Week Ten Review

This cat is adorable and that cupcake makes me hungry!

Google Timer Tech Tip

Wow! I just learned how to set a timer with Google and it is amazing. I am always telling myself that I will work for X amount of minutes and then take a Netflix episode break. This will be a great way to keep track of that without having to constantly check my clock. We all know that just slows things down! This will really help me manage my time when I am working on my two online classes. This is something I really am needing to work on! I can also set it when I am scrolling Facebook so I do not spend too much time on there. I have a bad habit of being on Facebook for hours and not leaving myself a lot of time for homework.

Reading Diary Week Ten: Cherokee

Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900).
First Story
-The earth was made by a beetle pulling soil to the water's surface
-The mountains were from a bird flying too close to the surface when the soil had not hardened yet
-They started rotating the sun east to west to dry out the land
-At first woman multiplied weekly until the population got large then woman could only multiply yearly
The First Fire
-The spider successfully retrieved the fire with a bowl of web
-The Raven is black because the fire charred his winds
-Owls eyes are red from the smoke
-Snakes slither side to side from dodging the burning ashes
The Journey to the sunrise
-A group of men wanted to see where the sun stayed at night
-They met many tribes along the way and at one point met one who buried the spouse alive when the other passed
-I thought that was odd because I read that same custom in another story- I think it was the one where the man went on seven crazy voyages
-The found his home but one was crushed when they tried to enter so the rest returned home
Origin of the Pleiades and the Pine
-A group of boys were too busy playing instead of working so the mother decided to punish them
-The boys rebelled and danced and prayed to the gods
-They were carried up to the stars but one boy was pulled back and fell into the earth and became a pine tree
The Moon and The Thunder
-The moon was courting the sun but the sun did not know who he was because she only saw him at night. So one night she put ashes on his face so at daybreak she would know. That is why the moon has dark spots. The moon was embarrassed so now he stays as far away as possible
-The moon is a ball that was thrown during a game illegally and is there to remind players not to cheat. games can only be played on a full moon
-Whenever an eclipse happens it is a frog trying to swallow the moon or sun so they shoot guns at it to scare it away
-The main thunders in the sky are helpful but there are other thunders around earth that cause mischief. If you point at a rainbow your finger swells
The Deluge
-This story was strange, it didnt really have an ending
-It reminded me of Noahs Ark he built a raft for the flood but he only saved his family and when the water went down everywhere he went ghosts were dancing
Tobacco and Strawberries
-their one tobacco plant was stolen and without it this old woman was dying
-every animal tried to retrieve it but the thief killed them as soon as he saw them
-finally the hummingbird tried and was so swift and small he could not be caught and killed
-he saved the people by returning the tobacco plant
-a husband and wife were fighting and she ran off, he tried to chase her but couldnt catch up
-so a god put fruits in her path to try and get her to stop but she paid no attention until he made a new fruit the strawberry which got her to stop
-they got back together
Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting
-A sly rabbit tries to do all these tricks to impress people, one day he tries to catch a duck who ends up flying off with him
-He falls into a tree and is stuck until some kids cut him out and he scurries away
Rabbit steals Otters Coat
-The rabbit tricked the otter into taking off his coat and wearing it himself for a compitition
-when he got to the competition he was recognized as the rabbit and his tail was pulled off
Why the Possums Tail is Bare
-The rabbit is a trickster again
-Out of jealousy the rabbit convinced the cricket to brush the possoms tail but really cut all the hair off without him knowing.
How the Terrapin Beat the Rabbit
-He hid out his identical friends at each ridge and he hid at the finish line and when the rabbit got close and wore out he crossed the finish line winning the race
Flint Visited Rabit
-Flint was evil and everyone wanted him dead
-Trickster Rabbit thought he could do it so he befriends flint and invites him to dinner
-After dinner Flint falls asleep and Rabbit shatters him with a mallet which is why we find flint everywhere
Deer and Rabbit
-the deer and the rabbit were racing to see who would get the antlers
-the rabbit cheated and cut a neat path so the deer would have to run through thick brush
-since he cheated the deer automatically got the antlers
-the rabbit was jealous so he tricked the deer into thinking he needed sharper teeth
-the deer foolishly let him sharpen his teeth but he really just cut them down to the gum so now deer can only eat soft things

A Cute Deer

Tech Tip: Weather Widget

Hey guys! Just wanted to let everyone know I finally got around to making a weather widget. Hopefully there will be more fun widgets added soon! Here is a link on how to add one to your own page! http://onlinecourselady.pbworks.com/w/page/34993067/weatherunderground

Reading Plans

The first unit that sticks out to me is the Cherokee unit. Cherokee is my Native American heritage so I love reading old tales and learning their history. I also like that it is written in the original oral tradition. It makes these stories different from previous readings. I also really love origin stories- they have been my favorite so far this semester. This unit is full of them.
I also want to read the American Indian Fairy Tales unit. I have not read any fairy tales so far this semester, so I feel this unit will be a nice change of pace. I am excited to read something written for a slightly younger audience as well.

From The Little Girl and Boy in the Clouds

Blog Ideas

The first blog I came to that had a neat feature was Eryn's blog. She has a weather widget set up which I think is a great idea! It adds more character to her blog, it also makes it more interactive. Something else for her readers to click on. I also enjoyed the setup of her labels. She has then going down in size by how much they are used. I looks really neat on her blog.
http://mischmyth.blogspot.com/

The second interesting design I came to was Patrick's. I like how he had his labels going across the top of the page. I think it makes for easier access for his readers.
http://patrickkschaefer.blogspot.com/

The third item I found that I wanted to add to my profile was from Ashlie's page. She has a link to a Pinterest page and I think that is such a great idea!
http://oklahomafornow.blogspot.com/

Time Management Post Spring Break

My time schedule for this class has changed a little bit since the start of the semester. Originally I planned on doing two hours a day Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. After we started getting into the readings and commenting; I found that I typically do the readings on Monday or Tuesday (depending on when I work), I do the storytelling and project on Wednesday, and then the project feedback and blog commenting on Friday or Sunday (depending on my weekend schedule). After spring break I start another online course. I have no idea what the course load will be like yet, but I know I will have to manage my time wisely to get all of my work done. I am also job searching for post grad so I know that most of my Thursdays and Fridays will be taken up by job interviews since I do not have class on those days. So I will have to manage most of my homework Sunday-Wednesday after spring break. I am excited to start the last weeks of my time as an undergraduate and I look forward to finishing up all my classes in a timely manner!

My thoughts whenever I have time to just sit down

Storytelling Week Seven: My Wicked Stepdaughter

Dear Diary,

I am so overwhelmed with joy! Today is the day I get to marry the handsome Prince Toyonari. I have waited my entire life to meet a man of his perfection and class. Everything about this marriage will be perfect. My soon- to- be husband is handsome, courageous, generous and very wealthy. And my son will be next in line to his status and fortune! Well, as long as I can get the girl out of the picture. Did I tell you about the child he has? My goodness, he is obsessed with her! Apparently his first wife couldn’t have children so she is some miracle baby from the gods. She doesn’t seem very special to me, just an obstacle in the grand scheme. But that is okay- I know how to handle problems.

XOXO,

Lady Terute

Dear Diary,

This child is so frustrating! I have tried to trick her into being disrespectful so as to have her punished. But no matter what task I give her or rude thing I say she just takes it with no complaints! Her abnormal kindness is ruining all my plans! She is stealing my attention from MY HUSBAND. And she is showing up my boy! She is a talented musician and poet and everyone swoons over her every word. She was even asked to play at the palace! She puts on a great front, showing everyone her grace and charm. But I know, deep down, that she is an accident waiting to happen. She can’t stay this perfect forever. Her dark past will catch up with her. No child makes it through the loss of a parent unscathed.

XOXO,

Lady Terute

Dear Diary,

Well I have devised a plan. If she won’t show her true colors now, it is best I do not wait around on her to explode. That could be treacherous! For the sake of everyone around her, I feel it is best to get rid of her now. I have decided to poison her. I went and got the concoction from a friend today. I will mix it in her wine at playtime tomorrow. Wish me luck!

XOXO,

Lady Terute

Dear Diary,

I am writing today with a heavy heart. My son has passed. And it is all the girl’s fault. How you ask? Well, let me tell you. I mixed the wines accordingly, being careful to mark the poisonous cup. I took the wine to the playroom for the children and handed them out. I looked away for one minute and somehow the girl switched the cups! She must have known one was poison. She has to be a witch of sorts. This is even more of a reason for me to get rid of her! She is a nuisance to society! First she takes my husband’s attention and now she takes my only son’s life. She will be gone soon, mark my words.

XOXO,

Lady Terute

Dear Diary,

My husband left today, so it was the perfect time to strike. With him gone, I am head of the household. So, today I ordered our servant to take the girl to the woods and kill her. I explained her witchcraft to him and how she is harmful to us if she stays here. He obliged and they left early this afternoon. It was such a wonderful feeling watching her be escorted away. I have never felt so powerful and free. And honestly, it needed to be done for the good of the country. No child is that perfect without something being wrong. She must be a witch, so she needs to be taken care of. I know I made the right decision.

XOXO,

Lady Terute

Dear Diary,

Bad news. When my husband returned to his daughter missing, I told him she ran away. Naturally he went out to look for her. I, assuming she was dead, wasn’t worried. Well, today I received word that he has found her! That wretched girl must have pleaded for her life and that awful servant stayed out there and kept her alive! You just can’t seem to find good help these days. I should have taken her out there myself. Oh well, none of that matters now. He is going to have me executed if I do not leave. So now I must make a run for it. Hopefully my father will take me back in. It will probably be a while before I can write again. So wish me luck and I will try and make the best of this awful situation.

XOXO,

Lady Terute

Daughter being saved by father

Author's Note: This is the story of Princess Hase. She has an evil stepmother who tries to kill her multiple times. All of her plans fail miserably, and in one attempt she even accidentally killed her own son. In the end her father finds out about his wife's plan and runs her out of town. The father and daughter live happily together after that. For my retelling, I kept the plot the same. All the events in my retelling actually happen in the original story. In the original story it is told by a third person voice. For my story, I thought it would be fun to write it in the stepmother's voice. Historically we never really see the evil stepmother's side of the story. So, I thought this would be fun and different. I always assume in stories with evil stepmothers there is an alternative reason to jealousy that the stepmothers have for hating the stepdaughters. So for my retelling I added that the stepmother was convinced the girl was a witch. Therefore, killing her was the right thing to do. After doing some research on Princess Hase I have found that many compare her story to Cinderella. This was my first thought as well when I read the original story. The story explained some of the princess's accomplishments specifically in music and poetry. In my research I found she is also accredited with the art of embroidery. 

Bibliography: The Story of Princess Hase. Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki (1908).

Reading Diary Week Seven cont.: Japanese Fairy Tales

The Goblin of Adachigahara

• A monk was traveling one night and got lost in an empty plain, he found shelter in an old woman's hut
• when she went to get more firewood he looked around her place finding a room filled with skeletons
• He then released she was going to kill him, she was the goblin he had heard stories of 
• So he ran away and ran all night with her chasing him until daylight broke and she vanished

The Ogre of Rashomon

• A brave knight fights a large scary ogre seizing his arm in the battle
• The ogre returns as an old woman to retrieve his arm and escapes before he can be harmed again
• The ogres never returned to the city out of fear of this brave knight

The Story of Princess Hase

• She was born via prayers from her parents who were having trouble conceiving
• Her mother died when she was young but still taught her manners
• Her new stepmother hated her and treated her awful, even tried to poison her but accidentally poisoned her son instead
• She then had her sent away while her father was on business
• The servant sent to kill her decided to just stay with her in the forest until her father returned
• Upon his return he found his daughter in the wood and his second wife ran away for fear of what the father would say to her for banishing his daughter
• the daughter and father lived a happy peaceful life after that

Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki (1908).

The princess being rescued by her father

Reading Diary Week Seven: Japanese Fairy Tales

My Lord Bag of Rice

• A man wanted to go out a find an adventure/prove his masculinity
• He came across a dragon but was not afraid nor did he try and kill it since it was sleeping and posing no threat
• The dragon then changed form to human and requested his help in killing the enemy
• He said yes thinking it would be a great adventure and killed the enemy with creativity (human saliva)
• The dragon king gave him gifts that could not be used up ever and he became very wealthy

The Golden Boy

• A woman was forced to live in the woods after her husband died and his enemies kicked her and her unborn boy out
• The boy become very strong and well acquainted with the animals
• One day a general saw him and his great strength and recruited him to be a samurai
• He became the biggest hero in the land and brought his mother back to the city and cared for her

The Man who did not wish to die

• A man was afraid of death and went in search of eternal life
• He prayed to a God that could supposedly grant him that
• The God put him in a dream and showed him what it would be like to live for hundreds of years
• The man realized he did not desire to live forever and he would prosper in his life by being a good soul

Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki (1908)

Bird that transports you to eternal life