A Few Books I'm Reading Right Now

In one of my recent posts, I made a list of books that I'm going to focus on reading this year. It's safe to say that I've started on that list.

The first book I've started reading is called The Shannara Chronicles: The Elfstones of Shannara. My interest was peaked when I started watching the TV show that I found one day on Netflix. While perusing through the book section on Amazon one day last summer, I came across this book and decided that I needed to read the book that sparked the show. Little did I know how many books came with this one. What I mean is that this book is part of a series and has another series that explains some of the history that may or may not be well explained in this series.

Although I've only read the first six chapters of the fifty-three chapter book, it's starting out a little different than they started the story out in the show. I'm not going to give away any other details due to the fact that a) I've not finished the book yet and b) I don't want to give away any details in the show if you haven't watched it yet (which I highly recommend you do if you like anything related to Lord of the Rings).

The second book I'm reading (I can't remember if I put this one on the earlier list or not) is The Count of Monte Cristo. I've loved watching this movie for years. One day, while at a book store with my family, I found quite a few classics that I've had on my classics reading list. I decided that it would be a good idea to go ahead and grab this one, along with a few others.

It's safe to say that the movie has taken a few liberties in how it structured the plot and what it decided to keep and what to toss out. I'm about halfway through this HUGE book and I've barely gotten halfway through what's in the movie. If you're wanting to read this book, I recommend that you watch the movie prior to reading the book (I know, shocker that an English major is recommending you watch the movie BEFORE reading the book) but you won't be able to keep up, especially if you have a hard time keeping up with difficult texts, if you don't watch the movie first. 

A Movie I Can Quote By Heart

How many of you have a favorite movie that you can quote by heart? I know I do! If I'm honest, I have more than one movie that I can rattle off from beginning to end.

My whole family speaks in fluent movie quotes. It's part of our communication system. Most of the movies we use include, but are not limited to: Disney, Pixar, musicals, and Marvel. We take the parts that suit the situation or point we're trying to make.

The sad thing is, we don't limit ourselves to just movies. We also use songs, T.V. shows, YouTube videos, and situations from our childhood. And this is just one of the things that makes my family the way it is, in a good way.

How many movies can you quote by heart?

What Is A Hero?

Within the last few weeks, my parents have been watching Marvel's Superhero movies. If you haven't heard of these movies, they are movies that deal with the Marvel comic book hero's. This has gotten me into a thinking mood, thinking about one question: What is a hero?

According to Merriam-Webster, a hero is defined in one of the following three ways:

1. A mythological or legendary figure often of divine decent endowed with great strength or ability
2. The principal character in a literary or dramatic work - used specifically of a principal male character especially when contrasted with heroine.
3. An object of extreme admiration and devotion

What does it take to be a hero? Does it take the great strength or ability that's been given to a figure of divine decent in the myths and legends like it's defined in the first definition? Does a hero just mean that they're the main character in a story? Or is a hero only something, or someone, who receives admiration and devotion?

In the Marvel movies, some of the characters fit into all three definitions, others in a combo of just two, or the ones who just fit into one definition. When it comes to real life though, how many of our "heros" actually fit into one, or more, of these definitions? Do they actually deserve to be called a hero for that reason we label them as such?

These are all things that I've been thinking about as I, along with those who are waiting for the last Avengers movie, should be thinking about and keeping in mind.

The Must-Have Checklist for the Beginner Knitter

If you read my post on Friday, I talked about one of my current hobbies: crocheting. Another hobbie that my grandmother taught me was how to knit. Just like crocheting, there have been many a summer, Christmas and Spring Break, and long weekend where knitting has helped me fill the free time I've experienced. How many of you have wanted to learn how to knit? Well, if you answered yes to that question, continue reading. If it was no, you'd save time by not reading on.

If you need direction as to where to begin, here is a checklist of items you need to begin your adventure into the world of knitting.

• An easy pattern
• If you've NEVER crocheted before, then you should look for a pattern that is small and relatively easy. If you don't know how to tell if it's easy, make sure to put beginner or easy in the search parameters when looking for the pattern.
• The yarn needed for the pattern
• Just like a recipe, each pattern tells you what you need in order to complete the project. The pattern tells you how much, what size, and what quality of yarn. Yes, I did say how much, what size, and what quality. You see, yarn comes in different thicknesses and quality. Each type of yarn is meant for different projects and feelings. The yarn one uses for socks may not be the best type of yarn for a thick cowl. Once you've gotten your yarn, you need to get your crochet hook. Read on to the next point to figure that out.
• The knitting needles needed for the pattern
• Once the pattern and the yarn has been picked out, you're going to need the proper pair of knitting needles. Just like you need a specific yarn for your project, you're going to need a specific pair of knitting needles that works with they yarn and how tightly you knit. This is where the next point comes into play.
• Someone to walk you through what you need to know for that pattern
• If you've never tried your hand at knitting, then you need to find someone who knows what to do and how to teach you properly. They would be more than happy to walk you through the basics and help you learn how to develop this new skill.

If you need any more help or tips, feel free to comment below and I will address any and all questions I can. Happy Knitting!

The Must-Have Checklist for the Beginner Crocheter

If any of you haven't picked up on the hints I've laid down, one of my current hobbies is crocheting. When I was six years old, my grandmother taught me how to crochet and I've never looked back! There have been many a summer, Christmas and Spring Break, and long weekend where crocheting has helped me fill the free time I've experienced. How many of you have wanted to learn how to crochet? Well, if you answered yes to that question, continue reading. If it was no, you'd save time by not reading on.

If you need direction as to where to begin, here is a checklist of items you need to begin your adventure into the world of crocheting.

• An easy pattern
• If you've NEVER crocheted before, then you should look for a pattern that is small and relatively easy. If you don't know how to tell if it's easy, make sure to put beginner or easy in the search parameters when looking for the pattern.
• The yarn needed for the pattern
• Just like a recipe, each pattern tells you what you need in order to complete the project. The pattern tells you how much, what size, and what quality of yarn. Yes, I did say how much, what size, and what quality. You see, yarn comes in different thicknesses and quality. Each type of yarn is meant for different projects and feelings. The yarn one uses for socks may not be the best type of yarn for a thick cowl. Once you've gotten your yarn, you need to get your crochet hook. Read on to the next point to figure that out.
• The crochet hook needed for the pattern
• Once the pattern and the yarn has been picked out, you're going to need a crochet hook. Just like you need a specific yarn for your project, you're going to need a specific hook that works with they yarn and how tightly you crochet. This is where the next point comes into play.
• Someone to walk you through what you need to know for that pattern
• If you've never tried your hand at crocheting, then you need to find someone who knows what to do and how to teach you properly. They would be more than happy to walk you through the basics and help you learn how to develop this new skill.

If you need any more help or tips, feel free to comment below and I will address any and all questions I can. Happy Crocheting!

Teachable Thursday

Teachable Thursday is a new idea I had about being able to teach something about what I've been talking about in the most recent posts. Since I've been talking about goals and a story idea about trials, that made me think of a well-known book (shocker, I know. An English teacher thinking about a book that fits an occasion? *insert fake shocked face here*).

That book is called To Kill a Mockingbird. If you think back to your English class sophomore year of high school, this is one of the books you were most likely exposed to as it's usually required classroom reading. For those of you who may not be as familiar with it, this is a novel written back in the early 1960's with a film that came out soon after that.

If you're not as familiar with the content of the book, or just need a refresher, go here to get the basic summary of anything from the book.

In this novel, the town goes through a period of what could be called a series of trials. The town of Maycomb has to deal with several of the biggest "sins" of all time: racism/social inequality, prejudice, morals, and the coexistence of good and evil. The story takes place in Alabama in the 1930's. A time when those who were not white, especially those of African-American decent, were seen as lesser human beings, even though slavery was abolished by this time.

Now, some of you may be thinking, "why do we need another discussion about any of these topics?" The reason I find these topics necessary, is due to the fact that they don't need to be repeated to the extent that they were in the past. The best way to keep the past from being repeated is to study and understand what happened.

This book is a great example of the times and I highly recommend you read the book yourself and develop a healthy respect for how much society may or may not have progressed.

Newest Story Idea

On Tuesday, I promised that I would talk about the newest story idea I had started writing since my original post about the stories I've been working on in the post from September 7th. In that post, I gave very brief summations of about seven different stories I've been working on for the last few years off and on. Back in January, I added one more to the list of stories.

In order to get a full story, I have to go back to the very beginning of the story.

I started using Pinterest back in college. If you don't know what Pinterest is, follow this link to get a brief glimpse and a description of the website. If you already know, then keep reading. I have an entire board dedicated to what a writer could ever possibly need. One of the sections on that board is filled with just writing prompts. This is where I put prompts I think could make great stories, whether they be short stories, novellas, or full on books.

One day, about two months ago, I was looking through this section of my writing Pinterest board when I came across one pin that was about trials. Being a rather long picture, I kept reading what was written on it. It talked about how the protagonist (the hero) is put through a trial. This trial is one of three types that takes place in one of six places. While there, the protagonist is able to take certain gifts with them to help, but with each gift comes certain drawbacks that make the trial harder.

Feeling the writer's itch, I instantly started blueprinting an outline for a book based upon that pin. As I did, I figured out that it would be a good idea to see if I could make a series out of it, seeing that there are six places that they protagonist could go through a trial. From there, I started writing. If all works out, it'll be one of the greatest books I've written yet.

Three Steps Towards My Goal

If you read my post from yesterday, you know that I have one goal that I've been working on for quite some time and that I've asked you all to keep me accountable to write once or twice a week. Now, these writing times are not to be dedicated to writing posts here on the blog.

As my title suggests, I want to take three steps to accomplishing my goal of getting at least one story published. These are steps that I see as being important to getting to the final goal: publication. Again, please keep me to these steps and feel free to comment on any post (including this one) to ask for updates about how I'm doing.

• The first step is to actually get one of my manuscripts finished.
• This step is going to not cost any money, but is most likely going to be the hardest hurdle for me to overcome at this point in time. As I mentioned yesterday, there are a few things that are getting in my way, keeping me from getting this step done.
• When I say finished, I mean the story is told from start to finish and I've done one or two personal edits myself.
• The second step is to get the manuscript edited and proofread.
• This step is going to cost money if I'm going to get it professionally done. I've looked briefly into ways to get this done, but I figured I need to get step one closer to being done before I start on this step. If I were to go this route, I'm not sure when I would need to start raising the money to do this.
• I might have a friend or two read it as well. This really wouldn't cost me anything monetarily, but I would most likely give them a free copy of my book in exchange.
• The third and final step is to get a book cover, reviews, and any other items that are needed to get the book published.
• This is another step that could be costly if I get it done professionally. This would be another account of money I'd need to raise or save for.
• Or, I could try to do it myself. I haven't done much research on how I can get this done, but I see that this is for further down the road when I'm not having to worry about getting the actual writing done. Why would I need a book cover if I don't have a book to put inside of it?

Once all three of the goals above have been met, it's off to be published! This is going to be a long and tiring road of potential heartache and hard work. I know it can be done, as long as I can stay focused and get work done.

A Goal I'm Working Towards Now

If you've read my Bucket List page (located in the side bar of this blog), one of the things I have listed there is to finish up at least one of my writing projects. For those of you who've known me for quite a bit of time, you know that I have been writing stories off and on since high school.

It's always been a goal of mine to actually finish up at least one, if not all, of these stories and get it/them published. If you read my post from September 7th of last year, you'll have a good sense of all but one of the stories I've been working on over the last year. Since that post, I've added a new story to the bunch. If you'd like to get a summation of the newest story to my list, come back on Thursday for the full tale.

But, to get back to today's topic, I know that it's going to be hard to keep going and actually get this goal accomplished. For one, I know that my schedule is hectic and there are days where I do not have the time to dedicate to writing. Two, I'll have days where I'm free to write, but never intentionally set aside the time necessary to write. And finally, third, the days I actually set down to write, I'm lucky to get a few good paragraphs, maybe a few pages, done before I have to get up and go to the next thing.

So, I'm here to ask you all to help keep me accountable and make progress at least one or two times a week on my writing projects.

The Lion King

Last week, I attended a performance of Disney's The Lion King. If you haven't seen the performance, I highly suggest you find a time when they are performing in your area to go see it.

Here are some highlights of when I went:

1. The music was spectacular!
2. The characters of Rafiki, Timon, and Pumbaa have always been favorites of mine from the movies, but in the play, they were even better.
3. The Entr'acte was AMAZING!!! All I can say is that you need to go and see it for yourself in order to absorb how awesome this part was!!
4. The costumes and bright colors of the sets, lighting, and costumes themselves. If you've never looked into African traditional dress, you're missing out on how beautiful they are! I recommend that you go look up some of the pictures available online to get a glimpse of the wonder of the culture in the form of their outfits.

If I Could Spend $1,000

If I could spend $1,000 on anything in life, I would start out with a good massage. I had my first Swedish massage last summer and it was amazing! After that, I'd head to the closest book store and grab more books to add to my ever growing library. As you very well know, I have a tendency to buy books that take me years to get to. If (and that's a big if) I had any money left after that, I'd head to the closest yarn store and buy enough yarn to keep me busy for a long time.

What would you do if you had $1,000?

Spring Break Staycation Ideas

March is the time of year when schools go on spring break. This is usually either a long weekend or an entire week that students and teachers are given off from the daily grind of school. This also means that parents may be at their wits end as to what to do with their kids once they're home during this time.

Many people use this time to go on a mini vacation somewhere. They spend X amount of money on travel, hotel, food, gas, and other items. Just imagine it: you stress and plan this mini vaca for weeks, or even months, and it turns out that the whole thing was a complete flop and no one enjoyed themselves. Think about all of the time, energy, and money that was wasted on the whole trip?

If you don't want to go through the heartache once again, perhaps you should think about taking what's called a Staycation. This is when you stay at home for the entire duration of your time off of work and or school.

If this whole stay at home vacation sounds like a good idea, I've listed some of the things I enjoy doing when I have any time off of work. I've spent many a Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, and Summer vacations on these options, so I know that they help me pass the time.

• Movie Marathon
• This is perfect for the movie junky. I, for one, have quite the movie collection that I've been adding to over the years. (just look at blog post entitled "Favorite Places to Binge Watch Movies and TV Shows")
• TV Show Marathon
• Look above, the same applies here fore me too.
• Catch up on Book List
• I've developed a love of reading when I was in middle school. Ever since then, I've been gathering up all of the books I can to create my own personal library. Unfortunately, I've not been able to keep up with my reading, so my bookshelf has become a pit stop for all of the books that I have yet to read. This upcoming spring break would be a good time for me to catch up on these books.
• Try new recipes
• There are many sites that you can sign up for that will deliver chef created meals to your door. These services give you recipes that are tailor made for your desires and diet. Pinterest is also a good place to go to if you don't want to pay money for the recipes.
• Explore your neighborhood/town
• Depending upon where you live, you may or may not be able to do both of these options. If you're like me, you live in a small rural town that would be easy to go for a quick drive one day and possibly discover the new little hideaways that I haven't found before now. But if you live in more of a metropolitan, then this might not be a good choice
• Try a new craft with the kids (if you have them and they are young enough to benefit from this)
• Pinterest is a great resource to find crafts for kids if you don't have the ability to go outside and play. 
• Finish up a craft or two you've been putting off
• If you're anything like me, you love to crochet and knit. I have so many projects that I've started, but never finished due to one thing or another. With spring break coming up, it would be a good time to try and finish one or two of them up. Perhaps when I am going through my movie or tv marathons I'll work on them.

There are many other things you can do during spring break that won't break the bank. Hopefully, one or more of them will be enough to keep you so busy that the entire break will fly by in a flash before your eyes.

New Addition to Blog

If you've been keeping up with this blog, then you'll notice a new picture on the side. There's a good reason for its presence there.

As an education major, I've been looking into the different online schools that are available. One of the ones I've signed up for (that's free), is Thinkific. So far, everything seems straightforward and easy to use. Also, I do not have to pay to have three courses on their site.

So, I have decided to see if I can get enough interest from students for classes to make this possible endeavor worth the work. If you click on the button "Click to buy", you will be directed to the landing page for the pre-sale of this course. It will help me to see if I am on the right track with selling courses.

Also, please share this information with friends and family who could benefit from having courses built around books and English (things typically taught in English classes in schools). This could be families that homeschool and need additional help with the planning of curriculum or homeschool groups who are looking for enrichment for their students.

At the moment, the course only has a few lessons that make up a waitlist. This is to see, as I said earlier, if my idea to start in this direction of my life is a good one.