chilling and scary villains. The impact of the layout of the page and the theme of illustrations was inspirational to me for when I begin my own piece. I also liked the navigation of the website along with the length of the pieces because it felt similar to chapters of a thrilling novel.

 (Image Credit: "The Hole" by lordyo. Source: Deviantart.)

Introduction to a Performer and Future Physical Therapist

Hello, and welcome to my blog! My name is Katie Hill, I'm twenty-two years old, and I have been born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma. (BOOMER)

(Source: OU Sooner Sports)

I have a variety of interests from music and theatre to health science and exercise, both of which have been my majors throughout college. I started my Freshman year of college at the University of Central Oklahoma as a Musical Theatre major. After performing in over fifteen musicals in high school, auditioning all over the country, and absolutely obsessing over musicals and Broadway performers for years, it was a dream come true to perform collegiately!

  (Personal Photo from my favorite musical performance- Jane Eyre)

 I also dreamed of moving to New York City and becoming a Broadway star someday. So I took voice lessons, musical theory, piano, ballet, jazz, tap, modern, theatre history, and rehearsed many hours a day for productions and performances. I even met famous stars such as Betty Buckley and Judy Kuhn (voice of Mulan and Pocahontas)!

(Source: Wikimedia Commons) 

However, during my Freshman year, I dislocated my knees several times and was finally unable to dance anymore. So I decided to transfer to OU as a Health and Exercise Science major and begin studying for my new dream- Physical Therapy. My favorite classes at OU have been Anatomy and Physiology as I learned more about the human body and the way it works and maintains itself. I have also experienced Physical Therapy, as a patient for both knee and shoulder surgery, and worked as a Physical Therapy technician, so I fell in love with a field that involves helping people manage and relieve pain, rehabilitate after injury, return to daily activities, and achieve goals they didn't think were possible.

 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

After spending the last few years preparing for applications and interviews, I am absolutely thrilled that I will be pursuing a Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Central Arkansas after graduation in May. I could not be more excited to have achieved my goals and be one step closer to helping people! I will hopefully work at an Orthopaedic Outpatient Clinic and possibly specialize in Neurological or Performance Rehabilitation somewhere in Colorado, like Boulder, Denver, or Colorado Springs someday!

(Personal photo of my favorite place in Colorado: Boulder Lake)

Aside from classes, I like to watch Netflix, take and teach Zumba Fitness classes, sing in the OU choir, participate in my sorority Tri Delta, and Campus Activities Council (CAC) at OU. My favorite Netflix shows are Grey's Anatomy, New Girl, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Breaking Bad and I probably watch them too often. My favorite de-stressor is Zumba and I try to take as many classes a week as possible. I also sing in the OU University Chorale as well as perform in CAC's University Sing and Scandals with my sorority. I am looking forward to my last semester at OU this spring and will be sad to leave the greatest university!

Week 1 Story- Hector Protector the Famous Magician

 

Hector Protector was dressed all in green;

Hector Protector was sent to the Queen.

The Queen did not like him,

Nor more did the King;

So Hector Protector was sent back again.

_________________________________________ 

Hector Protector the Famous Magician

There once was a young boy named Hector Protector who dreamed of being the best magician in all the land. He saved his money for months to buy a kit of magic tricks and then he practiced many hours each day. His mother, Mrs. Protector, who believed in him most of all, sewed an all green outfit- complete with a blouse, leggings, shoes, and a cape- fit for the greatest magician of all because green was his very favorite color. Armed with his kit and dressed all in green, he performed his shows around the town and his reputation soon began to spread. He soon found himself dreaming of one day performing for the King and Queen, who were known to be enormous fans of magic shows.

Hector's Magic Tricks

(Source: Flickr User: Jin)

After months of performing and on his 18th birthday, Hector received the best birthday gift imaginable. An old squire delivered a royal scroll right to his door and when he opened it, his jaw dropped to the floor. He had been summoned to the royal court to perform his very best magic tricks at the King and Queen's royal Summer Solstice dinner. He had one week to prepare his very best. He shined his wand and straightened his cards while Mrs. Protector washed and ironed his clothes and cape. Finally, the day had come and he was ready.

Hector was escorted into the palace by the very same squire who had delivered the good news. He was led into the royal dining room where the King and Queen were seated at a beautiful table with all the important lords and ladies of the land. Hector took a deep breath, knowing this was his time to shine. After arranging his props and with the Queen's nod of approval, he began. However... much to his dismay, he couldn't perform his show! He dropped his wand, jumbled the cards, and even knocked a glass off the table with his mighty cape. Hector was mortified and wondered how he could possibly save his show.

 The Royal Dining Room

(Wikimedia Commons)

Alas, the Queen rose and stood at the head of the table, staring straight into his eyes. As he looked around, he suddenly realized that neither she nor the King was amused and all of the lords and ladies were laughing at him. He felt his face turn bright red as she raised her arm and pointed to the door in dismissal. The squire from before quickly returned to his side and shuffled him out of the room while he frantically trying to gather his belongings. Hector felt tears streaming down his face in embarrassment as he was sent away from the royal palace.

His mother was waiting with open arms when he returned home and he told her of his tragic experience. Hector desperately wanted to quit being a magician at that moment, but Mrs. Protector would not let him give up that easily. She told him that his talent as a magician was not determined by the King and Queen's approval and that it was time to find a new dream audience. Consoled by her advice and encouraged by her kind words, Hector constructed a backyard theatre with a stage, curtains, lights, and seats and created fliers, hanging them around the town in eager anticipation of his new show.

When the night of the show arrived, Hector, dressed in all green, stepped on stage and was greeted by a full house of friends and family there to support him. He nervously began his show and to his surprise, it was flawless! The audience erupted into cheers and he couldn't help but grin realizing that friends and family were more important than the King and Queen anyway. Hector was a real magician- he had done it!

Hector's Magic Show

(Source: Elise Carlisle)

Author's Note: 
In the original rhyme, Hector Protector- who was dressed all in green- was sent to the Queen, but neither she nor the King liked him and he was sent back home. I instantly pictured Hector as a young man who was eager to impress the Queen and King with his talent but was devastated to be dismissed from their palace. This inspired me to make him an aspiring magician who was anxious to prove himself. However, I did not want the story to settle with a depressing and sad ending, so I added that his mother, who was his biggest fan, encouraged him to try again and become successful in his own way. Expanding on Hector's character, as well as creating his mother Mrs. Protector, was challenging yet enjoyable!

Bibliography:
This short story is inspired by and based on the nursery rhyme "Hector Protector" in The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang.

Favorite Place

Cinque Terre, Italia. Cinque Terre in Italy is my favorite place in the world. I studied abroad in Italy during the summer of 2014 and it was the absolute best adventure of my life. We studied in Milan, Florence, Arezzo, Rome, Cortona, Parma, and took a weekend trip to Cinque Terre on my birthday. There are five villages in Cinque Terre- Monterosso al Mare, Corniglia, Riomaggiore, Manarola, and Vernazza. All five of them are absolutely breathtaking with ocean views, friendly people, bazaars and boutiques, delicious food, and Italian culture. I hope to go back there some day!

We stayed in Monterosso al Mare on my birthday and ate an incredible seaside dinner at sunset, complete with organic white wine and a walk on the beach. It was beautiful!

 

Since we were visiting Cinque Terre during the annual Lemon festival, there were many tables and carts with free lemons, drinks, and clothing items and accessories inspired by the color yellow. It was so much fun to explore!

 

The next day we hiked between the villages and then concluded our weekend stay with a boat ride the iconic view of Riomaggiore. It was an amazing trip and the best birthday.

 

(First Image: Monterosso al Mare. Taken by Flickr user ISF Florence on July 16, 2013.)
(Second Image: Monterosso al Mare during the lemon festival. Photo by Katie Hill.)
(Third Image: Riomaggiore. Taken by Kim Olson Photography on April 20, 2012.)

Comment Wall

Welcome to my blog and thanks for reading! Constructive criticism appreciated!

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Here is a link to my Storybook website: Breaking News! Don Quixote: A Hero?

First Blog Post Ever!

Since this is my first blog post ever... hopefully I'm doing it right. I'm looking forward to this semester and creating my own pieces!