Reading Notes: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4), Part A

Image Information: an illustration from The World Is Drowned. Web Source.

I was not particularly inspired by this section of this book. I do like that the book is written in a way that is fairly easy to understand and follow. Many of these stories have to do with elaborate events that involve gods and humans. If I were to use part A of this book as inspiration for my story, I might completely rewrite the story or use some of the same characters to speak of an entirely new event. I liked the character of Zeus and I think I could use him as a key character in any story I decide to tell.

Bibliography: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4) by Tony Kline; link to the reading online.

Feedback Thoughts: Week 2

Image Information: photo regarding feedback. Web Source: pixabay.

I read the following articles regarding getting feedback:

5 Tips For Taking Feedback Like a Champ
Using Harsh Feedback to Fuel Your Career

From these articles, I took away that feedback can often make us uncomfortable but it has the ability to help us to grow if we let it. Everyone has room to grow. When someone gives us feedback, they are not insulting the individual person but they are trying to help them realize possible things they can improve on. With the use of mindfulness and self-compassion we can react to feedback in a positive way. When we are confronted with harsh feedback we need to allow ourselves to be upset. We must also not demonize the person that give us negative feedback. We also need to determine which feedback we should act on and which feedback we should ignore.

I read the following articles regarding giving feedback:

Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback
Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset

From these articles, I took away that Feedforward is a beneficial way to give people feedback in a more positive way. Feedforward focuses on giving people suggestions on how to improve in the future rather than just showing them how they were wrong. We can also use feedback as a way to communicate to someone how they are doing without any judgment. Focus on your feedback as having a potential to help someone grow.

Week 2 Storytelling: The Old Man and Death

The Old Man and Death

An old labourer, bent double with age and toil, was gathering sticks in a forest. At last he grew so tired and hopeless that he threw down the bundle of sticks, and cried out: "I cannot bear this life any longer. Ah, I wish Death would only come and take me!"

As he spoke, Death, a grisly skeleton, appeared and said to him: "What wouldst thou, Mortal? I heard thee call me."

"Please, sir," replied the woodcutter, "would you kindly help me to lift this faggot of sticks on to my shoulder?"

We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified.

Image Information: a photo with the title of the story. Web Source: Wikimedia Commons.

There was once an old labourer who live on the countryside. The man owned a large farm in which he had much cattle and crops among many other resources that contributed to his success. He had a beautiful family and an all around beautiful life. Many would consider him to be a lucky man that gets everything for which he wishes.

"Please, let me have a bountiful harvest this year," the old labourer requested. And just like that his wish was granted. That year he produced the biggest harvest he had ever produced in his lifetime. The man had gotten used to all of his success and did not seem to mind receiving everything for which he wished.

The old man was not just simply a farmer. He also worked in the forest nearby his cottage to gather wood to sell for firewood. The man had done this task since he was just a young boy; every single day, the man would trek out to the forest.

One day, the old man was working in the woods just as he had all the days of his life. He worked in the forest his entire life chopping down trees for firewood and gathering sticks. His job was hard work and the labor had started to grow hard on him over the years. As his body grew old and tired, he could feel his work becoming more difficult.

After many long hours in the field one afternoon, the old man grew so tired and hopeless that he threw down the bundle of sticks he was holding, and cried out: "I cannot bear this life any longer. Ah, I wish Death would only come and take me!"

As soon as his words left his mouth, Death appeared before him. He had never met Death before but it was always what he imagined it would be. Death was dark and a mere grisly skeleton. Finally, Death spoke to the man and said: "What wouldst thou, Mortal? I heard thee call me."

The old man replied, "Why, yes! Would you kindly help me to lift this faggot of sticks on to my shoulder?"

Death responded, "No, for you have called my name and anyone who calls my name must come with me."

"I was only exaggerating," pleaded the woodcutter, "I love my life and do not wish for you to take me from my family and loved ones!"

"If you love your life then you should have made sure not to mention my name," said Death.

The man responded "Yes, I shall be sure to never say thy name in the future until I am ready to leave this earth and join you."

"My name has already been said," replied Death, "I must take you with me now and let you be a lesson to teach others to be careful for what they wish."

And before the old man could say another word, Death whisked him away; never to be seen again.

How sorry would we be if ALL of our wishes were gratified.

Author's Note: The original story was about an old labourer who does his work in the woods picking up sticks. One day, he grows very tired and wishes that Death would take him. However, when Death greets him, he simply asks for help doing his work. The moral of the story is that we should be careful what we wish for because it may be terribly bad if we get what we want. I decided to stick with the main theme of the story but add a plot twist where Death still decides to take the old man anyway. I also added in some more background to the man's life and added in the fact that he was used to reaping positive benefits as a result of his wishes.

Bibliography: The original story is titled "The Old Man and Death" and is found in the book Aesop's Fables (Jacobs).  

Reading Notes: Aesop's Fables (Jacobs), Part B

Jacobs 58. The Labourer and the Nightingale (Perry 627):

I like the cleverness of the Nightingale in this story. I like how the nightingale promises something to the man holding her captive. I could retell the story with different characters. Perhaps with a fox as the one holding someone captive or the one being held captive.

Jacobs 36. The Ant and the Grasshopper (Perry 373):

I like the theme of this story. I like that hard work pays off for the ant and laziness and procrastination leads to the grasshopper's ruin.

Jacobs 17. The Woodman and the Serpent (Perry 176):

I like this story because it shows that the snake never changes. Unlike some characters I have seen so far, the snake is an evil creature and even someone saving his life will not change him.

Image Information: illustration for the man and the snake. Web Source.

Jacobs 29. The Belly and the Members (Perry 130):

I thought this story was really interesting. I have never heard a story about the parts of a body talking to each other. I could write a story with the theme of working together as a necessity.

Jacobs 54. Avaricious and Envious (Perry 580):

I like this story because it shows that people are going to be ungrateful and envious of others no matter what they have. I could write about the theme of envy in another way.

Jacobs 69. The Old Man and Death (Perry 60):

I liked the last line of this story "We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified." I could write a plot twist in that the man tries to ask death for his help but death tells him he must take his life since he wished it.

Jacobs 50. The Two Fellows and the Bear (Perry 65):

I like the moral of this story in that you should never trust a friend who deserts you in a pinch. I could write about another scenario with the same theme/moral.

Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs; link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Aesop's Fables (Jacobs), Part A

The Characters That Stood Out:

Lions

I like the role of the lion in the noble/defeated aspect. In the story with the argument about whether a man or lion is stronger, I could reverse the roles. I also like to see how the fox plays a role in many of the stories. He is also usually the one to realize that the Lion in lying to or trying to trick them. 

Foxes

I like the idea of the trickster fox having the table turned on him and being tricked back. I also like the moral of the story of "The Fox and The Grapes" that it is easy to despise what you cannot get. I also like the story about "The Fox and The Mosquitoes." It has been applied to politicians but I could maybe apply the moral of the story to something else or maybe I could rewrite the story and apply it to politicians in my own way. Distrust interested advice is the theme for "A Fox Without a Tail." I could maybe keep the theme but with different characters.

Wolves

I like the qualities of the character of the wolf. He is almost like a lion and fox mixed together. Like the wolf in "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" I like the idea of the wolf using trickery to gain his meals. I could write a story in which the wolf uses another form of trickery to disguise himself in order to gain a meal.

Dogs and Cats

I like the character of the dog because he is greedy and selfish which can be freely and easily written into a story. The cat on the other hand, is single-minded but often to the benefit of the cat. The cat can focus on one thing and is rather self-aware. I could write a story about how the cat's focus leads him to defeat the dog or gain something that the dog wants.

Image Information: rivalry between a cat and dog. Web Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography: Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs; link to the reading online.

Famous Last Words: Getting Organized

Image Information: a photo of a calendar. Web Source: flickr

I have had a rather rough start this semester. I have struggled with organizing myself and laying out my plan for this semester. Normally by now, I would be really organized. I would usually have all of my calendars and checklists laid out for the entire semester. I'm not sure what it is about this semester that is throwing me off. I think it is because I am taking a couple of classes that are very new to me and they have new programs I have never used. I feel like it is throwing me off and making it difficult for me to orient myself. I'm sure the fact that it is my last semester is not helping the matter either.

This next week is all about organizing my school schedule and managing my time. My goal this week is to organize my schedule and figure out exactly what I need to do in each class. I plan to use some of the time management strategies that I learned earlier this week to help me achieve this goal. I plan to maximize the use of checklists and calendar planning. I also want to schedule my time out each day to work on certain classes. Once that is done, my goal is to work ahead in all of my classes in order to avoid falling behind and getting overwhelmed. I would especially like to work ahead in this class because this class gives me the most freedom to do so. I also know, based on past students comments that this class is easy to fall behind in so I would like to avoid that as best I can. It is also a goal of mine to finish my semester with a 4.0 and I know that working ahead and managing my time is the best way to achieve this.

Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

I chose to do a tech tip for extra credit this week because I am not good with technology whatsoever. In fact, I had no idea Canvas even had a mobile app. With that being said, the Canvas mobile app was rather easy to download and navigate. I did not encounter any problems with downloading the app onto my iPhone. The app was also very easy to access after installation as well. In the past, I have logged on to Canvas through my Safari web browser on my phone. I normally use Canvas on the go to check announcements and new grades that have been posted. I'm excited to now be able to use the mobile app as a tool to check my Canvas account for announcements and grades instead of the pesky web browser.

Growth Mindset

Image Information: the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset. Web source: flickr

I had never heard of the growth mindset before now. I feel as though I am more towards the fixed mindset in my school work and most other aspects of my life. While at OU, I have learned that I tend to get overwhelmed when it comes to a new challenge I am faced with instead of approaching it as a learning opportunity. My goal for this semester is to stay on track and current with all of my assignments.

Time Strategies

Image Information: animated photo of a checklist. Web source: pixabay

I read the articles The Important Habit of Just Starting by Jory Mackay, The Psychology of Checklists by Lauren Marchese and 4 Questions to Help You Overcome Procrastination by Peter Banerjea. In the article by Mackay, I took away that sometimes just starting on a project or assignment is the best way to make it seem less daunting. This really hit home because I am terrible about dreading a task so much that I avoid starting on it. From the article by Marchese, I took that checklists can be very important in keeping me focused. It can also help me to feel accomplished which can help me to achieve bigger goals. The article by Banerjea showed me different ways in which I can combat procrastination. The solutions discussed that I found to be most helpful was focusing on my top three priorities each day and thinking about what will go wrong if I procrastinate. I plan on using all of these tools to help keep me on track this semester. I plan to try my best to work ahead to avoid falling behind. I am also focused on the fact that this is my last semester and I want to make sure I stay on track to graduate in May.

Reading Options

The unit I have chosen to read for Week 2 is "Aesop's Fables (Jacobs)". This unit really caught my attention because I read a fable from this book earlier in the week and I found it very interesting. I am most excited for the section of this unit that focuses on "Humans and Gods". I think I will really like this section because I am really interested in the more mystical, traditional mythology stories.

Image information: photo from "Aesop's Fables: Humans and Gods" the story Hot and Cold.

Another unit that caught my attention was "Beowulf". I found this unit interesting because I remember having to read stories about Beowulf in high school and I loved it. I would be very excited to read more stories like this.

I was also interested in the "Homer's Odyssey" unit. Again, I am really captivated by the mystic of traditional Greek mythology. I find the stories to be really interesting and adventurous kind of like the movie series Percy Jackson which is one of my favorites! 

The last unit I chose that would be interesting for me to read was "Myths of the Cherokee". I have taken many different classes in college over Native Americans but I have not had the chance to learn about the myths and tails that help make up their culture. The classes I have taken have mainly focused on their music and government relations. I am also part Cherokee which is why this unit specifically caught my attention.

Storybook Favorites

The first Storybook that really caught my eye was "Once Upon An Antiques Shop". I was especially captivated by the picture which can be seen below. The topic is not really anything I have much experience but the title did do a good job of letting me know what the Storybook was about. The introduction really helped to grab my attention. After reading the introduction, I knew it would be one of my favorites. The creative style of the introduction is written to excite the reader and it certainly makes the Storybook sound like quite an adventure. I do like the physical layout of the Storybook. It is also fairly easy to navigate.

Image Information: photo of an antiques shop that is used in the Storybook. 

Web Source: One of A Kind Antiques.

The second Storybook I found was "Delays and Layovers: Trials of Travel". I certainly have a lot of experience with this. My family and I used to live in two different states when I was younger and we traveled back and forth all the time. We almost always traveled by plane so we definitely had our share of trials. The introduction to this Storybook is written very well. The use of words makes it really easy to imagine what John is going through. The introduction draws the interest of the reader and makes them want to continue reading. I do like how the first page of this Storybook has a link to send you to the introduction. It makes for easier navigation. It is something I would like to include in my own projects. 

The last Storybook I found was "Rocky Mountain Tales". I have been to the Rocky Mountains before so I guess it could be said that I have some experience with the topic. The title does a great job of letting the reader know what to expect from the Storybook. The introduction did make me desire to continue reading the Storybook. I'm not the biggest fan of the colors used in the background as they are not as pleasing to the eye as the other Storybooks I chose. I like the physical layout of the Storybook overall but I want my Storybook to have a picture on the first page.

Introduction to a Soon-to-be Graduate

 

Personal photo of the graduation board on the South Oval from October 2015.

My name is Jennifer Ligon. I am a senior and will be graduating in May with my degree in Psychology. I love my major because I get to learn more about people. I think it is really interesting to learn why people act certain ways. My favorite class that I took last semester was Research Methods II. It is a difficult class but I loved the challenge. After graduation, I will hopefully be attended nursing school in June at OCCC for my Associate's degree in nursing and then finish my Bachelor's degree in nursing online. Eventually, I would like to go back to school to become a Nurse Practitioner. That is my end career goal. I am most pleased to know that I made it through the fall semester even though I took 22 hours! I didn't get to do much over break because I took 6 hours but I did go skiing for the first time! For my last semester, I wanted to be able to enjoy my time a little more so I decided to double up the last few semesters in order to lighten my load. One of my favorite movies is The Notebook (I know, sappy). I don't really have a favorite kind of music; I love all genres of music. I love all kinds of food especially pasta and dessert (It's a problem). I played softball for 15 years growing up so I still like to play softball for fun sometimes. When I am not working on school, I like to spend most of my time with my wonderful boyfriend. We have been together for over 4 years now and he has definitely helped me making it through college without losing my mind. I also enjoy spending time with my friends and family either watching movies or just cruisin' around town.

Personal photo of me and my boyfriend Bailey skiing from December 2016.

Week 1 Story: The Dog & The Shadow

The Dog & the Shadow 

It happened that a Dog had got a piece of 

meat and was carrying it home in his mouth 

to eat it in peace. Now, on his way home he 

had to cross a plank lying across a running 

brook. As he crossed, he looked down and 

saw his own shadow reflected in the water 

beneath. Thinking it was another dog with 

another piece of meat, he made up his mind 

to have that also. So he made a snap at the 

the shadow in the water, but as he opened his 

mouth the piece of meat fell out, dropped into 

the water and was never seen more. 

Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping

at the shadow. 

Steve and his greed: flickr

Once there was a man named Steve with a beautiful wife and family of his own. Steve also owned a very large business and had all the money in the world. He lived in a great big house with everything he could ever ask for. However, it was never enough for Steve. He always wanted more money because nothing was ever good enough for him. In order to make more money, he often took to gambling. Steve liked to take outrageous chances and make ridiculous bets when he gambled. He would often make bets that he was not likely to win for only a little bit of money in return but for him, it was all about the chase.

One day, an old man challenged Steve to a game of poker. The old man bet Steve that if he won the game of poker, Steve could have his very successful company. However, if Steve lost the game of poker, the old man would win Steve's company. Steve thought this was a fair bet as both of their companies were very successful. Steve had also been thinking about starting another company so he liked the idea of winning a company instead. Steve had also played poker quite a few times and he felt that he was good enough to play against his opponent especially with his opponent being old. However, what Steve did not know was that the old man he was playing was one of the greatest poker players in the world. The two men sat down to play poker and the game did not last very long. The old man quickly played a Straight Flush and won the game. When Steve came home, he told his wife what had happened and she was so angry and fed up with his games that she decided to leave him. Steve decided to do some research on the old man he played and he found out that the old man did not own a company after all. Steve realized that his greed had caused him to play a silly game for nothing and he was devasted because he lost everything.

Author's Note: The original story talked about a dog who carried a piece of meat in his mouth. When he saw his shadow, he took a snap at his shadow which he thought was another dog with another piece of meat. In his greed of trying to take another piece of meat, the dog lost the piece of meat he already. I obviously took my story very far from the original story but I tried to keep with the main moral of the story. I took the moral of the original story to be: don't be greedy and overlook what you already have or otherwise, you might lose everything. 

Bibliography: The original story is titled "The Dog & The Shadow" and is found in the book Aesop's Fables on page 29

My Favorite Place-Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole is a city in the State of Wyoming. The Grand Teton Mountain Range is located in Jackson Hole Valley. My family took a trip a couple of years ago to visit all of the big mountain ranges out west. I love taking pictures which is why I loved this place so much. I took some of the most beautiful pictures I ever have in Jackson Hole.

Personal photo taken in Jackson Hole Valley of the Grand Teton Range.

Photo from August 2014.

Grand Teton Mountain Range in Jackson Hole Valley

Source: flickr

Comment Wall

Welcome to my blog! Feel free to leave a comment!

Test Post

This is a test post.