Voki

The Pit and the Pendulum- alternate ending

I knew i had no choice now but to fall into the pit. I jumped, but i stopped myself. As i was hanging from the side, i felt something in my back pocket. I boosted myself back onto the tiny ledge that remained. In my back pocket was my wand, which i had forgotten i had tucked away before my capture. I thought back to my wizard days as a young boy, but why was it so hard for me to remember any spells? Now paniced by the wall pushing me into the pit, I commanded the first spell i could think of. "Wingardium Leviosa!" I shouted. The spell worked and i took off flying over the pit. "Reducto!" I yelled again, and the wall flew aside, allowing me to safely make my escape to my freedom.

Crucible Reflection

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading the Crucible. I knew about the Salem Witch Trials but I had never done much research about them. It was interesting to learn about it. The people of Salem had very little respect for their community and other people. I was surprised that they would go against their religion to accuse innocent people. In my opinion, the accusers deserved to punished and not the supposed "witches." Although not in the same way, it is a shame to think that things like this still happen today.

1950- Charlie Chaplin

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in London, England in 1889. Charlie was a musician who followed in his parents footsteps.  He remembers going to music halls with his mother and father starting at a young age.  In 1898 Charlie debuted his talents in the English Music Hall with "The Eight Lancashire Lads."  Chaplin Went on to be a very successful composer and musician, film director, and actor.

http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/biography/articles/26-Chaplin-Music

Glory to God forever

This summer, i went to my favorite summer camp in Iowa. It's a christian camp and a great way to having a meaningful experience and alot of fun. during our tuesday night worship tuesday, we sang a song thats main lyrics were "glory to god, glory to god forever". We all paused after the song, everyone  reflecting on different things. Then, the guitar player and camp director, Dan, said something that after 4 months still sticks with me. He said "what if we, in everything we do, were always thinking 'glory to god' in the back of our minds? think how different our lives would be. What would you do differently? what kind of person would you be?" That really struck me as something i wanted to do.
 As usual, your "mountain top" camp experience doesn't last long and life gets back to normal. Of course i learned alot, but nothing really "stuck." I got back to school, and of course, my everyday after school activity, cheerleading. I pride myself on my tumbling skills. I've worked hard to get where i am. I'm working on back tucks and i've had a roundoff flip flop for 2 years.
One day in the middle of september i went to practice and i couldn't tumble. I knew i could, but when i would try, it was like my mind wanted to keep going but my body would stop itself from flipping backwards. I shrugged it off and gave myself a break, thinking it was just an off-day for me.
The next practice i was even more determined, but i still couldnt do it. This continued for weeks. I could tell my coaches and teammates were frustrated with me, and i was even more frustrated with myself. I felt awful about it. The worst part is our first competition was right around the corner, and for every person that doesnt tumble in the routine is a deduction of points. The week before competition with two practices left, my coach told me "Rachel, if you're not tumbling by wednesday, i'm taking you out." That scared me. My goal for the year was to tumble in the routine and i couldnt do it.
I left practice that night almost in tears. As i drove home from practice, "Glory to God" came on my ipod. Dan's words flashed back into my mind. that was when it all clicked for me. Maybe I was forgetting to glorify god with all my talents. After all, he is the one who gave them to me. The day of the next practice, i wrote "Glory to God" on my hand and looked at it all day during school. I went to practice very nerveous, but with a new attitude. When it was time to warm up our tumbling, I got in line, waiting. It got to be my turn so i looked at my hand one more time and went for it. I had no problem tumbling! It was one of the best feelings ever.  We went to our competition tht weekend and got first place out of six teams! we were all so proud of ourselves.
Now, every practice i always think about what i'm doing and glorifying god for the talents I have. Yes, i am the one doing the flips across the floor, but God is the one giving me the strength to do it.

Friends at Camp (:

My team and Coaches at our competition (:

"I can do all things through christ who strengthens me" Phillipians 4:13

Squanto and how he helped the pilgrims

Squanto played a crucial part in making this colony successful. Without Squanto, the pilgrims would have most likely not survived. Squanto made a deal shortly after the pilgrims arrived. The pilgrims made a truce with Squanto stating that they would not harm them and fight with them should they ever go to war. Earlier, the indians had stolen some of the pilgrims tools and they returned them after talking with them. Squanto also served as a translator for the pilgrims and indians. Squanto was the indian who spoke the best english and served as a vital communication tool for both the indians and pilgims. Squanto was also crucial in creating the first thanksgiving in which the indian tribe gave plenty of food to the pilgrims.
Without Squanto, the pilgrims would have had a more difficult journey, and our American history would not be the same.

Journals of Discovery- General History of Virginia

For my blog this week, i am going to reflect on John Smith's Journal, "The General History of Virginia". When the colonists first arrived, they had many hardships to endure. 
When they first arrived, the weather was hot and it began to take is toll on them. Along with that, they had a limited source for fresh water, making it difficult to work and find gold like they hoped for.  After a while,the colonists ran out of the already small food supply that they had. The only way they could get more food was to trade with the indians, which was a very risky plan.The colonists also faced the dangers of many diseases. These diseases took the lives of many of the men, making the chance of survival less for the remaining colonists. Throughout all of the hardships that the colonists went through, enough of them survived to help build a strong foundation for the country that it would soon become.

Native american Culture Blog

This past week in class we have talked about Native Americn history. Personally, going into this week i did not know much about the culture of Native Americans except for a man that i knew in my childhood.
My whole life I have grown up in the same church. There was an elderly couple at my church, Marilyn and Monte Barnes. Both Marilyn and Monte were caucasian, but they had an adoptive daughter, Tina, who was Native American. At the time i was probably five or six, so i didn't think much of it. Tina had married a man, whose name I don't recall. He was also Native American. I remember laughing in church one sunday because Tina and her husband had came to church dressed in Native American outfits. I was so young that I did not realize how important their culture was to them.
Since Tina had grown up in an adoptive home, it was up to her to find out her heritage. I suspect that her husband, who also was adopted, had to do the same. That culture is all they knew of their relatives and they did their best to keep it alive.
a few years after Tina and her husband had been married, her husband suddenly passed away. I was older by then, maybe eight or nine. Being good friends if Tina and her parents, my family attended the funeral. The funeral was at a little church in somewhere in the cornfields of wisconsin. Marilyn, Monte, a few other members of our church, and my family were the only ones out of about 100 people who were not Native American. The funeral was not like a regular funeral. My memory of it is a bit foggy, but i remember chanting instead of singing, and drums instead of a traditional organ. That was the first time I really thought about how different cultures act, especially Native American culture.
Obviously, I am not the same girl that I was ten years ago. I have come along way from sitting in church laughing about the way someone dresses. Since Tina's husband has died, and I have lost contact with Tina, I have not really thought about Native American culture until this unit in class. I found it quite interesting to see how different it was and how ideas have changed from generations.  If I have learned anything from this unit its that we should take time to learn of other cultures because it can be interesting and enjoyable.