Reading Notes, Part B: Biblical Women

Elizabeth and Mary

This story is part of the Bible Women unit. Story source: King James Bible (1611): Luke 1

The Virgin and Child with Saint Elizabeth and John the Baptist: Wikimedia

I read both the King James version and the NIV to compare the styles of writing. I prefer to read the NIV since its not written in olden language, but is easier to translate. I like this story because it's another one about trusting the Lord and the plans he has for you. I especially like this story because it tells the back story of the virgin Mary and introduces the story of Elizabeth who had a similar story to other women in the bible. The lord allowed older women who trusted in him to be able to have children.

Key points:

• Elizabeth could not conceive a child in her old age
• Zachariah and Elizabeth will have a son named John- Gabriel the angel
• Gabriel the angel visited Mary and told her she will have a son, during Elizabeth's 6th month of pregnancy

Bathsheba

This story is part of the Bible Women unit. Story source: King James Bible (1611): 2 Samuel 11

David and Bathsheba: Wikimedia

Like all the stories in UnTexbook, I tend to read the NIV and the King James version. For the story of Bathsheba, it was a little confusing with reading the King James, but the NIV helped clear up some details.

Key points:

• David fell for Bathsheba immediately, and they slept with one another, and she be came pregnant
• Bathsheba sent word to David, David sent word for her husband Uriah 
• David sent Uriah into war
• He was killed by arrows
• David married Bathsheba, and they had a son together 
• Lord was displeased with David 

Reading Notes Part A: Biblical Women

Eve

This story is part of the Bible Women unit. Story source: King James Bible (1611): Genesis 16 

Adam and Eve eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil: Flickr

The story of Adam and Eve is a classical biblical story. Many individuals learn the basics of it growing up and continue to learn more and more from the story as they age. I like this story in particular because although it is written in a different structure than the story in the Bible, it keeps true to the story line. I especially like the imagery and details that are placed into the story of Adam and Eve.

Key points

• Given everything they needed, well provided for
• One rule- don't eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil

Sarah

This story is part of the Bible Women unit. Story source: King James Bible (1611): Genesis 2 and Genesis 3 

The story of Sarah is a wonderful one to read when it comes to the faith of God.  l like this story because while Sarah was very old in age and well beyond her years of childbearing, with the miracle and trust in God, he provided for them. He gave Sarah and Abraham the opportunity to become parents. While the edition that is posted in the UnTextbook is the King James version, it is easily more understood in the New living times version of the Bible. I had to reread this version to understand some of the older language.

Key points:

• 3 men of God visited Sarah and Abraham, Sarah baked bread for them
• laughed at the idea of having a son at her old age
• Gave birth to a son, Isaac 

Hagar

This story is part of the Bible Women unit. Story source: King James Bible (1611): Genesis 16 

The story of Hagar occurs before the story of Sarah. Since Sarah could not provide children, she urged her maid Hagar to conceive a child with her husband Abraham. And once this occurred, Sarah shamed Hagar and vanished her away. This version was difficult to follow due to the King James Version, but I reread it in the NLV.

Key points:

• Sarah urged Hagar to conceive a child with her husband
• Bore a son names Ishmael
• Sarah was upset and sent her away 

Tech Tip: Pinterest Board

Pintrest Lover 
Pintrest Board

I have always been someone who is a lover for Pintrest, so having the ability to create a board for this course was beneficial for me. While I have gotten most of my photos from google images, I have had a few from Pintrest. I now can put all of my photos and videos that I use for this course into my board. I'm definitely not a newbie when it comes to working Pintrest, so I look forward to adding images and videos to the board to help me in the course. Who knows, maybe I'll keep the board and continue to research mythology and folklore and add to it, especially since folklore artwork is so colorfully. Most of my boards on Pintrest are for my entertainment. I have lots of boards for different food recipes, ranging from gameday snacks, main dishes, and of course lots and lots of dessert ideas. Pintrest gives you the ability to look up anything you want and to find a link to it. You can look up clothes, food, decoration ideas, home ideas, and everything in between. Usually, when you think of Pintrest, it is associated with females, but men can also use the website if they wish. There is enough "manly" things for someone to look up. I also use pintrest to find work ideas, clothes ideas, and potential crafts I wish to make. Pintrest makes my life easy because I can find anything I want on it, and its entertaining to just scroll through and pin your ideas.

A meme of every one's life when it comes to Pintrest: Wordpress

Feedback Thoughts

14 Signs Your Perfectionism Has Gotten Out Of Control

Thumbnail of how perfectionist feel about their work:Zombiesmile

Wow! This article is totally me. I can relate to so much that was said about being a perfectionists. Especially the part of there's no reason to cry over split milk, you do anyway. This is so me. While it's hard to admit that I cry over the little things in life, it happens. Being a perfectionist, you sacrifice a lot to hope that everything is perfect, and with doing so, this leads to little breakdowns that later turn into big melt downs. It's something that just happens, crying over things can be healthy... in moderation. With a lot of the signs of being a perfectionist from this article, I believe that feedback is important for someone who does desire to have everything perfect. Criticism can initially be hard to accept, but once you hear what others have to say, it gives you a new perspective of your own work. I think that feedback for perfectionists is especially beneficial when it is coming from an unknown source. When feedback comes from someone you don't know, it can be easier to accept verses if it's a good friend giving you tips and changes. Also the article made a good point about perfectionist being procrastinators. I think this is very accurate because while someone wants to create something that is perfect, the initial start of creating it can be difficult, and with not having anything to start with you continue to push it back. Hoping that if you wait long enough all your thoughts will come to you at once. 

Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head

As writers of our blogs, it is easy to listen to the voices inside our heads. While we may think that something is our best work and others may agree with us, there is always that voice in our head telling us that it's bad and we should rethink what we wrote. This is the case in anything to be honest. The voice in our head always makes us second guess ourselves, in everything or anything. But,I agree with this article in it's four steps to improving how we think. It is important to look at the positives and to amplify them. Negatives can be beneficial, but always looking at the negatives can do more harm than good. So, it's important to know when to listen to the good that is being said about you and your work. It's also important to look for the positive, being able to recognize and know when something good is being said can be beneficial. If you have a more positive outlook you are more inclined to believe it whether it is true or not. This is important when it comes to feedback, because if an individual says something negative, it is usually followed by positive comments. Having a balance between good and bad comments can be important to a writer because it allows you to focus on more than just the negative thoughts, but to delight in the positive ones. 

Quote from Many Hale about how to look at life: Tinybuddha

Project: Topic Brainstorm

Chinese Fairy Tales

I took interest into Chinese fairy tales because I am adopted from China and would like to gain new knowledge about the Chinese culture. I've always enjoyed stories from other countries and figured I should look into potential Chinese fairy tales. I like these fairy tales in particular because they include history and meaning behind the story they tell. While commonly known fairy tales end in a happy ending, these always do not, and I think that's why I find them interesting. Chinese fairy tales are more practical and not as predictable. I looked into China: How the River God's Wedding was Broken Off and found this story to be very interesting. Growing up you hear about certain cultures that pick your spouse and you wonder if this actually leads to true happiness, and in this particular story the tradition ended for the better. I look forward to reading and researching more Chinese fairy tales to learn the hidden meaning and gain more knowledge about the culture of China. I believe that I will be able to put a more modern twist on the classic fairy tales.

Classic Chinese Fairy Tale book: Wikimedia


European Unit

While I have no connection to Europe in any way, I decided to look into it's stories because I believe I am going to go with an adventure around the world theme. With this, I decided to look into Europe because it's right next to China. I chose to look into the European unit, and realized it was focused on Dante's Inferno. I remember reading parts of this book in high school, and found the story to be very interesting. Each chapter and level that was highlighted was well detailed and had a lot of information to offer. This specific unit was interesting to research about because it told the story of Dante and before, after, and during his journey through hell, which I found to be interesting. I read several readings that were in this unit, and found myself wanting to read more of them. I look forward to possibly rewriting and changing the stories of Dante and putting a different twist on his journey through "hell".

Tejas Legends

As a Texas girl, I figured why not look into classic Texas legends. With this idea of an adventure around the world, I could retell a classic story of Texas and have my story end there since Texas is my home away from home. I'm not exactly which approach or which stories I will decided to further look into, but I'm excited to look further into Texas legends. Maybe I will look more into the history of Texas and use this information to change the history of Texas. I'm not exactly sure what I will do with Texas legends, but as a Texas girl, I know I will learn and benefit from the stories that Texas has to offer.

Geographical view of Texas in modern time: Wikimedia


Russian Folktales

While I was adopted from China, two of my sisters were adopted from Russia. I thought it would be interesting to research and look into the classical Russian folktales. Since I'm not too familiar with anything Russian, it would enjoy looking into the history of Russia and all the information it has to offer. Plus with the idea of doing an adventure storybook, this would be a good place for the adventure to stop in and to retell a story. While the stories in the Russian Folktale unit are a little more dark and twisty, you could put a good spin on the information it has to offer. I'm not exactly sure on how I will change the stories or which stories I will look into in particular, but I read several Russian folktales and enjoyed what I read.

Soviet Union stamp that represents a classic folktale: Wikimedia

Week 2 Story: The story of Pumpkin and her Friend Sarah

Once upon a time there was the most adorable sweet Labrador stuck in a car on a summer day.

Golden Labrador Retriever hanging out in the back of a car: Flickr

Luckily a boy walked past the car in the parking lot and saw the poor dog suffering.

The Labrador scratched and barked at the window, begging for someone to let her out.

The boy couldn't resist the lab. He saw the hurt she was facing in the hot car and began to think of ways to get her out.

"Maybe I can find the owner!" "No, I'll bust the window open." he said.

About that time, the lab began to bark frantically, she was going into distress and needed out.

The boy panicked and busted the window open with his shoe. Glass flew everywhere, but he reached into the window, and unlocked the car.

The lab was overjoyed and jumped out of the car and tackled the boy, and she began to lick his face.

As the boy rubbed her ears and told her how good of a dog she was and that he was so glad she was safe, the lab showed her true self.

She whispered in his ear "You fool, I was suppose to stay in there, my master is going to kill me for escaping"

The boy gasped and was frozen in fear. "You can talk?!" he said

The lab responded, "Yes stupid, all dogs can talk, my names Pumpkin, now we have to escape before master sees that I'm gone"

The two of them began to run away from the car toward the near by park.

About that time, Pumpkin yelled out, "Sarah, help us, this boy broke into  my car and set me free. Master is going to be so mad."

Next, a small little squirrel appeared out of no where and stopped them from running. He yelled at the boy. "She wasn't barking frantically, she was just talking to you in the car. Telling you how great her day was and that she couldn't wait till her master got back"

The squirrel, Pumpkin, and the boy needed a plan.

Then Pumpkin came up with an idea. "I know how to solve all of this!"

She explained, "Boy, I'm gonna need you to do something for me, since you were stupid enough to rescue me."

The three of them went back to the car where he "rescued" pumpkin from.

Sarah and pumpkin told the boy to climb into the car, and sit where pumpkin had been. They then placed a sign over his neck.

At about this time, Pumpkin spotted her human. The two of them ran off as fast as they could. Pumpkin's master approached the car and read the sign around the boy's neck.

The sign read "I'm a silly human for trusting a squirrel and a Labrador, I helped pumpkin escape, you'll never find her"


Author's Note:

I modified the story Tricksters: Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal. My addition and the original were similar but different. I kept the story with the three main characters but put a spin on the original story. I used a Labrador retriever as the main character because let's be real, no one can resist a dog in distress. I included a young boy who was blinded by a dog in distress and was willing to do anything to help it. However, the lab and it's friend ended up deceiving the boy and tricked him into being "dog shammed". This is similar to the original in that the jackal was able to trick the tiger into getting back into the caged by confusing him. However, other than that, there aren't too many similarities between the two.

Tricksters: Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal: Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1912).

Reading Notes: Metamorphosis: Pygmalion: Part B

Metamorphosis: Pygmalion (Myth- Folklore Anthology)

Image of Pymalion with statue brought to life, and the son they bore: Wikimedia

Pymalion's Obsession
-Pygmalion was in need of love
-build a statue to represent the "love" he was missing
-Thought of his statue to be living and not made of ivory
-He treated her like a goddess, dressing her in fine linens, jewelry, and allowing her to have human characteristics

Prayer for Good
-Prayed for the life of his ivory princess
-Special because it was on the day of the festival for Venus

Good Fortune 
-Pymalion received the life of his ivory statue
-Her lips were real and a pulse was present in her body
-She was life like
-Venus delighted in the good she had done
-Together the two had a son, Paphos

Reading Options

The UnTextbook

Every Classic fairytale starts with this: http://www.adathatikvah.org/hebrews-upon-time/

Classic Fairy Tales
More English Fairy Tales

Wow! First of all, there were so many options for stories and genres to choose from. While I've always been a sucker for classic fairy tales, I find all of them to be quite interesting. There are a few that I've heard of and enjoy reading, but there are new ones to explore. I hope to read more classic fairy tales in the future.

"The Old Witch" (The Old Witch)

Since there were so many options of fairy tales to read, whether they came from unit one or two, I chose to read "The Old Witch". I enjoyed reading this fairy tale, because it had two perspectives of the same story. When you help others out, they are more willing to help you when you need it too, verses when you are selfish and only think about yourself, friends aren't as willing to help you. Being loyal and treating others the way you want to be treated can be helpful and beneficial.

"Alice in Wonderland" (Alice in Wonderland)

Lewis Carroll's main character in Alice in Wonderland, Alice: Wikimedia

I chose this specific unit to read about because I always enjoyed the movie of "Alice Wonderland". I liked the layout and reading options that were in this chapter because it was a continuous story of a classic that everyone knows about. It highlighted special stories that were in the film, for example, the rabbit that is always late, the caterpillar, and Alice's adventure. Overall, I am excited to continue to look into these stories and read the continuation of each of the sub stories.

Time Strategies

Time Management as a Whole

Before I even began to reach the articles about ways to improve time management skills, for me personally I feel I am pretty good at staying on top of my assignments. I'm someone who enjoys being organized and likes to write out all my assignments in the future and knowing when exactly everything is due. Although, every now and then I do forget about assignments and I am finishing them at the last moment. As a college student its hard to find the balance between school, work, taking care of yourself, working out, and having a little fun once in a while. A couple of ways that I have been successful in time management is writing it down, having reminders, and actually following through with what I "plan". For example, like I stated earlier in my post, I enjoy writing things down and being organized. So with this, if I write in in my agenda I tend to remember it better and then don't feel as stressed with assignments and work build up. Sometimes I have to make it fun and add color or stickers if a certain day is really jam packed. Also with staying on top of things, having reminders helps. Whether that includes writing it on a sticky not and placing it somewhere in my room or having a reminder set on my phone. 

The Psychology of Checklists: Why Setting Small Goals Motivates us to Accomplish Bigger Things (Psychology Checklist)

First of all, I loved this article. Not only did it have useful information, but I found myself agreeing with different strategies to help you succeed. In the opening paragraphs the article talked about setting "real" goals for yourself. I especially liked how it talked about the acronym SMART, this is a good tool when setting your goals for yourself or for academics. I also liked how it talked about what goes on in our brains when we have the satisfaction of crossing something off. The little amount of dopamine that is released gives us satisfaction to want to continue the action we are doing, and continue to complete actions. I find check lists to be very beneficial. Whether my checklist is for the school work I want to complete for the day, my grocery list, or my long term goals, having the satisfaction of knowing you completed a task and have achieved something feels great. Everyone should make checklists, it can really help keep you organized and plus you get to cross something off. 

Every college students checklist... for everyday, not just Monday: Pinimg

THE MYTH OF "TOO BUSY" (BookLaunch)

This article in particular made a good point about our schedules being so busy. It's easy to let all the activities, assignments, and work get in the way of us making time for things. The particle made a going point about instead of saying too busy, make the time to do something. I know for me personally, I have said "oh I'm too busy, I cant do that", usually I'm talking about going to workout, but we all have said the phrase before. This article pointed out that we spend a lot of our time on wasteful activities, whether that includes scrolling on our phone, opening our social medias, and other activities that take up time. If we took the initiative to actually make the time to do something, we would be so much more productive and feel satisfied with ourselves. I agree with the article in that we need to be in control of our schedules, of course we have things we have to do like work and school, but aside from that, we are in control of what we do with our free time. I also liked the part about changing the way we describe our time. By doing this, I feel I will personally see that I am spending a lot of my time doing useless things. If I take the time to actually see what I am investing my time in, I might want to change that. Overall, I enjoyed this article and will take the steps in changing the idea of being "too busy"  

Technology

Just a newbie trying to figure this out...

While I've always been someone who loves my online courses, this course is definitely different then a face to face one. Sometimes the way of communication can be difficult, and it's hard to interpret what exactly the professor wants in your assignments and course work, but for this course, I don't feel that way. There are well detailed instructions for all assignments as well as sometimes providing examples, which is very helpful. Since I am new at this whole blogging business, a lot of my posts are pretty simple. I hope to be able to increase my creativity as the semester goes on. Although at first I was confused about the layout of the course and how to access all my assignments, it's beneficial to have them all on your PB website. It's almost like having them on canvas in modules, but each week is laid out for you. I'm excited to continue this semester and increase my use of technology and continue to blog.

Just a cute puppy to brighten your day: Solifequotes

Assignments Impression

First Impression

For starters, this class is definitely way different than anything I have ever done. I'm so use to completing assignments and then waiting for my professor to grade them and/or give me feedback. So, it's different to me that I complete the work, I give my own grade to MYSELF, and then I receive feedback from the professor and other students. While this form of classwork is different, I am excited by it. I'm excited to take a different approach into assignments, read new information that I would usually not expose myself to, and write my own blog! (Even if it is just for this course) Blogging can be scary, but I've actually enjoyed sharing my information through a blog verses discussion posts. It allows for more creativity.

Taking a new approach to learning and allowing my thoughts to be free: Lemonadebrain

Growth Mindset

What is growth mindset?

During my sophomore year of college, I was introduced to the basic idea of what growth mindset was. I took principles of communications with Dr. Banas and this is when I was first introduced to what growth mindset was. While I believe that I had some exposure to the idea of what growth mindset was, I just didn't have a name to the idea.

Growth Mindset Today

As now a Junior in college, I do believe in what Dr. Dweck explains about the idea of growth mindset. It's disappointing that some individuals believe that they have reached their maximum intelligence or skill level just because someone tells them that they have. I believe that as human beings, there is always room for improvement. Whether that is on an academic level, sports level, skill level, or anything else that can be measured. Everyone deserves equal opportunities to become a better person. It's encouraging to know that if we change our initial approach into a situation that it can make all the difference. In the example that Dr. Dweck's talks about with the young child in Harlem that scored in the 95th percentile of their math exam, this brings joy to my heart. Knowing that when all odds are against you, but you can rise above them with support and dedication in achieving is heart warming.

Five famous individuals who have overcome challenges and been successful: Demilked

Expanding my Thinking 

Before college, I always used the same techniques and way of learning to be successful in college. However, during my freshman year of college, everything I thought I knew about studying and taking exams went out the window. If it wasn't for professors and other students taking the time to help and encourage me to find new ways to achieve and excel in my academics, I wouldn't be the student I am today. Growth mindset has allowed me to not think so closed minded and expand my way of approaching challenges, and finding new ways to overcome them. With the support of others, and believing in myself, I can achieve anything I wish.

Introduction to a Girl with Big Dreams

Hi everyone, welcome to my introduction blog! My name is Julianna Boyle. 

Personal Photo: Thanksgiving of 2011

For Starters, I grew up in Houston, Texas for the last 18 years of my life, but my parents recently moved to Tyler, Texas. While this was a big change in my life, I've enjoyed being able to wake up every morning and seeing the beauty of the lake from my very own backyard. I grew up in a larger family. I have three sisters and two brothers, but none of us are close in age. In fact, the closest one is 5 years from me. My siblings include Justin (41), Leslie (36), Masha (31), Spencer (27), Katya (25), and me (20). Fun fact about my family is that 4 of us are actually adopted. My brother Spencer is adopted from Texas, Masha and Katya are biological siblings from Russia, and I'm adopted from China. 

Personal photo of Ou's coed team competing at UCA college nationals

I'm currently a junior studying health and exercise science. I hope to one day go to nursing school and pursue my dream of working in pediatrics, my dream job is to be a pediatric intensive care unit nurse. I've always wanted the opportunity to work with children and provide health care to others. Also at my time at OU, I've had the opportunity to be a member of the coed cheerleading team. Growing up I was a gymnast and looked down on those who were cheerleaders, now look at me! OU has given me countless opportunities to not only cheer on some of the greatest sports teams, but also contribute to my academics. 

Personal Photo: Bella (left) and Brody (right)

Personal Photo: Bella

Personal Photo: Brody

Another fun fact about me, is that I am completely 100% obsessed with my dogs back at home. I have two shih tzus named Bella and Brody. I got Brody back when I was in high school and he was my very first dog that I had from a puppy, and about the beginning of my sophomore year, my parents got Bella and she is just the cutest thing ever. 

Storybook Favorites

OU's Haunted Halls
OU's Haunted Halls

The University of Oklahoma's Great Room: Reporting from Bizzell

This initial storybook grabbed my attention, not only by its title but also by the content. As a current student at OU, it was interesting to read ghost stories about buildings and locations on campus. The introduction provided enough information to know exactly what the storybook was going to be about, and grabbed your attention to continue reading. I especially liked the opening line from OU's alma mater. The author of the storybook's design was great. Not only was the information interesting to enough to continue to reading, but the pictures helped with the flow as well.

Once Upon a Time
World of Princesses

While I'm a sucker for anything princess related, this particular storybook I enjoyed reading.  I love anything that has to do with princesses or is princess related, and this storybook was that. Not only did the author give you the background of the two princess stories, but also put a slight spin on the original story. I liked how the author used a letter format to tell the stories of the two Japanese princesses. The introduction told you exactly what the storybook was going to be about and that the format of the storybook was very feminine. However, I did not like how there were no pictures. The author of the storybook could have included original pictures of the two Japanese princesses, verses just having generic pictures as the background.

Underwater Attractions
Underwater Attractions

Crystal's story: Great- Gran Pearl

First of all, who doesn't love mermaids? I really enjoyed reading this storybook because not only did it incorporate a beauty element to the stories, but it also highlighted mermaids. Although this storybook was longer than some of the others, including 4 different stories, I enjoyed every one of them. The stories were very interesting and I found myself wanting to know what was next. The author was creative in combining the salon element and highlighting the customer's story and the retelling of each mermaid story. It allowed you to feel like you were actually the client listening to the stories. The introduction immediately caught my attention because it gave enough details about what the story was going to be about, along with the salon element. The storybook flowed well in the retelling of the original mermaid stories, and the author included pictures with each story, which I liked a lot.

My favorite Places... Houston, Colorado, Tyler

These three cities may seem unexciting to some of you, but I've had the best memories and time in these cities!

Houston, Texas

I grew up in Houston, Texas for the past 19 years of my life. I've created my best memories here, I made my best friends, laughed a lot, cried a lot, and explored one of the best cities with the greatest people. Houston is one of my favorite places, because it will always be "home" no matter where I actually may be. 

Houston skyline: Wikimedia

Colorado

I've always enjoyed nature and the outdoors. The smell of the outside and the beauty of nature brings a smile to my face. Colorado is one of my favorite places because there is so much beauty everywhere. While it may be cliche to say it's one of my favorite places, but it truly is. I love the presence of the mountains and that there are plenty of locations to go and see them, as well as there are plenty of opportunities to go and explore nature there. 

The Manitou Incline is one of my most favorite yet difficult experience in Colorado. 

Manitou Incline: Wikimedia

Tyler, Texas

About a year ago, my family moved to Tyler, Texas to live on the lake. While at first I was upset about leaving Houston and all of my friends, living on the lake is actually pretty great. It gives my friends and family the opportunity to leave the busy city of Houston and come and relax for a couple of day on the lake. It's definitely been a change in my life, but its been for the good. It's nice waking up in the morning, sitting on the back porch with a good cup of coffee, and enjoying the peaceful scenery of the lake from my backyard. While sometime I wish we still lived in Houston, I've enjoyed the new experience of moving somewhere new. 

Personal photo of a sunset from my boat dock.

Personal photo of my backyard along with my two dogs exploring their new home.  

Hi!

First post of the semester! Today is January 9th 2018.