The Final Frontier

This blog post is going to be my final one for this series. I have one more- an end of the year reflection- but this is it for free choice posts. I feel like I've done a pretty good job expressing my thoughts, likes/dislikes, and quite simply, my personality. I really am going to miss being allowed to elaborate on any kind of topic and vent out to the world. I doubt I'll be able to do something like this next year. Who knows? Maybe I'll start my own personal blog over the summer.

As for this specific blog post, I've come back to animals. It's pretty hard to stay away from this topic because it's always interesting to realize how little we actually know about the fantastic creatures of this world. So, here we go:

Blind as a Bat

I've always learned in school that while each animal has its own special qualities, bats are particularly interesting- they're blind. That's where the expression "blind as a bat" comes from.  They have eyesight that is just as good as any other animal in the daytime, but because they are nocturnal, they spend all night hunting in the dark for food, and so cannot see. So I thought.

On the contrary- bats can see, and are sensitive to light change, otherwise they wouldn't be able to tell when it was nighttime and become active. However, as compared to other nocturnal hunters, bats have poor eyesight. So, like any other diurnal animal, they cannot see as well in the dark. They use echolocation alongside their normal vision- not instead of it.

To make up for this lack of perceptive vision in the dark, bats use echolocation to help them. They emit an extremely high pitched noise that is not even within the range of human hearing. It then bounces off of an object, returning to the bat, which can now detect where it is, how big it is, and what direction it's moving in. Just like we process noise and images naturally, bats take the information from their echolocation and form an image in their head, allowing them to maneuver through tricky areas at break-neck speed.

The Memory of a Goldfish

I can almost guarantee that you know at least one interesting fact about a fish (you'd better if you read my post about sharks). You might know about how angler fish use a hanging light in front of their face to attract prey. You might know that pollution in the water causes fish to change sex. But you might not know a whole lot about goldfish. The only fact you've probably been exposed to is that goldfish have a memory of up to 3 seconds. Some people even say that to a goldfish, each lap of their fishbowl is like seeing it for the first time.

It's often compared to elephants, who are said to never forget things. To put it bluntly, goldfish are considered relatively unintelligent fish. Recently, goldfish have proven themselves to be more than we thought them to be.

Baby Birds

We've all been scolded by our parents as we tried to pet or pick up a baby bird that we had found. "If you even touch that baby bird," they'd say, "it's mommy will abandon it and it'll grow up all alone. Would you want someone to do that to you?" You'd vigorously shake your head and leave it alone. 

It's been said that birds abandon their young if they detect a human scent on them. This is not true for the simple fact that birds don't even have a very good sense of smell to begin with. It can't even begin to compare with a human's sense of smell, and when was the last time you detected a hint of bird on someone? 

Other animals, such as rabbits, are highly sensitive to disturbances in their nests. This is why you are always advised to never approach young rabbits. I've been told that if you suspect that a nest has been abandoned, you should place an 'X' made out of yarn on top of it. If it has been moved and the nest is covered, that's a good sign that the mother has returned to care for its young. If it hasn't changed at all, contact the Humane Society and they will take care of it.

But while a mother bird won't reject its young if touched by a human, it's still not a good idea to disturb any kind of wild animal at all, just to be safe. 

Bananas

When I was six, the first thing I ever heard about where bananas come from was that they grew on trees. I was stunned. It didn't seem like such a ridiculous looking fruit could possibly come from a tree. Apples, maybe. Even pears, I'd believe. But bananas? I refused to accept it until I saw a picture of what really looked like bananas growing on trees. From then on, I trusted that fact. And so has the rest of the world. 

In truth, there is no such thing as a banana tree. From what it looks like, the plant bananas grow out of do seem to share many similar aspects to a tree, but is actually the largest perennial herb in the world. Their leaves can grow to nearly 25 feet tall, but because its stem does not contain any traces of wood, it cannot be classified as a tree, making the banana technically an herb. Bananas are also considered berries, since they grow from one flower with a singe ovary.  So as large as the leaves get, banana plants aren't getting any closer to being a tree. Sorry.

It turns out, absolutely nothing. The color red has no effect on bulls. But there's something even crazier. 

Human beings have trichromatic vision; the cone-shaped photoreceptor cells in our eyes are able to detect the wavelengths of light that come into the eye. We have three types of cone-shaped photoreceptors, each designated for red, green, and blue. The color we see depends on the strength of the wavelength of light we see. On the other hand, bulls have dichromatic vision, so they can only detect two colors, usually blue and green- no red. Bulls cannot tell the difference between red and green.

What really gets the bulls worked up is the waving motion of the cape that the bullfighter is holding. They will charge at whatever is moving the most, without any color discrimination. 

Camels

Camels are one of those types of creatures that have a very unique and intriguing body shape. With those funny-looking humps, one often wonders what's inside. I was one of those people, and I asked around to see if anyone knew what exactly camels stored in those humps, or if they stored anything at all. Not surprisingly, everyone explained to me how camels used their humps as a water storage center to stay hydrated in their desert habitat. Not surprisingly, everyone was wrong.

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Next week will be my final blog post in this "Free Choice" Series, and after that is my Final Reflection. I can't believe the end of the year is approaching so quickly!

The Category

I realized a little later that all the following misconceptions have to do with being outside one's comfortable element, so I put them all under that category. It was really interesting and actually beneficial to read up on these topics, especially because they'll give me some insight later in my life. 

Two of the topics I will broach have to do with swimming, something that I am not that great at, as I haven't had a lot of practice growing up; our house doesn't have a swimming pool, so my family resorted to going to the YMCA, but it didn't always work out. I felt just the slightest bit more prepared after educating myself on these subjects.

Drowning

People who are drowning are commonly portrayed in movies as people flailing around in the water, calling out for help and waving their hands. It's almost always obvious to onlookers, and someone immediately sends for help. In this case, drowning isn't seen as a very big issue because people are thought to make a big scene out of things.
 
In truth, drowning is very inconspicuous, and is extremely dangerous in real-life cases. Someone who is drowning isn't able to raise their arms or yell loudly to get attention. They resort to using what's called the 'instinctive drowning response'. It's not voluntary; it's what the brain automatically turns to as it's final call for help. Their arms weakly try to vertically paddle in the water as they try to tilt their heads back long enough to take a breath. Their legs stop moving, and their bodies are in an upright position.

Lifeguards and other trained professionals are taught to recognize these signs and quickly take action. Any abrupt motions such as waving, splashing around, and yelling usually show distress, but not necessarily drowning.

Exposure to a Vacuum

I am 99% sure I won't be faced with a problem such as this one, but it's interesting nonetheless. Science fiction has really messed with the facts about what happens when someone is in space without the proper equipment or covering. I've heard the usual- that person will explode, their innards will start boiling- those kinds of things. What people haven't heard is that none of these are true.

Although it's common knowledge that people can't breathe in space, what happens to someone who can't breathe isn't very well known. The first thing that would happen is something called ebullism, which is when bubbles start forming in bodily fluids, causing swelling of the skin and bubbles in the blood.

Clarification: blood doesn't begin to boil- bubbles simply begin to form as a result of the lower pressure in the environment. There is also a loss of oxygen in the tissue, along with circulatory failure. The lungs also begin to collapse, but still release water vapor, which cools and turns into ice in the throat.

Great White Sharks

Lots of people like to defend shark attacks by saying that the shark mistook the person for a seal or another sea creature. While great white sharks are known to be responsible for the most attacks on humans, they are certainly not aggressive animals. 


In fact, the way a shark approaches a seal and the way it approaches a human are entirely different. A great white will violently and abruptly break the surface when attacking a seal, but will attack humans in a more relaxed manner, closer to its normal pace. 

However, the reason for its attacks are fallacious- a great white shark has keen eyesight and can distinguish between colors quite well. They can easily tell that a human being is not a seal. Sharks simply bite for identification of the object in question, not to eat or bite without justification. These are called "test-bites". Sharks are also known to bite buoys and other unfamiliar things floating in the water, including humans and surfboards.

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This specific blog post has been really interesting to do. It was fun to work in areas that I'm not very familiar with, and I'm really looking forward to the category of the next group of misconceptions.

Introduction

I wasn't sure what to write about for this blog series, considering the recent conclusion of the previous one. The idea of an open choice series seemed really intimidating; pair that with my atrocious decision-making skills and you've got yourself a big lumpy blob of confusion. As I scanned over the suggestions list, I noticed "Common Misconceptions" stuck right in the middle, and I realized that there were so many different things I had believed when I was younger that turned out to be false, some of which I just learned were untrue a few days ago.

I might as well rename this series "Childhood Lies".

Today's blog post is going to cover things I was taught as a child that are apparently wrong.

Chewing Gum

Whenever my mom used to give me a piece of gum, she'd warn me to keep it in my mouth and make sure not to swallow it, or else I wouldn't be able to digest it for up to seven years. She only told me this to keep me from constantly swallowing gum (which is clearly unhealthy), and so, being the impressionable kid I was, I would chew cautiously, making sure that piece of gum didn't go anywhere near my esophagus.

Think about it, though. Seven years. That was practically my entire life's worth at that time.

Naturally, I had to swallow a piece of gum at some point in my life. I completely lost it.

More importantly, I was thrilled to hear a few years later that gum does not, in fact, stay in your system for years. It's mostly indigestible, and goes through your system like every other food. It may be a bit slower, but it's pushed through nevertheless. As long as it's not a gargantuan fist-sized wad of gum, it will pass through the body. Wish I'd known that sooner.

Dairy Products

I remember this one coming straight from my dad. I was in 2nd grade and was home sick with the flu. My dad was staying home to take care of me. I had just woken up and went to eat breakfast- a bowl of cereal and milk. At this point, my dad leans over from the couch and tells me that eating dairy (yes, that includes milk, Serene) made my cold even worse.

Getting Into the Habit

I'm not one to regularly look back and think, "Oh! I should analyze my goals and check off the ones I did!" Sure, some people might argue that it's beneficial, and they're probably right. Doing these quarterly English blog posts forces me to reflect on the quality of my work and the effort I put into the class (in a good way). By doing so, I'm getting into the habit of subconsciously comparing my work this quarter to the previous one, which allows me to slowly improve, maybe without even realizing it.

For this blog post, I'm looking back at my accomplishments, assessing whether or not I actually completed my goals, and reviewing and perhaps revising my goals for next quarter.

Accomplishments

Quarter 3 is known as the legendary quarter- every student suddenly loses all motivation to work and they begin slacking off. It makes sense, doesn't it? Quarter 1 leads into a new grade, and students are really excited at this point. Quarter 2 is a bit slower, but students work hard to reach Winter Break. Quarter 4 means it's nearly the end, and it's here where students race to the finish. Quarter 3 is just... there. Nothing is incredibly special about it, and I have to admit, I've been a bit lazy.

All the work ethic I thought I had vanished, which didn't serve well, since the number of projects and assignments we had in English increased. 

Despite all this demotivation, I've accomplished so much this quarter. The literary elements presentation and test were both complete successes, and I significantly improved in the analysis of texts we read in class. I am able to point out literary elements and discuss their meaning and importance very easily. This, in turn, has helped me on countless assignments.

The blog post series I previously did on "My Favorite Things" turned out to be really fun to do as well, because for once, I could rant all I wanted on my passions, and no one could tell me to stop. It was hugely satistfying, mainly because I could choose which topics I wanted to write about and post them at any time, so long as they were each a week apart. There were no limitations. I felt I did very well overall in this series, and I'd definitely love to do something like this again.

Next Quarter

Quarter 4 is coming up fast, and based on my past experiences with goals, it's probably better to set a few in order to steer myself in the right direction. 

Procrastination shouldn't even be a quarter goal anymore- it's more of a longterm goal because it seems like I'll never master it. Procrastination is as deadly as it is common. I come home late at around 5:00, and at this point, I'm exhausted and really don't feel like opening up my laptop and working after 7 hours of doing just that. This leads to the "10-minute" break, which I admit is a complete lie. Next quarter, I really wish to have more control over myself and finish essays and blog posts earlier. 

I have been keeping up with Membean, however. This is definitely an improvement from last quarter, and something I wish to keep up in the following quarter. You've served me well, reminder sticky notes.

To Be Honest

As I've stated earlier, I've met a few of my goals, but not all of them.

Membean was one of them, which I spoke about before.

Another was properly managing and splitting up essays and projects. For the most part, I've been able to work on little chunks of each assignment given, which has made it immensly easier for me, even though I do those chunks late at night. I'm getting there, slowly but surely. 

I'm not too positive about this one, but I feel like I've improved presentation-wise. The volume of my voice has increased if not by a tiny bit, and I don't feel as nervous when presenting something in front of the class, which is definitely saying something. This was more of a personal goal that I'd set for myself- nothing that I ever specifically decided for English. Nevertheless, so long as I know the topic I am speaking about well enough, I can speak confidently.

This post will serve as the closing for this blog series as I make way for another one soon.

I figured, since this is the last one, I would talk about something new (since elaborating on the others seemed a little monotonous). It will be a tie-in of a few things: I'll start with my favorite TV show and go to a similar topic from there, so hopefully it's not too confusing.

The Duo

I am absolutely in love with a certain TV show called Merlin. It deals with the very well-known legend of King Arthur, who supposedly pulled a sword from a stone when he was just a boy, which proved that he was the rightful king of Camelot. 

This show, however, deviates a little from the familiar storyline and depicts Arthur as a young prince (about 19- Picture 1), who is as spoiled as spoiled can get, and Merlin as another young man (also about 19- Picture 2), even though he is generally remembered as an old man with an excessively long beard. Merlin happened upon Arthur by chance as he wandered through the village market, and immediately defended a boy upon whom Arthur was practicing his knife throwing.

The two instantly got off on the wrong foot and Merlin was thrown into the dungeon. This is all taken lightheartedly, though.

Other Characters

All the same, Merlin has a secret. One that would get him executed if the king ever found out. Merlin had been blessed with the gift of magic, but King Uther had outlawed all forms of magic in Camelot, regardless of whether it was good or bad. Unfortunately for Merlin, even though he had no intention to harm anyone with his magic, he could not use it openly. 

He took up a kind of an apprenticeship with the court physician, Gaius (left), who is the only one who knows of Merlin's gift. Throughout the series, Gaius serves as Merlin's father figure, essentially filling in the gap his father had left.

The audience is also introduced to the Lady Morgana (below- Picture 3), who became King Uther's ward when her father died in battle. She becomes progressively important season after season. Guinevere (below, Picture 4), though known differently in the original story, serves as Morgana's personal maid and one of Merlin's good friends.

More importantly, after Merlin was let out of the dungeon, as I had described earlier, he went through a series of events that ultimately led to him saving Arthur's life. Arthur made Merlin his personal servant then and there.

More importantly, after Merlin was let out of the dungeon, as I had described earlier, he went through a series of events that ultimately led to him saving Arthur's life. Arthur made Merlin his personal servant then and there.

The rest of the series deals with Merlin and Arthur's adventures as they try to protect Camelot from any impending danger (which happens a lot, might I add). Arthur is constantly saved by Merlin's quick thinking and magic, although he never realizes it and gives the credit to others. Additionally, we are later introduced to Lancelot, Gwaine, and several other familiar knights.

I'm still on Season 4, so I don't know exactly how this show ends, but the plot is developed beautifully the entire time, and I am anxious to get to the finale.

The Setting

The whole reason I am completely mesmerized with this show is due to my love of old things. As general as this may seem, it can't be more true. I love large, rusty, ancient-looking keys, creaky and dilapidated doors, and massive castles. All of these things and more are portrayed in Merlin, and it feeds my soul with every episode I watch. 

Just take a look at the castle used to film the show:

Surprisingly, it wasn't a purposely built set. Rather, this is the Chateau de Pierrefonds, located a little North of Paris. 

It contains most of the military defense used during Medieval Times, which makes it perfect as a set for Merlin, but it went through a lot of decoration and restoration during the 19th century, so the authenticity isn't completely there.

The entire place is incredibly beautiful, and I really hope to visit it one day. More than anything, I'd love to travel around the world and explore long-lost treasures like this one. However, it'll be a while before I find the time to do that. Thankfully, watching Merlin fulfills that need.

Ending

That is the completion of the "My Favorite Things" blog series. Hopefully, I've made it clear that I am a very hands-on person who appreciates anything that is old/comes from the past by grouping together crocheting and art as well as libraries and things from olden times. I suppose this also justifies the font I am using.


If all has gone well, you've enjoyed this series, and I can't wait for the next one!

Escape

There are several points during the day where I just want to hide away somewhere, far from the bustle, noise, and stress of school and everyday life. Unfortunately, I have no such place, but I know exactly where it would be and what it would look like if it could exist. 


Libraries fit the bill in every way possible, and the variety of each one makes it all the more better. Some have large windows, some are cramped, some are bright and airy, others have a musty, ancient smell to them. The solitude and comfort I feel when spending time in a library is unparalleled.

                                                 Books

Not only is the atmosphere of a library attractive, but the main differentiator is the seemingly infinite collection of books it has to offer. There is shelf upon shelf of adventure, majestic lands that can never exist, and heroes whose exploits are too bold to dare to attempt. I lose myself for hours, and libraries serve as my protectors, keeping my body safe while my soul is off exploring. 

One incredible book I've read is House of Stairs by William Sleator. You'll probably have heard me mention it a few times before, including in my about page, but that's because I can't mention it enough times. I stayed up until 5AM reading it, and it mesmerized me all the way through to the last sentence- literally. I was completely shocked at how abrupt the ending was, and I stared at the last couple of words that held the meaning of the whole book.

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that you'll never look at human nature the same way again.

Of course, I don't have a personal library at my disposal to just walk into, so this blog post is more about what I would love to be able to use. 

Design

I've browsed through so many pictures of antique libraries with towering windows covered in intricate Baroque design, and spiraling staircases or ladders adorning the shelves:

There are those that seem to be on the verge of collapsing, with dusty old books, the dull beam of light radiating from a nearby source, and a dank smell emanating throughout the whole library. I especially love these types, because it feels as if I could stumble upon a trapdoor or a hidden doorway and begin an adventure of my own.

The library below has a very vintage feeling to it. The lofty wooden beams give it a rustic, warm vibe. I'd get a lot of work done in here for sure.

The bright light on the right side implies a large window on that side, which I absolutely love. Natural light creates a spacious atmosphere. It's almost like a breath of fresh air.

This isn't just limited to libraries. It is my greatest wish to travel around and visit ancient buildings, castles, and decaying monuments. I can reimagine them as they were a long time ago, and it takes me back to another land. And that's practically like reading a book.

Bliss

This topic is going to be extremely broad, but it's definitely an important one. 

To describe it in a single word, art is a relief. It reminds me that it's okay not to think so hard all the time. I put so much effort and work into my schoolwork, and it really tires me. I absolutely love learning, but to be honest, school can be mentally exhausting. And while I'm in the art room or at my desk, I can stop thinking and just feel. 

I don't speak, I don't hear. Everything becomes a blur and I just let my hands do the talking. 

Graphite

One of the most basic and common mediums used has to be graphite. It can be as simple as picking up any pencil and drawing, but in order to create contrast in a piece (thereby making it look better), different pencil grades must be used. This is represented by a scale going from 9H to 9B, with HB in the middle. The higher the number when H comes after it, the lighter the pencil. The higher the number when B comes after it, the darker the pencil. 

In my opinion, it's the easiest medium to learn, only because everyone has been using HB pencils to write their entire lives. What was most difficult for me to master was to use darker shades. I used to draw so lightly that my artwork could hardly be seen. I was eventually forced to darken my lines and shading when we were assigned a new project in art class- to draw someone next to a lamp.

This lamp created dark contrasts, so there was a lot of blacker shading involved. I find it hard to use lighter pencils these days.

The below picture is an incomplete version of what I was working on:

Unfortunately, I'm no longer taking 2-D art, as it is the third quarter, and so I've moved to building arts. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue using graphite next year.

Painting

Acrylic painting has definitely been a struggle for me. In the case of this medium, if I make a mistake, it can be a hassle to undo. Sometimes impossible. To add onto that- it dries ridiculously fast. So in summary, make all the right brush strokes in an unreasonably short time frame.

Oh, and one more thing. If I don't cover up my palette with the paint colors I mixed together, then I'm going to have a pretty hard time trying to recreate that same color the next day. In other words, it's gone forever.

Painting is more about capturing the essence of something more than it is about the detail. It would be a challenge to use a wobbly brush to put in all the tiny lines. The problem is, 'detail' is my middle name. I'm a perfectionist, so whatever I'm painting has to look exactly like my subject. Did I mention that's sort of out of the question?

But the feeling of the brush in my hand and the fluid strokes it creates is unmatched. I feel as if I'm adding life and color to each piece. The placement of these colors evokes emotions in the viewer, and the message I'm trying to send comes across clearly. In me, painting evokes tranquility and pleasure.

Charcoal

Of the mediums I've mentioned, this has been the newest. This year was my first time being exposed to it at all, but from the single project I've done, it has placed itself in the position as one of my favorite mediums. It was difficult to learn, and I nearly gave up using it completely, but I persevered, and it reaped fruitful rewards.

I use three types of charcoal- a long, thin, twig-like stick that is extremely brittle and the least dense (Picture A), a cylindrical tube that is a little tougher and more dense than the first (Picture B), and a rectangular prism that is hard to blend into the paper, and extremely dense (Picture C).

For this project, I was forced to use an extremely large sheet of paper, which was difficult for me, as I am prone to using much smaller sheets. Even so, I felt like I was drawing on my driveway with sidewalk chalk, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Here is the finished piece of Olivia's eyes:

Rolling out this paper each and every day brought me so much happiness and excitement. After weeks of work, it finally came together, and I couldn't imagine it looking any better.

A Change

Art is an outlet for me, a way to release all the emotions I feel throughout the day. I often don't get a chance to be creative in my classes; most of my day consists of calculations and thinking in a regulated manner. Art has taught me that it's okay not to think sometimes and to go for it.

It's encouraged me to become less hesitant when trying new things and to be a tad more confident in my abilities. 

And that's extremely invaluable.





Confession

There are times when I feel like I don't have a life.

Nothing major, just a sense that there are probably other things I could learn and do. But I don't. The reason? I am flooded with yarn.

Of course, I don't mean that in a literal sense (I think), but I'm not lying when I say that crocheting and knitting take up such a huge part of my life that people probably think I've got a loose screw in my head. It's a real surprise to see others around my age actually involved in this hobby.

I get the usual "It looks fun, but I don't have the patience for it" or "I used to do that when I was a kid". But for the past 3 years, I've never tired of picking up a hook and spending hours working through a project that would eventually turn out to something I'd be endlessly proud of.

The How and the When

I started teaching myself in 7th grade over the summer. It was that portion of the break when someone has had all the fun they could possibly have in the first month; and so starts the phase "bored to death". Going out wasn't an option, since my dad still had to go to work, and my mom was busy doing other things around the house. I was stuck.

I rummaged through the cupboards for something better to do than lie around the house all day, and that's when I came across some yarn and a crochet hook. My mom used to know how to crochet, but only the basics, and even so, I wasn't surprised to find it. After realizing that no one in the house hadn't the slightest intention to deal with my antics, I turned to Youtube.

A month later, I was slipping in and out of stitches with ease.

The Why

To be honest, I'm surprised that I've stuck with this hobby for so long and never got bored, but there are a few reasons as to why that might be.

I crochet to satisfy my hunger for creativity.

I'm a very crafty person, so the idea of using the simplest tool to create an infinite amount of shapes, all with varying sizes, colors, textures, etc. really appealed to me. 


I crochet to learn new things.

The way I discover and move through things is a little odd. Most people I know will try a bit of everything and be very involved in several different areas. In my case, if I find something that sparks my interest, I become obsessed with that one thing for a while, researching and learning as much as I can about that subject (which is how I discovered crocheting). This goes on until I find something new, and I shift to that instead. 

I've gone through painting, calligraphy, drawing, legos, cross-stitching, and tons more. Recently, I've been teaching myself sign language. The great thing about these phases is that as I move on, I keep this brand new skill with me.


I crochet to keep myself happy.

The repetitive motion of the hook smoothly gliding through the stitches is the best therapy in the world, especially when making a large, ongoing project, such as a blanket. It's always great to start a challenging piece with complicated stitches and a unique design, but I love that reassuring feeling of picking up a long-term project. It really helps on days when I've got a lot hanging over my head. 

The Best Part


Recently, I was able to create an opportunity to use these skills to benefit society. I am attempting to continue the knitting club from last year, which made blankets, scarves, and hats and donated them to the hospital. I've contacted a homeless shelter who is willing to receive our finished items. I am still waiting for Dr. William's approval to put up posters, but it can only grow from there. Students can earn community service hours for the time and effort they put into creating the items. It is still sometimes hard to believe that I can improve the lives of others simply by doing what I do best.

The Starting Point

A brand new semester in English can only mean one thing- a brand new blog series! 

I’m really excited about this topic, mainly because we aren’t assigned something specific. It’s open to a variety of different answers, depending on which of four themes I choose. I’ve decided to elaborate on…

Subsequent blog posts will include:

• One of my favorite things (each blog will contain a different topic)
• How it is done
• Why it’s so spectacular
• How it has affected me
• Anything else I find important that relates to the topic.

I’ll try to stay on topic and avoid rambling- ‘try’ being the key word here.

I’m just giddy with happiness- there’s so many things I’m ridiculously eager to share. 

Not-Really-a-Hint Hint #1


Out of the three things I’ve chosen to discuss, this topic was the quickest the identify. Crocheting and knitting take up a large part of my life, so it wasn’t really a question of if, but of how I should incorporate this into my series. 

Funnily enough, I’ve just put down a scarf I’m in the process of knitting in order to type this. 

What I’m hoping to talk about is when and how I learned, why I do it, the basics of each skill, and how it ultimately inspired me to begin a project that is of great importance to me (more on this later).

Not-Really-a-Hint Hint #2

There are so many different forms of art- drawing, painting, charcoal, clay, etc.- and I adore them all. I’d like nothing better than to spend an entire day at work on a project. 


I plan to share work I’ve done and why I enjoy it so much. I’ll also include what inspires me, what each different form means to me, my favorite one, and where my family falls into place.

Not-Really-a-Hint Hint #3


Libraries are hideaways I’ll never come out of. Everything from the walls, to the atmosphere, to the most important part- the books themselves- find a way to relax every tense muscle in my body.


In the future, I’ll discuss what I’d consider an ideal library, incredible books I’ve read, what I’m currently reading, and how it has affected my life in general. 

Really Thinking

I’m hoping this series will give some insight into the kind of person I am, and maybe allow myself to really understand what it is I like about my favorite things. This is something I’d never really thought to question. I like what I like, and I never usually went any deeper than that. 


Maybe this blog will change things.