Alma

Chloe St.Onge
Language Arts per # 5
December 17th, 2010
Essay

Great Grandma Alma

My great grandma Alma was purely inspirational. No words could ever come close to describing how strong and independent she was as a woman. She went through things that no one in this time period could ever imagine; simply treacherous things. But, she never once complained about her life and the conditions she had to live in, because she was such a strong and grateful individual.
About four years ago my great grandma made a huge move from New York to Washington State, and that’s when I got to know her on a more personal level. Not once would I leave her house without hearing an earful of stories from her time period. My great grandma blessed me with the stories of her past, whether it had great meaning or not. 
My great grandma lived through the Great Depression throughout the 1920’s. As a young newly-wed, her husband left her to go serve his country in World War II, leaving her to fend for herself and three children. She got by, by sewing clothes and making food and money stretch as far as possible. Living on only a soldier’s wage, she had an abundance of hardships. Yet, she always seemed to make the most of what she had. The stories that she told even in her last days were about how blessed she was and never about hardship.
You could say my great grandma was old-fashioned. She was excellent at sewing, crocheting, knitting, tatting, and embroidery. These might seem like out-of-date talents now, but in her day she used them to make the most of what she had and take care of her family. 
Alma really opened my eyes to how fortunate I am to have so many luxuries compared to the day and age when she was raising her children. Present day, the world is very materialistic and commercial. In her day, it was about providing for your family no matter what it took. Those values might be rare today, but my great grandma’s influence on me always reminds me to cherish what I have, and the potential I have to give.

Strongly Bonded

I first met my cousin D.J. when I was three years old. I mean we had seen each other before but we were both babies. So that really didn’t matter. Not until we were both three years old, we had our first real meeting. We had a sleep over at my house. We have been air tight since then, for the most part getting a long too. He’s about three months older than me but he is a grade higher. He is by far my closest relative and that’s not including my little brother.

Since he has always been a grade higher than me he has always gotten to experience things first. So he has always been able to give me great advice on the stuff he has gone through, and also I know its current stuff. That has always helped me succeed because I have known what to expect. It’s always made me look better in our family since have tended to do better in school and stuff. Even though I got to learn from some of his mistakes, he experiencing stuff first in some things made it easier.

The most memorable event between me and D.J. was when I was in 8^th grade and he was a freshman. He came up to me one day and said,

“Aye bro I got something to tell you…” I replied,

“What is it?” he responded,

“I stole from my next door neighbors.” I didn’t know what to say after that. I tried to tell him to hide it and not tell his parents. So of course he did that. So one day when he was in the shower, his mom was looking for him. When she went in his room to talk to him, she figured out that he wasn’t in his room. So she decided to look around. Well she found a fancy pair of headphones that she didn’t know he had and she remembered how the next door neighbor’s mom was talking about her sons missing headphones. When he got out the shower she questioned him tough, knowing that there was a good chance the headphones were stolen. After a while he just gave and admitted.

D.J. was in so much trouble after this. He was grounded for the whole summer. That mishap made me realize that you should always confess and tell the truth. Also it made me realize how bad stealing is. So those series of unfortunate events helped me learn a bit about life. That is why he was a person in my life that impacted me a lot.

Carlin

Natalie Upton

Lit. and Comp 

Per. 6

December 15, 2010

Carlin

Nine years ago, I had no idea I would meet such a significant and lifelong friend. Her faint freckles from the summer sun and childlike smile only began to describe her cheerful ambiance. Seeing each other at Sunday school every week made our friendship only progress. As our conversations became more frequent, as did our punishments for talking during lessons. 

“Everyone knows the story of Ruth in the bible correct?” asked Mrs. Burke, our Sunday school teacher. 

“I don't.” Carlin responded shyly. At that age, most children would have acted conceited because they knew what is was and Carlin did not. I felt that it was unfair to be made fun of partly because I lacked knowledge on the subject myself, and therefore decided to voice my opinion as well. Carlin's feelings of embarrassment diminished after others admitted that they did not know either. 

I have come to realize that Carlin and I have put enough trust in each other's opinions that it is unnecessary to feel embarrassment when one of us is not educated on something. I sometimes envy her ability to admit she does not understand something. Many times, I would try to avoid the subject or pretend I knew what something meant. More often than not, this merely resulted in further embarrassment. Carlin is very accepting of the way she is and from her, I have learned how to be more secure in the way that I handle these situations. I have also become more aware of how to act when someone else is uneducated in something. I admire her carefree nature, in that, her actions reflect exactly what she feels and she rarely becomes consumed in what others think.

The summer before my first year of high school, my dog, Willow began to get very sick. I continued to update Carlin on how she was doing, but things were not looking up. Throughout these worried couple of weeks, she kept an optimistic attitude and consoled me whenever I was feeling hopeless. Soon after, my parents informed me that we had to take Willow to the veterinarian for the last time. As I stood in the office, the florescent lights blinded even my shut eyes. I knew it was best to put her out of her pain. I held back my tears as my throat tightened and it became hard to swallow. I felt paralyzed; unable to move or speak. When my family trudged back to the car to drive home, I spoke. “I want to go to Carlin's”. Accepting my murmured request, my dad drove me to her house. 

I knocked lightly on the front door. Within seconds, Carlin appeared in the doorway and immediately knew what had happened. I could only compose myself long enough to be lead to her room. We crawled under a blanket and she held me as I cried. 

As many years as Carlin and I have been best friends, we are rarely confronted with sad issues that are difficult to handle emotionally. However, her personality is so fun-loving and idealistic that when facing issues such as these, her feelings are heartfelt and meaningful in consoling. It is not always easy to possess such humble qualities as these, but a great friend constantly works to achieve them. 

Y.O.W

Kayla Shewbert

La per. 5

December, 16, 2010

Y.O.W

            Most teenagers talk to their friends about how annoying or stupid their parents are; not me. My mom and dad are like my best friends, but I wanted to write about my dad, Jim. I know for sure that he isn’t like most dads. For example: when I ask for a hug, instead of giving me one, he says “ten bucks!” Eventually he will give me one, but he just likes to joke around. Or, occasionally at my soccer games he will yell at me and ill yell right back, but I still love him.

            You’re probably curious about what the title means, right? So am I.  This is one reason why I chose to write about my dad. His cluelessness about the teenage lifestyle and his sarcastic humor brighten my day. One night, my mom, dad, and I were watching T.V and when I get up I say “B.R.B.” (For those who don’t text that is: be right back). He didn’t know it stood for, so he spits out; “Y.O.W!” my mom and I look at each other and burst into laughter! What in the world does that even mean? No one knows, but someday my dad will learn.

            Another thing about my dad is that he is a workaholic. Every day he works at least thirteen hours. I know that he works to support me and the family, but he is getting pretty old, fifty seven to be exact, and his body will eventually just stop working. He doesn’t even like to go on vacation and miss work. When the family went to Victoria B.C, Canada a few years ago, we didn’t have any Canadian coins to pay for parking. My sister found an old parking ticket on the ground after my dad asked around for about twenty minutes trying to swap his coins for Canadian ones. He was so frustrated he blurts out, “Are you kidding me! I can’t use that. I knew I should have just stayed home and went to work!”But we ended up having a good time so it was okay. I tell him every day he needs to stop working so much, but he’s just like the Energizer Bunny, he always keeps going.

            One thing I will always remember is the memories we had on the soccer field. It’s very irritating when your dad is the coach because you always seem to be the one that gets yelled at the most. Sometimes he can be histrionic, but it’s nice to see him happy. I know it’s sad for him now because I play for high school and he can’t coach anymore. One soccer moment I will never forget is when I was about twelve years old. We were playing a really tough team and we were losing so my dad was obviously yelling at everyone. I finally got so fed up with it I turned around and screamed, “Shut up dad! You’re not helping!” It was almost like a dramatic pause in a movie; all the parents stopped and stared. I felt terrible after I did this but I couldn’t stop playing and go talk to him, we had a game to win! He easily forgave me, but I still feel bad about it.

            My dad is definitely one of the most inspiration people in my life. Even though everyone’s parents can get annoying at times, I wouldn’t replace him with anyone else!

"My Inspiration"

Della Norton

L.A. - 5 

December 16, 2010

My Inspiration

The fondest memories I have are with my Grandma. She always inspires me with her impeccable craftsmanship and creativity. I will never understand how she can crank out a quilt in nearly a week, or how she creates everything with such detail. Every holiday she sends me a homemade card that brightens up my day. I save all of them. 

I think that part of the reason I am such a creative person is because of her. I would have never been so interested in fashion and sewing if it weren’t for her. It started at a young age. Every time I went to her house when I was little, I would race to the top of the steps and haul down the massive suitcase full of Barbies and clothes. Most of the clothes in the Barbie suitcase she made herself!  I could play for hours with them, constantly changing their outfits. Another time, more recently, when I was at her house, I commented on a pair of colorful geometric pillow sitting on the bed. I said that they were very pretty. It turns out that she made them herself!  

We spend the most time together at the beach. She and my Grandpa built a rustic, electricity-free, cozy cabin right on the water. In late July, we scan the beach for agates while the warm summer breeze blows through our hair. She always finds the amber colored agates that are the prettiest. Spending time with her makes me thankful for my life and my family. 

In the winter we go skiing together at the Summit. To start off each ski day we do the same runs called “Sisters” and “Moms.” It’s a fun tradition that has meaning. She even taught me how to ski! This must have taken a lot of patience, given that she had to watch little Della on the magic carpet for multiple hours! 

One of her favorite things to do besides quilting and reading is traveling! She has been all around the world. Every destination she and my Grandpa reach means a postcard in the mail to Della. Even if I have no idea where some of the places they go are, I still enjoy reading of their adventures. Someday I hope to follow in her footsteps and travel around the world! Another tradition we have that goes along with traveling, is the slideshow of wonderful pictures! I get to experience lots of different cultures without ever being there! 

Lastly, I am thankful for my Grandma, because she inspires me to always try my best and be myself. The way she is always optimistic and looking on the bright side of things. Whether it’s taking a two week trip to Europe, or making a new quilt, she is always up to something new. She is everything I could want in a Grandma, and so much more. I am so proud and blessed to be a part of my family. 

Meeting Leah

Kirsten Kenny

LA, Period 6

12/16/10

Meeting Leah

The first thing I noticed about Leah was her laugh. It was like a snort and a chuckle at the same time.  When she laughed, her cheeks would flush a bright red that was really noticeable compared to her snow white skin. She had long, dirty blond hair that went down to her waist. The thing about Leah though, was that she was always laughing, whether she was nervous or happy.

   It was the first day of sixth grade and I was a nervous, lowerclassmen. I was in my first period science class when she walked in and sat at the same table as me. She introduced herself and was shushed by the teacher. She nervously laughed as she opened her notebook and started working. Over the school year, we talked and got to know each other better, but we weren’t close friends. It wasn’t until eighth grade that I would finally become good friends with Leah.

   In eighth grade, Leah and I had multiple classes together; one of them was Language Arts. We worked at the same table and started talking again. When it came time for Halloween, I was invited over to her mom’s house, for the first time, to go trick-or-treating. Her house was small cozy, with antiques everywhere. Three bird cages hung on the wall holding four colorful, squawking birds. She led me to the guest room. The small, yellow room held a purple chair, chipped white dresser, an antique mirror, and a day bed with a flower quilt. Her other friend came over and we went trick-or-treating. When we returned, she jumped on the day bed and threw her bag on the chair not taking any candy out of the bag. When I asked her why she wasn’t eating any of her candy she responded by saying that she would rather save her candy for later.

After graduation, I have lost touch with Leah. But at one of the high school football games I met her again for the first time in almost a year. Her hair was no longer long like I remembered it but a pixie cut. We talked for a couple of minutes about how hectic high school was like and other things. Then, as we said goodbye and turned away from each other, I heard her signature laugh.

Being friends with Leah really made me rethink my outlook on life. She had an easy-going, bubbly personality that I hadn’t seen in awhile. And while we still don’t talk everyday, I know that she will always have had a positive effect on my life.

Mom

Lauren Shaughnessy

Per. 6

Biographical Narrative

Due: 12/17/10

Mom

            I have always known that my mom is a very thoughtful person.  This has become very noticeable to me over the past year or two.  She to be supportive of everything that I am involved in from school to sports.  

So far, this school year has been extremely busy for me.  It seems like the homework has been dumped on.  One weekend, I had a big project due the following Monday that I had kind of procrastinated on.  I got really stressed and started freaking out and thinking that I wouldn’t finish it in time.  My mom sat me down and talked to me.  She said, “Lauren, you probably shouldn’t have waited until the last minute to do this project, but we can’t go back in time and change what has already happened.  You need to settle down and finish this project.  Freaking out and worrying won’t make it any easier to finish.”  She stood up and walked out of the room to let me get to work.  She poked her head back in and hurriedly said, “I know you can do it.”  Throughout the rest of the night, I worked on that project.  She stayed up later than her usual 8:30 bedtime to help me proofread and sculpt things out of clay.  She took a small break to make us tea and then she came back and helped me finish. 

            After that was over, it really made me think about how much my mom loves me.  It made me realize that she is very willing to give up her time to help people who she loves.

            When I was little, we never had pets, accept for fish, because my mom didn’t like them at all.  When I was in first grade, she finally gave in and let us get two cats.  It was a very selfless thing to do.  Now that I am older, I realize that she really doesn’t like animals but she let us get them anyways because she knew it would make us happy.

            She really loves spending time with her family.  This is a good thing because she is a mom.  She takes off a lot of time from work in December so that she can spend time with us.  She spends her December days baking and decorating with us which is really cool.  I can tell by everything she does that she really values family time.  I really admire her passion for our family.  I hope that when I grow up I share that passion with her.