Week 15 Famous Last Words

The End.

I wanted to use this week's Famous Last Words to say thank you. This class has been so much fun and i've really enjoyed it. I can't believe i'm already done. I'm looking forward to graduation and feel relieved to have one less thing on my plate, but I wish the assignments I had left weren't so stressful and were as delightful as the ones for this class. So, I want to say thank you to Professor Gibbs and to all of my classmates for making this semester a great one. Everyone wants their senior year, particularly their last semester before graduation, to go smoothly and though i've had plenty of bumps I think this class has definitely been a positive experience. 

Congratulations to all of the other seniors! You're so close to being done! Graduation is in only 25 days! Can you believe it? Are you ready? I'm ready to be there, but i'm not ready to turn in everything that is due between now and then. Anyway, good luck guys and gals! 

With that, I will share my philosophy with y'all and say my goodbye. Create your own bliss and see the beauty in everything around you. Accept things as they are. Tolerate and accept people as they are. Keep an open mind. Let love fill your heart. Find your own truths. Live life. And don't forget to love yourself because you matter and you can do anything you put your mind to!

I hope y'all keep in touch. You can find me on tons of social media sites (except Twitter, I just cannot get into that). 

Facebook me: Bria Waters

Follow me on Instagram: Testiclefestival

Check out my tumblr: CreateYourOwnBliss

Let's swap stuff on Pinterest!

Go to Tanzania with me on my blog: Bria In Tanzania!

Watch weird/funny videos with me on Vine: Bria Waters 

I'm also on Snapchat, but if you want that one, you can tell me on any of the above social media sites.

Made using PicMonkey

GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK!

Love, Bria Waters 

2015 BSW Senior 

Week 15 Online Education Review

Please share your thoughts about online education in general and also your experiences in particular.

• I love online classes. I think it gives students an opportunity to learn on their own time and gives instructors an opportunity to get creative with coursework. I loved that this class was set up where we had to keep blogs. It was so fun and didn't feel like a chore to work on! However, I do not think language and math classes should be taken online only because they are so difficult and do not offer that one-on-one assistance that may be necessary to help people (like me) understand math concepts. As for language classes, I think the back-and-forth interaction in a physical classroom really helps you learn the language. Hearing it spoken throughout class and having to speak it conversationally just makes a huge difference in how you store that new language information in your mind. 

What features of online courses are most/least valuable to you?

• Most valuable: ability to work on it in my downtime or anywhere that has access to internet
• Least valuable: with harder concepts, I prefer face-to-face interaction and explanation

Would you take more fully online courses if they were available?

• Oh, definitely! I really have enjoyed my online courses at OU and felt like they were a great asset, especially since i've had to work while i've been in college. 

If you were to design a fully online course, what would it look like?

• I would probably steal your idea of using a blog to turn in assignments. You really helped me learn how to use internet resources by having us use the site and do tech tips. Also, it seems less formal and more like a fun activity. I also would like to incorporate the Famous Last Words assignments, because it helped me, as a student, decompress from the week and gave me an outlet to talk about what i've been up to. It also helps the professor and other students get to know each other which is a little tough to do in an online class. I liked your use of social media too. I wont lie, I think your style for online classes is perfect. You have an online textbook made of awesome resources/stores, your assignments are a great length, you have variety in what we are supposed to do, there's plenty of extra credit opportunities, and the blogs let our personalities shine through. I love it and was so lucky to have gotten the opportunity to take both your Indian Epics and Mythology and Folklore classes. They have been some of my favorite classes and i've really enjoyed them! 

P.S. I liked the picture of the cat on the page where you told us how to do these posts, so I decided to post some awesome cats too!

Zombie Cat

found on LOLFactory

Doctor Who Cats

by Jenny Parks, found on The Laughing Squid

Waffles the Cat as Sherlock Characters

found on Tumblr 

Week 15 Gen. Ed. Review

Please describe your experience with the General Education experience at OU overall and with Humanities Gen. Ed. in particular

• Gen. Eds seemed like a pain, but it was only because I was excited to start my major's coursework. That being said, I think it was a good thing overall, particularly the humanities gen. eds. This is because I took fun courses that taught me about other cultures and countries which I think is important for students, especially if they cannot study abroad and/or have never been abroad before. 

Has Gen. Ed. been an important part of your education at OU?

• Gen. Ed. has been a huge part of my education at OU. It took up all of my freshman year, a chunk of sophomore year, and a few electives following. 

What have you liked best/least about your Gen. Ed. experience?

• I liked the humanities courses (Revenge Tragedy, Indian Epics, Peoples of the World, Intro to Native American Studies, Intro to Non-Western Dance Forms, Mythology & Folklore, and Intro to Religious Studies). These classes were interesting and kept me engaged. I enjoyed the classes and felt connected to my coursework. However, English I, Geology, American Federal Gov't, and Biology sucked. I know the government class was important, but i've heard it so many times! English I sucked only because it was so boring. Biology should have been cool, because I enjoyed Biology in high school and find the typical bio content interesting. However, this class seemed to spend an unnecessary amount of time on corn and how it's all around us. It seemed like we were in a political class about the problems our country is experiencing because of our reliance on corn, a substance our bodies cannot break down. 

What do you think you will remember most from your Gen. Ed. classes?

• I will remember the stories and dances from non-western countries the most. I love learning about other cultures and feel like I would have been more into other humanities courses if my professors had been passionate, knowledgeable, and engaging. 

Also, you might want to take a look at the OU Gen. Ed. website, especially if you have not done that before!  The website is new-ish, and rumor has it that OU is considering a big revision to the Gen. Ed. program.

• I wish I had known about this freshman year! Or really any year before I was about to graduate! It seemed like a pain to find classes that counted. It's a simple site, and I see no real problem with it, but the design is lack-luster. 

If you were to design a Gen. Ed. program, what would it look like?

• It would be a program designed to "take you on a journey around the world." It would talk about world cultures and each unit would center on a certain part of the world. The assignments would be aimed at showing society, values, culture, and the arts in various regions. It would be an into-level class that would be an introduction to world cultures and would not heavily focus on one area or "weird" cultures, but give a little information about a lot of them! 

This just made me laugh, hopefully it makes you laugh too!

Uptown Funk You Up

found on Tumblr 

Here's the song it made me think of:

Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars

by Mark Ronson, found on YouTube

Week 15 College Writing Review

What is your major and what role do writing courses play in your major?

• My major is social work and writing is incredibly important because we don't have many tests. Our papers are long and weighted heavily so we are expected to be able to write well. However, we do not get the chance to write creatively. Our papers are almost always research papers that are written in APA format. 

What kinds of writing-intensive classes have you taken both inside and outside your major? 

• I've taken this, Indian Epics, Revenge Tragedy, Expository Writing, English, History pre-civil war, and multiple research classes. However, all of my social work classes have had long papers and were writing-intensive. 

How have your courses helped you to grow and develop as a writer? 

• My courses have helped me become very efficient at finding and evaluating sources for research purposes, as well as for real-world application. As a social worker, I will have to be able to find resources and information to refer clients to all the time. I feel like i've also grown in my creative writing because I have to really evaluate my writing for class. It's made me a more conscious writer, however, I still have trouble editing my creative writing as compared to my research writing. I think it's because I love writing and I love writing imagery-heavy stories, but am really discouraged to do that in my major's classes because they emphasize being concise and (often) clinical. 

What has been most/least helpful about the writing you have done for this class? 

• The most helpful part about this class's writing has been the ability to write for fun as well as the feedback. I think it has really helped me become a better writer. The least helpful part of this class was probably the backup and checkup. Overall, I loved this class and thought it was really helpful.

What have been the most meaningful writing experiences that you have had in college? 

• My most meaningful writing experiences have probably been my research papers into the effects of nonpharmacological treatments on dementia patients because it's something I am very passionate about and is opening doors for me at Valir where I volunteer. 

If you were to design a writing class for your major, what would that class look like? 

• It would be a mix of short research assignments that would be about finding resources in your area. They would teach you how to sift through the online sources and find important information. It would also feature short posts about particular subjects related to social work/social welfare that interest the individual students (geriatric work, mental health, social welfare policy, international events, human rights, etc.). I think it would also feature a few assignments where the students had to go out and volunteer with an agency then write up a short paper about their experience. Last, I would want them to write about the code of ethics to ensure they know it and can apply it. 

If you were to design a writing class for students from all over OU, not specific to any major, what kind of writing class do you think would be most useful? 

• A class that featured creative writing prompts and some research-based prompts would be nice. Also, maybe assignments that help prepare us for what life is like after college (for instance: how to apply for loans, resume editing, budgeting, healthcare, etc.). I feel like even with college i've been left on my  own to figure it all out because I was the first to go to college and the only family member I know who went to college went long enough ago that things have really changed. 

Don't Forget To Take Care of Yourself!

Self Love Koala

by Alexandria Brooke, found on Tumblr

Week 13 Famous Last Words

Finishing Up

This week I only did Reading Diary A, Storytelling, Reading Review, Essay, and this post because i'm pretty close to being done with this class. I can't believe how fast this semester has gone and how close I am to being done with everything! I just need to hunker down and finish up my capstone paper and really kick butt on this huge research proposal i'm working on then i'll be done with my classwork for the semester. All i'll have to worry about is finishing up my practicum hours and getting everything in order for my trip to Tanzania. 

So, here's what's been going on in my life lately:

• Valir Volunteer Banquet
• This week I got to attend the Valir Volunteer Banquet which was a wonderful little celebration held by Valir Hospice for its volunteers to show appreciation and let us meet each other and hang out. We had DELICIOUS Mexican food, provided by Ted's Cafe Escondido in OKC. It was so good, there was a fajita bar and plenty of chips and salsa/queso to go around. There was also a country/cowboy music singer who performed for us and he was both a good singer and totally charming. I also got to meet the other social work student, Alyssa, who is doing her master's practicum at Valir. I'm going to be doing my master's practicum there and i'm so so so excited about it! They are such a great company and the people there are truly amazing. I love working with them! Anyway, they also gave us each a little thyme plant for volunteering our time and a little goody bag. Last, they gave us a pair of socks to take to our patients so they'll have toasty toes. 
• If you are looking for somewhere to volunteer and enjoy working with elderly people, I HIGHLY suggest Valir. 

Alyssa and I at the Valir Volunteer Banquet

4/12/15

My adorable pot of thyme!! 

From the Valir Volunteer Banquet (4/12/15)

• Calm Waters Under the Big Top Fundraiser
• This past Sunday was the huge Calm Waters fundraiser called "Under the Big Top." It was circus-themed and featured carnival games, a photo booth with exotic animals, popcorn, yummy hors d'oeuvres from local OKC eateries, a live auction, an aerial silks performer, two wonderful circus performers who did acrobatics and dancing, and drinks. It was a pretty neat shindig and I think everyone had a good time. I was there in a volunteer capacity and was in charge of working the photo booth. Man, did I luck out! I ended up acting as an unofficial third animal handler and got to hold onto the sweetest little animals all night. I got to hold a kangaroo joey, a lemur, a fennec fox, a cockatoo, a blue-tongued skink, a baby crocodile, and a bearded dragon. I loved it! The cockatoo surprised me because birds don't usually like me, and I don't usually like them. However, this was the sweetest bird ever! I held him for 20 minutes or so and he rested his head on my chest and licked my collarbone. He cooed and me and put his head on my forehead. He was so adorable and I felt totally comfortable holding him. I wanted to take him home! I also loved the energetic little lemur who climbed up in my hair and jumped on unsuspecting passersby. However, I think the kangaroo joey stole the show. She was so sweet and totally adorable (and so soft!). I also got to work with some really nice people from TapSnap, a next-gen photo entertainment company. Them and the animals really made my night. Plus, Calm Waters got some great donations and raised some money to help out kiddos who're dealing with loss. 

Me with Carlos, the Cockatoo

taken by the TapSnap crew at the Calm Waters Fundraiser (4/12/15)

Me with Princess Elsa, the Kangaroo Joey

Taken at Under the Big Top (4/12/15)

Me with Princess Elsa, the Kangaroo Joey

Taken at Under the Big Top (4/12/15)

• Instagram 
• Here's the pictures I posted on Instagram this week. It's just a selfie and my sweet BooBoo Kitty. I'm totally obsessed with my cat. Give me a follow if you want :) my Instagram is testiclefestival aka Bria Waters. I know the name is weird, but it's from high school and it cracks me up, so I haven't changed it. 

So fresh and so clean.

 Boomer Sooner! 

Sleepy Boo!

Week 13 Essay

Women's Roles in European Fairy Tales

This week I chose to read the Librivox Grimm's Fairy Tales unit, and for this essay will focus on the stories of Rapunzel and Briar Rose (aka Sleeping Beauty). These are two stories that most people in America are likely familiar with because Disney has made movie versions that have been insanely popular. 

Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959)

found on 50sMovie

Disney's Tangled (2011)

found on Amazon

The original versions (the Grimm's versions) of these stories are not exactly the same as in the movies, however, they do subscribe to the same general roles of women that many in today's society still agree with. Women are portrayed as generally helpless and in need of saving, usually by a handsome prince (though the 2011 Disney version of Rapunzel portrays her as a more confident, capable, modern young woman). In the time of these stories' creations, women were subservient, submissive, and seen as being less than men. That idea of women's roles and abilities was then taken into the "New World" when Britain colonized North America. Women were once again placed into a role of doing housework, obeying their husbands, and being reliant on their husband to take care of business. They did not usually fend for themselves, and for the longest time were not allowed to have jobs, vote, or participate in government. Even today, women are not truly equal to men and are subject to objectification and treatment as the lesser sex. 

Sleeping Beauty

by VPdessin, found on DeviantArt

This week's stories kept with the theme of women as dependent on men. In Rapunzel, she does not take it upon herself to find a way out of her brick and mortar prison. She does not stand up for herself or try to escape on her own. When she finally meets a man and decides she's ready to leave, she still relies on him to save her. She does not fight back against Dame Gothel, she just waits for her prince to come. As for Briar Rose, she was a young girl (only 15) and was not told of her impending doom by her parents. Instead of educating her so that she may protect herself, her parents (mostly her father, the king) just burned the kingdom's spinning wheels. Then, on the day she is destined to fall into her 100 year sleep, they leave her alone! 

Rapunzel

by Alicex2, found on DeviantArt

These stories also portray villains as women. Many old stories portray women as inherently evil to justify their treatment of women (who are also sometimes worshiped as goddesses, but still seen as having incredible tempers) as second-class citizens. In both of these stories, there is an evil witch who brings doom upon the young, beautiful maiden and her family. Still, I enjoy these stories, and understand their portrayal of women because of the time when they were written. As for today's society and women's portrayal in media/writing/etc. there really is no excuse. I'm just saying. 

Women's Rights

by Malala Yousafzai, found on the Sojo Blog

Week 13 Storytelling

Notes From My Diary

a blog by Rapunzel Gothel

April 7th

Dear Diary,

Today Mother came to visit again. I love when she comes! I get so lonely up here all by myself. I did, however get a few new newspapers from her.  There were a lot of pictures from a show called "Teen Wolf" and the men in it were.. stunning. Mother takes care of me, but I really wish I could see the world. It seems so beautiful! I went on YouTube today and explored a little. It's like my real window into the world. I watched a few videos about what it's like in London. It seems like a magical place! I love their edgy music scene, and wish I could be there! I like punk music, but i've really gotten into.. dare I say it? Taylor Swift! OMG I love her songs "Shake it Off" and "Love Story!" She is amazing. Anyway, I guess that's all i've got for today.. check my collage out below. I've taken to covering my walls with art and my newest obsession is collages. 

April 21st

Dear Diary,

I have a secret to tell you... I met someone today. Can you believe it?!?! A real person! A most handsome prince of a man came to visit me today. He'd heard me singing as he was riding through the woods near my tower. He said I had the most lovely voice and was so kind. He's nothing like what Mother said men were like. She said they are all evil and selfish, but he seems so wonderful. I think I may have a small crush. I have to admit, I was a little surprised and scared initially when he climbed up my hair... but I am SO glad he did. We talked for hours before I realized that Mother would be home soon and she would NOT be happy to see him. He left, but agreed to come back. I hope he comes back soon! *Swoon* 

April 23rd

Dear Diary,

He came back! He is the sweetest, most amazing person i've ever met (I know that's not saying much, but he really has changed my life). I want to see the world with him! He told me stories of his travels today and all of the cool places he's visited and offered to take me with him. Mother would never approve, but i'm tired of living by her rules! I have another secret for you... I am going to escape this tower prison! My prince charming is going to bring me scraps of cloth each time he comes to visit so I can make a rope to climb out of here. I'm so excited! He is going to come see me every evening from now until the rope is finished and we can get out of here! We have to be careful and make sure mother doesn't find out though... 

This T-Swift song sums up my life right now:

May 10th

Dear Diary, 

The past few weeks have flown by and every day my love and I have grown closer. I'm so close to finishing my rope!! I can't wait to get out of this damn tower! Mother's visits are becoming less of a comfort and more of an annoyance. I just want her to hurry up and leave so I can see him. She just doesn't understand. It's always Rapunzel this and Rapunzel that, "Rapunzel, let down your hair!" I need to spread my wings and leave the nest. 

May 20th

Dear Diary, 

I screwed up MAJORLY today. I wasn't thinking! Mother had just got done climbing up my hair and it seemed like such a chore. She just dead-weights me and makes me pull her up; not like he does. He climbs up so gingerly. Anyway, I slipped and asked why she was so much heavier than he was and she FREAKED! I've never seen her that angry before! She grabbed my hair and twisted around her arm. It hurt so bad, and she cut it! She cut almost all of my beautiful hair off! Not only that, she says we're moving and i'm FORBIDDEN from ever seeing my prince again! I don't know what i'm going to do! All I can do is cry...

June 29th

Dear Diary,

I have no motivation to make art anymore. I don't want to do anything and now the view from my window is even more bleak. There's nothing but sand all around. I fear i'll be stuck here for the rest of my life. This may be my last post, at least for quite some time. 

Evanescence is life. Her voice is so hauntingly beautiful and it's like she read my mind. BRING ME TO LIFE.

September 13th

Dear Diary,

You'll NEVER believe what happened today! I was singing (a rather sad song), and my prince heard me! He told me he's been wandering the area for months searching for me! He's searched high and low and was beginning to lose hope until he heard my voice. He followed it's sound and found me in my new prison. It was like something out of a movie! He broke down the door and scooped me up into his arms. He held me for so long, crying, and telling me how happy he was that he'd found me. I cried too and we kissed for the first time. After the initial shock wore off, we ran off together! I hopped on the back of his horse and we rode off to his home (which is giant BTW) and he asked me to marry him! I know it's sudden, but when you know.. you know! I'll keep y'all posted! 

Things are finally going great! I'm so happy and have the perfect man by my side! 

Check out my ring! Bling Bling y'all!

Author's Note:

For this week's storytelling, I chose to retell the story of Rapunzel from the Librivox Grimm's Fairy Tales unit. I decided to write in a diary blog style because it combines the traditional diary that a young girl/woman would keep with today's technology and brought her a little bit into the modern age. I tried to portray her as a teenager, probably around 17/18 because I thought it would be fun, plus it's more normal for a 18 year old to leave home than a younger girl. I hope you enjoyed it! I didn't change much, just took out the back story about how Dame Gothel obtained Rapunzel in the first place (she took her from her parents in exchange for some rampion from her magical garden). I also took a few details out, but overall kept it the same. 

Image Information:

1. Rapunzel by Yolanda Blazquez, found on DeviantArt
2. Teen Wolf Collage, found on PixShark
3. Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran, found on YouTube
4. Crows by Nicoletta Ceccoli, found on her website
5. Bring me to Life by Evanescence, found on YouTube
6. On hand view of Tacori HT2430SM Classic Crescent Channel-Set Three Stone Engagement Ring for Princess found on WhiteFlash

Week 13 Reading Diary A

This week I chose to read the Librivox Grimm Fairy Tales unit. Below are my favorite stories from the first half of the reading.

The Frog Prince

• A princess is walking around by a pond when she drops her ball. She vows that if she could get her ball back she'd give all of her fine clothes and jewelry away. A frog hears her crying and asks what's wrong. She calls him nasty and tells him what happened to her ball. He says he doesn't want her clothes or jewels. He wants her to love him and let him live with her, and in return he will get her ball back. She agrees and he fetches her ball, but as soon as it's in her hand she runs as fast as she can back home. The next day she hears a strange noise and a knock on her door. It's the frog, begging her to let him in. She slams the door in his face and runs to her father. She tells the king what happened and he told her that she made a promise, and she must keep it. She begrudgingly did what the frog wanted, and at the end of the night they went to bed with him sleeping on her pillow. When she awoke the next morning, the frog was gone and a handsome prince was left in his place. He tells her that an evil fairy cursed him and she had broken the curse. The next day they set out together to be married and live their days out in the prince's kingdom. 

The Origami Frog Prince

by Orestigami, found on DeviantArt

Rapunzel

• A man and woman are having trouble getting pregnant, but finally it happens! They live next door to a witch who has a most beautiful garden. Everyday the woman gazed into the garden and she so desperately wanted some of the greens that she became ill. She told her husband that she would not feel better until she'd had some of the greens (called rampion, or Rapunzel). So, the husband climbed into the witch's garden and grabbed some rampion. However, he got caught! He explained why he stole her greens and the witch told him that he could take as much rampion as he wanted, but when the baby was born she would take it and raise it as her own. And so it came to be, the baby was born and the witch named her Rapunzel and stole her away. She locked the child in a tower deep in the forest, and she grew into the most beautiful young girl. The witch would have Rapunzel let down her long, golden hair anytime she wanted to visit and she'd climb up and through the tower window. 
• Often, Rapunzel would sing from her window and one day the king's son was riding through the words and heard her song. He'd never heard anything more beautiful. He rode home, but couldn't get that voice out of his head so he returned. When he came back, he saw the witch call to Rapunzel to let down her hair and was in awe when he saw it fall in long tresses to the ground. The next day, he bade her to let down her hair, and she did. He climbed up, but when he entered Rapunzel was frightened! She'd never seen a man before, but he talked kindly to her, like a friend and her fears soon drifted away. She decided she wanted to leave with him, but she did not know how to get down from her tower. She told him to continue visiting her and each time, to bring a piece of silk with him. She would take the pieces and weave a ladder. He agreed to visit her every evening until she could make the ladder.
• Everything was going great until she slipped up and asked the witch why she was so much heavier than the prince. The witch was incredibly angry and grabbed her by her hair. She cut off all her hair and dragged her away to the desert. She left her there and returned to the tower where she tied Rapunzel's hair and waited for the prince to return. When he did, she lowered it down and he climbed up. She surprised him and told him he'd never see her again. He was heartbroken, and spent many years wandering around in sadness. Then, one day, he heard her singing again. He teared up and followed the sound of her voice. They cried and embraced, and the prince rescued her from her desert prison. They rode back to his castle and were married. They lived happily ever after. 

Rapunzel

by Tom Monster, found on DeviantArt

Briar Rose 

• King and Queen are having trouble conceiving. One day, the queen was walking by a pond and saw a fish that had thrown itself out of the water. She picked it up and placed it back, and the fish told her that her wish for a baby would be granted and she'd have a baby girl. The queen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and held a great celebration wherein the whole kingdom, even the fairies, was invited. However, there were 13 fairies in the kingdom, but the king and queen only had 12 plates so they left one out without consulting her. The 12 fairies came and bestowed gifts upon the child, but as the 12th fairy went to give her gift, the 13th fairy burst in the door. She was pissed that she hadn't been invited and cursed the child that on her 15th birthday she would be injured by a spindle and fall down dead. After she left, the 12th fairy came to give her gift. She could not undo the curse, but soften it. Instead of dying, the princess would fall asleep for 100 years.
• The king hoped to save his daughter from her faith and ordered all of the spindles in the kingdom to be brought to the castle and burned. The princess grew up in grace and glory. She was beautiful and loved by all who met her. It happened, though, that on her 15th birthday she was home alone, roaming the castle and ran into an old lady who sat at a spinning wheel. She asked what the woman was doing and became very curious. She tried to spin, but was instantly wounded and fell to the ground. Everyone in the kingdom also fell asleep. A wall of thorns grew around the castle and continued to get thicker each year. 
• One day, a king's son who'd heard the story of the sleeping kingdom came to see the beautiful Briar Rose. It just so happened that it was the 100th day and the curse was lifting. Still, when he came to the castle everyone, even the flies on the walls, were asleep. He came to the princess's room and she was so beautiful that he had to kiss her. As he did this, she opened her eyes and smiled upon him. They went together to the king and queen who also woke up and the two were married and lived happily ever after. 

Sleeping Beauty

by Orelly, found on DeviantArt

Week 12 Famous Last Words

Falling into Place

It's only Tuesday and i'm already tired and ready for Friday.. well, actually.. i'm ready for May. April is seriously the busiest and most stressful month of the year for us social work majors. Our professors don't really spread out our assignments so all of the big ones are due during April. This month I have to wrap up this class, write and present my capstone paper, write a quantitative research methods journal critique, write and present a research proposal, finish up getting my practicum hours at Calm Waters, finish paying for my program fees for Tanzania this summer, apply for my student visa, and attend mandatory orientations for my MSW program. So much to do, so little time! 

Anyway, today one of the divorce groups at Calm Waters ended and I was actually a little sad. I've seen these kids come so far in the past 8 weeks! It was so hard to say goodbye when one of the littlest told me she wished groups could keep going. I saw two little girls do a complete 180. One girl was meek and always passed, refusing to answer or talk about what she was going through. She was very quiet and usually looked down for most of group. I worried about her, but as group progressed she opened up. Today, she wanted to be the first to answer. She smiled, laughed, and talked louder than she had before. She participated the entire time and was eager to continue coming to group. The other was very sad and angry. She literally hid behind her hair and curled into a ball in her chair. She never looked up and usually didn't participate. When she did, she muttered her one word answers very quietly and reluctantly. Today, she was laughing and participated openly. She also talked about how she enjoyed meeting the people in the group and wasn't as eager to leave as normal. We ended with a group hug where we stood in a circle, put our hands around each others' shoulders, and put our right feet in so that we ended up embracing. It was a great end to a difficult and wonderful group. 

My photo from our group hug today (4/7/15)

My life is pretty hectic and stressful right now, but it seems like things are finally starting to fall into place. I'm looking forward to graduation, Tanzania, and grad school! 

Week 12 Essay

This week I read the Celtic Fairytales unit which takes stories from Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1892). My favorite stories were Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree, Connla and the Fairy Maiden , and Beth Gellert. I liked this unit, though the way it was written made it a little hard to read. I felt like I had to read each sentence, sometimes more than once, and decipher it before moving on and establishing the overall meaning of what I was reading. I felt like I had to start over a few times and go back. I listened to the audiobook then read the story with a few of the stories and that seemed to help. I think the only information people should be aware of is that the stories are written in a way that sounds like a Celtic person talking out loud or singing.

This unit fit with my overall goals of the class because it taught me about Celtic folklore, but it didn't align much with my storybook. However, I really liked the different take on Snow White. I learned that Celtic fairy tales have a lot of strange takes on children and how to raise and protect them. It This unit is really different from many of the mythology units, its more like a storybook and that was pretty fun. This unit was not my favorite so far, but I like the Celtic stories. I think i'd like to hear them read aloud by someone of that descent, just to see if when read aloud by them, the stories really did sound like songs.

I was surprised by the Brewery of Eggshells story. It was nothing like what I expected, but still managed to tie in to the title. I liked that it dealt with mischievous little elves and showed them as troublesome, generally unkind creatures. People today tend to think of them as adorable, cherub-looking creatures who make cookies and are very ethereal. Celtic folklore sees them differently, and I can't remember why, but i've always aligned them more closely with a dark nature than a light one.

Santa's Evil Elf

by user Dront, found on 3DTotal Forum

Week 12 Storytelling

Gladys and Silva 

Once upon a time there was a beautiful queen, Gladys and her stunning daughter, Silva. They lived in a castle and spent much of their time laughing and dancing together. One day, when the pair were going for a walk through the glen, they came to a pond. 

"Silva, dear!" Gladys called to her daughter, "i'm going to rest for a while by this pond, go pick some flowers for us to put on the dinner table." 

Silva as a young lass

found on Livejournal

Silva did as her mother told and Gladys lounged by the calm waters of the pond. She glanced down at the water and suddenly saw two eyes staring straight up at her. She leaned down closer to see what it was when all of a sudden, a trout popped its head out of the water and began to speak! "Hello beautiful queen! How are you this morn?" said the trout. After getting over the initial shock of a talking fish, Gladys replied, "I'm doing well, pray thee answer me one question?" The trout nodded and Gladys said, "Troutie bonny little fellow, am not I the most beautiful queen in the world?" The trout seemed to contemplate momentarily, gazing up at the statuesque woman with long red hair, before saying, "Indeed, you are beautiful, but there is another more fair." The queen was immediately angered and demanded to know who he deemed to be more beautiful than her. "Why, your daughter Silva of course!" he replied happily before saying he had to go and swimming away without another word. 

Gladys

found on Pinterest

Gladys was enraged and full of jealousy. She summoned her daughter and they went home. Straight away, Gladys sent Silva to her chamber and ran, tears streaming down her face, to see her husband. "Oh my king! I am in the worst of sorts! Please, please help me. End my suffering and heal me of my malady!" cried Gladys. "Of course, my love, anything! You only need to ask of it, and it shall be granted. Tell me what to do!" replied the king worriedly. The queen then told him of her dark desire. She told him that the only way to cure her and restore her happiness was to bring her the heart and liver of her daughter so that she may eat it and return to her former self. 

The king was stunned at such a request, and vowed to help her, but how could he prevent his daughter's death? The queen left, practically skipping with delight, and the king began contemplating his next move. Then it dawned on him, of course! The wealthy prince from two kingdoms over! He was searching for a bride. All the king had to do was marry his daughter off while his queen was away and all would be solved.

Silva on her Wedding Day

Found on OCWedding

And so it was done. The princess Silva married prince Doche and was whisked off to her new home. The queen had been on a trip to visit her sister, and when she returned home her husband provided her with a small chest. When she opened it up, a smile immediately lit up her face, because inside was a heart and liver which she assumed could only be that of her daughter Silva. She quickly cooked them up and ate them. For the rest of her days, she lived in happiness, not knowing that she had been fooled and the fairest of them all continued to live in grace and beauty in a neighboring kingdom. 

Author's Note:

This weeks' storytelling comes from the story of Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree, which was taken from Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1892). I liked the original story and could see how it related to snow white. I didn't want to change much, just a few details and the overall ending. In the original, the queen tries to murder her daughter more than once (and is successful during one attempt, but the daughter is brought back) and ends up dead. However, I didn't want to write a super long story and felt like I would have had to in order to really tell the entire story, so I just ended it with the queen living in blissful ignorance. 

ReciteThis! Tech Tip

With graduation getting closer and closer, I decided for my week 14 tech tip to make a quotable picture that goes with my feelings toward graduating. 

Made using ReciteThis!

D2L Profile Tech Tip

I decided to update my D2L profile for this week's tech tip. I chose a picture of me that is more recent. I picked this particular picture because I look genuinely happy in it. I'm rocking the tiny eyes and slightly crooked smile that are signs that my smile is real. I have learned to accept and generally love my awkward little quirks. I embrace my weirdness, but feel like this picture isn't too weird for my OU D2L profile. It's also my Facebook profile picture so I can keep continuity throughout my web presences.

My picture from Valentines Day 2015

Week 12 Reading Diary B

This week I chose to read the Celtic Fairy Tales unit. The stories are taken from Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1892). Here are a few of my favorite stories from the second half of the reading.

Beth Gellert

• The prince had a favorite greyhound named Gellert who was gentle, but VERY fast. One day, when he blew the horn for his dogs, Gellert never came. The prince hunted without the dog, but was incredibly angry. When he came home, the dog came bounding up with blood all over his face. The prince had a baby son, and he worried that the dog had hurt his son. As he made his way to the child's room, he saw more and more blood and disarray. When he came to the room, the cradle was overturned and there was blood everywhere. The prince was sure that the greyhound had killed his son and drew his sword. He pierced the pup in his side, straight through to his heart. The dog cried out and died. Just then, a little noise came from under the cradle. The prince went to check it out and lo and behold, there was his bouncing baby boy. Next to him, lay the body of a great wolf. It dawned on the prince that Gellert had stayed behind that morning to protect the baby and had done so greatly. The prince was immediately filled with pain and grief. He cried and cried, but nothing could bring Gellert back, so he buried him outside the castle and named his home Beth Gellert in the dog's honor. 

Gelert by Charles Burton Barber

Found on Wikipedia

Brewery of Eggshells

• Once upon a time, there was a man, his wife, and their twin sons. One day, she had to run to the neighbor's place and as she was returning, she saw two elves crossing her path. She panicked and ran into her sons' room, but everything seemed fine. However, after a while she noticed that her twins were not growing. Something was wrong! The man suggested that they were not their children. The wife asked whose they were and so began a long drawn-out argument. 
• The wife decides to go to the town wise-man who told her to clear out the shell of a hen's egg and boil some potage (a thick soup) in it. Then, he said, put it in front of the door as if it is dinner for the reapers of the harvest and wait to see if the twins say anything. If she hears them talking about things way beyond the usual understanding for their age, take them and throw them into Lake Ebyr. If they don't say anything remarkable, leave them alone.
• The wife did as she was told and the children began talking in a way most unlike babies of their age. The woman grabbed them and ran to the lake. She threw them in and they splashed, helplessly until the other goblins/elves came to save them. They gave the woman her children back, and everything went back to normal. 

Week 12 Reading Diary A

This week I chose to read the Celtic Fairy Tales unit. The stories are taken from Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1892). Here are a few of my favorite stories from the first half of the reading.

Connla and the Fairy Maiden 

Fairy Queen

Found on One Vibration

• Connla meets a woman from "the plains of the ever-living" who is very mysterious and talks about living without sin or sadness. The woman falls in love with him and begs him to come with him to the Land of Pleasure. Connla's father cannot see her, but can hear her and was worried so he summons his wizard. The wizard shot spells toward the place where her voice came from. She disappeared and no longer spoke, but left an apple for Connla. For a month, he would eat nothing but that apple, which never ran out. Then, at the end of the month, she spoke to Connla again and bade him to come with her. The king once again summoned the wizard, but the wizard could not stop Connla's want to be with the maiden. She once again asked him to join her on her crystal canoe and travel to the land where only wives and maidens dwell, a land of joy. Connla simply could not resist anymore and he hopped into her canoe. The two glided away into the ocean together and were never seen again. 

The Horned Women

• A rich family was chilling when all of a sudden there was a knock at the door. They asked who was there and was answered with, "I am the witch of the one horn." She opened the door and entered a small woman with a horn on her head and a handful of wool in her hand. She began carding the wool furiously. Then, another knock came and when the lady of the house opened the door, another witch, this one with 2 horns, entered the house. She came in with a spinning wheel and went to work spinning the wool. Knocks kept coming and women with horns kept entering. They spun and sang together, but did not talk to the lady of the house. The lady tried to get up and cry for help, but couldn't move or make a sound. The witches had put a spell on her.
• They told her to make them a cake. She tried, but could not find anything to make the cake with. They gave her a sieve and told her to use it to fetch water, but the water fell through. She knelt by the well and cried until a mysterious voice told her to use the dirt to plug up the sieve and carry water. She did so and was told by the voice that when she gets to the North side of the house, she must shout, "The mountain of the Fenian women and the sky over it is all on fire" three times. She did this and the witches screeched and fled the house back to their home. 
• The spirit of the well then taught the lady how to protect her house from the witches should they return. First, she took the water that she'd used to clean her children's feet and sprinkled it outside of the door. Then, she took the cake that the witches had made with the blood of the sleeping children while she was gone and broke up the cake. She put pieces of it in each person's mouth and they were restored. Then, she took the cloth they had woven and placed it half in and half out of the chest with the padlock. Last, she took a giant crossbeam and placed it over the door, effectively blocking it. 
• The witches returned and bade her to let them in. She refused, so they told the feet water to let them in, but it said it could not because it was scattered about. Angrily, they turned to the cake and told it to let them in. It replied that it could not because it was broken up in the mouths of the sleeping children. The witches left with great frustration and their cries filled the air as they left, cursing the spirit of the well. The woman and the house were left in peace and she kept a memento of that night above her mantle as generations lived happily in that house for 500 years. 

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree

Divorce Changes Your Stepchildren’s Soul and Yours, Too!

Ann Taintor Image, found on The Evil Stepmother Speaks

• There was a king whose wife was named Silver-Tree and a daughter named Gold-Tree. One day they went to a glen where they happened upon a trout. Silver-Tree asked the trout if she was the most beautiful queen in the world. It told her no, her daughter was. Silver-Tree was incredibly angry and vowed to never feel better again until she had eaten the heart and liver of her daughter. When she told her husband that she would be healed of her "illness" if she could eat these things, he instead married his daughter off to a wealthy prince and procured the heart and liver of a goat. She ate them happily and a year later she returned to the glen. She gain asked the trout if she was the most beautiful queen of all, and he again told her no, her daughter Gold-Tree was the most beautiful of all. She laughed and told him that it had been a year since she had been alive and he told her that Gold-Tree was alive and well, and living with a wealthy prince.
• Silver-Tree stormed off and ordered that the royal ship be prepared for her so she could go see her daughter whom she had not seen in so long. It was done and she set off. When Gold-Tree found out, she told her servants to help her for her mother would surely kill her. They locked her in a room that no one could get in or out of without the key. When Silver-Tree arrived, she called out for Gold-Tree who said, "sorry, i'm locked in this room. I guess we can't hang out." Silver-Tree then asked her if she would slip her pinky finger through the key-hole so that she may kiss it. Gold-Tree did so and was immediately struck with a poisoned needle. She fell down dead and Silver-Tree returned home. When the prince found his dead wife, he cried and cried. He loved her so much and she was just too beautiful to bury so he locked her away in a special room that only he had the key to. He moved on and remarried. 
• One day, while he was out, his new wife happened upon the key (which he had forgotten that morning) and opened the door to the mysterious room. She was stunned to find the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen lying there. She shook her, and tried desperately to wake her before noticing the needle in her little finger. She pulled it out, and Gold-Tree was restored back to life and beauty. The wife then showed her husband that Gold-Tree was alive and well and offered to leave. The husband was giddy, but told her that he did not want to lose her either so they both became his wives. 
• Silver-Tree again found herself in the glen and asked the trout, "Troutie, bonny little fellow, am not I the most beautiful queen in the world?" To which it replied, "No, Gold-Tree is." She told him she had poisoned her and that she'd been long dead, but he assured Silver-Tree that her daughter was very much alive. Once again, Silver-Tree set off to "see" her daughter. Gold-Tree was terrified, but her new sister-wife assured her that she would be safe. They went down to the dock to meet Silver-Tree together. The evil queen stepped off of the ship, goblet in hand, and said that she had a special drink for Gold-Tree, a present. The second wife stepped in and told Silver-Tree that it was customary in their country for the presenter of a drink to take the first sip. Silver-Tree raised the cup to her lips and the second wife went up and struck it, forcing some of the liquid to go down her throat. Silver-Tree immediately fell down dead and her corpse was sent back home where it was buried. The prince and the two wives lived happily ever after. 

Week 11 Famous Last Words

Getting Back to the Grind

The past few weeks have been CRAZY! I've been so busy and sick that i've barely made it through. However, there has been a lot of good things to celebrate as well. So, let's focus on the positives! 

• I have purchased my flight and gotten all of my shots for my trip to Africa! It's so surreal to think i'm actually going to be in Africa in just a few months! I just want to scream (but that would be inappropriate.. i'm sitting in the Cox Convention Center, attending the Calm Waters booth at the agency fair). 

Tanzanian Flag

Found on gCaptain

Check out my gofundme HERE

and/or

Follow my progress and adventures on my blog, HERE 

• I am going to graduate in a little over a month! Oh my gosh. These four years have gone by so fast. I had to talk about something I experienced my senior year of high school and couldn't believe that was actually like 5 years ago. It feels like just yesterday I attended Camp Crimson and learned the fight song and alma mater. 

Getting my cap and gown was a TRIP!

• I got accepted into the OU School of Social Work Advanced Standing Master's program! I was freaking out waiting to hear back from them, and finally I got my email saying i'd gotten in. It's crazy to think that, universe willing, I will graduate this summer with my Bachelor's and next summer with my Master's. I'll be a 22 year old MSW! Woot!
• I finished my first draft of my capstone and submitted it to my professor for editing, so that's a huge weight off my chest. 
• My little brother turned 19 last week! Holy crap. He is NOT supposed to grow up! We are really close and I love him to bits. It's tough not being able to see him and his accomplishments, but i'm so proud of him. 

Me and Bub in Broken Bow, OK during Christmas break 2014

• One of my good friends, Michelle, got married and it was so beautiful! 

The beautiful Mr. & Mrs. Coldiron

• I'm down to 180 lbs and a size 12/14!! I haven't been this small since 7th grade!

My face!

• My cat is super adorable, sassy, and generally magnificent. 

Derping together

The BooBoo Kitty is the cuteness!