Extra Reading Diary: Adam and Eve

For my extra unit this week, I decided to read something from the Biblical Traditions. The unit I chose was Adam and Eve. I thought it might be good to change things up since I had been reading from the Classical Greece units for the last two weeks. It was a nice change of pace, especially since I'm sure we all know the general story of Adam and Eve. I mean I grew up just knowing the simple story of them being tempted by the devil, of course disguised as a snake. After reading the first half of this unit, I really came away with two parts that I liked the most.

The first chapter that really had me interested was the first chapter, The Creation. Like the story of Adam and Eve being tempted by Satan, I was also familiar with the creation of man and woman by God, although I had never necessarily read anything that encompassed this. Although I'm not very religious, this chapter seemed very powerful with words to me. I am a sucker for love though. Hence, why I thought one part was particularly my favorite:

"And Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

To me, this statement in itself seems really powerful, not only from a religious standpoint, but from that of a soul mate perspective. I guess I'm just a weird romantic at heart.

(Les très riches heures du duc de Berry)

 The second part I really enjoyed reading was that of Paradise. Everyone always had there own depiction of what his or her paradise would be. In a Biblical standpoint, this chapter gives a great description, although opinions may differ on the matter. It was crazy to think that Adam had it so easy. I mean angels bringing him food and wine, jus

Reading Diary B: Aesop (Jacobs)

For this reading diary, I finished up reading the Aesop (Jacobs) unit. It was really nice finishing up this unit and getting to read all the fun little stories it encompasses. One chapter in particular caught my eye. Insects, Snakes, and Crabs was very interesting to read. The reason that these stories kind of caught my attention was because of my association with snakes. When I was in kindergarten I actually had a pet python named Katie. In particular, I really enjoyed the story the Man and the Snake. I thought it had a very good lesson attached to it; “beware how you entertain traitors.” It was very sweet and to the point, as well as very clear on what the story was trying to get across. I also really enjoyed how the pictures contain the entire story. It may be short, but it’s definitely a lot of fun to read.

Another story that caught my eye was one in the chapter named People Wise and Foolish, Part 1. The stories in this chapter seemed a bit longer. The Shepherd's Boy was a classic story that I grew up knowing. It was really nice to find it within this unit and read the entire thing. Mostly this story is told from just memory, but here it was laid out in actual text. I really like the lesson that this story encompasses, and I have definitely used it a couple of times when trying to teach a lesson to a child.

(The illustration by Francis Barlow of the fable "The Boy who Cried Wolf", called by him ''DE PASTORIS PUERO ET AGRICOLIS'', 1687)

Reading Diary A: Aesop (Jacobs)

This week I decided to dive into Aesop (Jacobs) as my reading. I really enjoyed getting to read the winter version of Aesop for my extra reading last week, and figured it might be good to stay with the same thing. Although the stories are very short, I do very much enjoy the lessons that go along with them. They aren't always quite clear, but it's fun to find the meaning in them.

One story that really caught my eye during the first half of my reading was the chapter regarding all sorts of fox stories. Foxes, Part I was very intriguing considering I just finished up my tattoo of the fox on my leg. There isn't a whole lot of significant meaning behind my tattoo because I really just liked the art, but its fun to find connections in the world. This chapter had different stories pairing the fox with all sorts of things, one being a stork. I really enjoyed reading about the fox and the masks. The fox is regarded to as a trickster of sorts, but yet, at first                 (My fox tattoo. Personal Photo)                 glance, a mask worn by an actor tricked him. It                                                                                       definitely goes to show that you can't always judge a book by its cover. Sometimes the outside doesn't always show what’s lurking underneath.

Another really fun chapter that seemed to grab my attention was the one titled Cats and Dogs. Of course, since I have both a cat and a dog, these stories would fascinate me. One story in particular, was one about a cat and a fox. Of course I would come back to a story about a fox. It was quite interesting how the fox thought he was so clever having many different options to run and hide, when in fact; the cat’s one option was better. Sometimes having too many options clouds are judgments, and leaves us with only a loss.








                                                                                                                                                     (Bella sleeping. Personal Photo)

MythFolklore Topics Brainstorm

Topic: Dragon stories/lore
Comments: I've been really interested about dragons ever since I started watching Game of Thrones. I'm sure there is a multitude of stories out there about dragons, and different types of dragons, as well as myths.
Possible Stories: I was thinking about possibly doing a storybook on a dragon rider, who has all different kinds of stories from trying to find the perfect dragon. Another idea I had was to do a dragon lore of some sort. It would pretty much be a sort of dictionary on dragons.
Sample Story Comments: In looking at the page of ideas for storybooks, I found a link to dragons. In this description it gave a sacred text called Dragons and Dragon lore. It had a very interesting story about the birth of the dragon that might be cool to incorporate in a storybook.
Bibliography Information:
Sample Story: Birth of the Dragon
Book Title: Dragon and Dragon Lore
Book Author: Ernest Ingersoll
Year: 1928

(English: artwork for the Durian-Project of the Blender Foundation. David Revoy)

Topic: Online date profiles for Mermaids
Comments: Since I was young, I've always had sort of an obsession with mermaids and the water. I mean what girl wouldn't. Seeing as I do love the water, and swimming, I thought it might me fun to do a storybook about mermaids.
Possible Stories: I thought about maybe doing an online dating site for mermaids. It would pretty much look like profiles you see on any dating site, but instead of humans, there would be mermaids looking for a human mate.
Sample Story Comments: Sam and the Mermaid mentioned that there were no mermen under the sea, but only mermaids. I thought it could be a cool idea to bring this idea into my storybook.
Bibliography Information:
Sample Story: Sam and the Mermaid
Book Title: Folktales Told around the World
Book Author: R. M. Dorson
Year: 1975


Topic: Pirate Adventures
Comments: A few years ago, I had a little bit of an obsession with pirates, and would do a lot of online gaming involving pirates. I thought it could be a pretty cool idea to incorporate into a storybook.
Possible Stories: I think it would be most beneficial to do a storybook on one particular pirate that encompasses different stories about his life/adventures.
Sample Story Comments: I thought about maybe doing a storybook over Christina Anna Skytte. She is Swedish pirate and baroness. It was mentioned on wikipedia that her and her fiance were pirates together. It sounds like this background has a lot of potential. 
Bibliography Information:
Sample Story: Christiana Anna Skytte
Source: Wikipedia


Topic: Aesop's Fables
Comments: Although the fables are usually short, I thought it would be fun to retell the stories in my own way and add more to the stories.
Possible Stories: I thought about maybe creating a storybook revolving around Aesop's Fables that have animals involved with the stories.
Sample Story Comments: I was very interested in the story about a man bitten by a dog. It had a very interesting lesson, and would be a fun story to elaborate on.
Bibliography Information:
Sample Story: The Man Bitten by the Dog
Book Title: Aesop's Fables
Book Author: translation by Laura Gibbs
Year: 2008

Aesop Winter - Extra Reading

The Aesop (Winter) unit was definitely a different change of pace from reading Cupid & Psyche earlier in the week. I really enjoyed how there were so many different stories to read. The first story or fable that really captured my attention was The Travelers and the Purse. It was very short, but also very interesting. The story really pointed out that both the traveler’s should have rights to have found the purse, but the one who initially found the purse was not happy about that. It was crazy that as soon as he might be in trouble for finding the purse, he started saying “we.” It really goes to show that you can’t have it both ways. You pick “I” or “we,” and stick with it, not change your mind as soon as something goes wrong.

The second story I really enjoyed was The Wolf and His Shadow. This particular story seemed quite morbid, but it definitely had a good lesson attached to it. It was very short and to the point. The wolf thought so much of his huge shadow, and that shielded him from thinking rationally. He believed that since his shadow was so huge, that nothing, not even a lion, could take him down. Oh, how that wolf was wrong. In the end of this story, the lion’s shadow takes over the wolf and his shadow. I bet you could probably guess what happens to the wolf next… People really shouldn’t let their ego let them forget what is really happening in the world.

(The Wolf and His Shadow)

Storytelling Week 2: In Awe of Psyche's Beauty

As the young girl stepped out of her house, the world around her had changed. She was no ordinary girl anymore. She was something else, something from a fairy tale. Her skin was a pale porcelain, much like the moonlight that shown down on the city every single night. Her cheeks a fair pink, brought just the right amount of color to her face. Her hair was a golden brown, mixed with hints of red here and there. Just by looking at her, the people could feel the softness of her soul. She was not only beautiful on the outside, but also from within. No one had witnessed anything quite like her before.

As the townspeople flocked to her side, they glanced up at her beauty and became frozen. They stood in awe of this beautiful creature, not knowing reality from a dream. How could it be that this girl, beautiful as she was, really be in their midst? Was she a Goddess or a cruel trick played on the people of this fair city? It was as if she was a reincarnation of the great Goddess Venus. Dumbfounded by her beauty, some townspeople continued to stare at beautiful Psyche, while others presented her with bouquets of flowers and showered her with other gifts.

Throughout this day, there was another audience, one watching from above the city. It was the great Goddess Venus. She was not pleased to be seeing the events that unfolded before her eyes. How could a mere mortal be getting more praise and love than her? How could this young girl be mistaken for her? How was that Psyche was able to steal all the love and attention from her? She was an imposter, one that needed to be stopped right away. She was no Goddess, and would therefore not be able to bathe in the luxuries of one.

Venus became infuriated and green with jealousy. There would no other that would take the place of her. She called upon her younger son Cupid to help put this Psyche to a stop. Cupid was notorious for ruining marriages and causing mischief wherever he went, among other things. She asked her dear son to put a wretched spell on Psyche, a spell that would cause this beautiful young imposter to fall in love with the most worthless of men. This would be Psyche’s eternal downfall. She would fall miserably in love, and Venus would finally be rid of her.

(Psyché Abandonnée, 1795, Jacques-Louis David)

Author's Note: I chose to rewrite a chapter from the unit Cupid & Psyche. The chapter that really captured my attention was Psyche's Beauty and the Anger of Venus. I chose to mostly go with the original story already in place. I really just wanted to add more to portrayed beauty of Psyche. There wasn't really a vast description on what the people saw of Psyche's beauty, just that she was very beautiful. I decided to add more of a description of what the people might of seen, and to try and make the audience depict this as well. In all honesty, if you are beautiful enough to anger a Goddess, then there must be a lot to describe about you.

Bibliography

     Book: The Golden Ass
     Author: Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline
     Year Published: Unknown
     Web Source: Apuleius: The Golden Ass

Cupid & Psyche - Reading Diary B

(Venus Chides Cupid, by Giordano)

I was very excited to read on after finishing half of this unit. I really enjoyed the chapter Venus and the Goddesses. It was kind of perfect how the story had panned out thus far. Venus, jealous and green from the beauty of Psyche, sent her son Cupid to ruin Psyche. Earlier on, Venus told Cupid to make Psyche fall for the most wretched men. It was very ironic, come to find out that Cupid would fall for the beautiful Psyche. Of course, in this chapter, Venus is brought this news from another source. Once she hears that this is the doing of Psyche, she becomes furious. I really think karma played a great joy in this part of the story.

The other chapter that really intrigued me was Sleep of the Dead. In reading the story, you could really feel what love Cupid had for Psyche. Of course her curiosity caused her to fall into a deep sleep, but Cupid came and took it away. The way he talks to her during this part really gets through his deep feelings for her. Things played out so differently than expected for Cupid. as I mentioned above, it was his job to ruin Psyche and the beauty the people saw in her. Instead, he fell for the nemesis of his mother, and in turn defied his mother's wishes. In all of this, he did find probably the best thing of all, love. Although he now worried about his mother's wrath, I do believe that he made out pretty well.

Cupid & Psyche - Reading Diary A

For this week, I decided to read Cupid & Pysche as my first unit. I honestly wasn't expecting the story to start how it did. It was surprisingly a bit of a relief that it was very different than what I had imagined the story, or first half of the story to be. It was very interesting to find out that the majority of the story would be told from the point of view of the older woman, and even that she was telling it to comfort a young girl. I had no idea that this story would contain robbers/kidnappers, but it definitely kept things interesting.

One part I really enjoyed was in the second chapter, Her Dream. One item I really took away from this particular chapter was the old lady's description of dreams. She mentions to the young girl that dreams actually fortell the exact opposite of what they show. For instance, if you have a dream about good fortune and stuffing your face, then something is probably about to go horribly wrong. But, on the other hand, if you have a horrid nightmare about the love of your life getting killed, good fortune is sure to come your way. It was a very interesting way to look at things.

The other chapter that I really took something away from was Psyche's Beauty and the Anger of Venus. This chapter sure threw me for a loop. Of course, I believe it was completely normal for Venus to be so angry with everybody fawning after Psyche. It must have been very infurriating considering she was a Goddess, while Psyche was merely a mortal. The item that really caught me off guard was the description given of Cupid. In associating Cupid with Valentine's Day, it was very odd, but interesting, to hear of Cupid in such a horrible tone. He apparently ruins marriages and runs around causing all kinds of mischief. It was a very interesting point of view that I honestly had never heard of before.

(Psyche Honored by the People, Giordano)

Week 1: Untextbook

It was very interesting to learn about this concept of having an "Untextbook." In looking through the lists, I decided on four untextbooks that I thought seemed very interesting from strictly the names. The first one that caught my eye was Unit: Cupid and Psyche. I actually believe I might have the book for this story. The name Cupid sparked my interest, considering I am a Valentine's baby, and that guy is kind of associated with my birthday.

The second one that I looked at was Unit: Andersen Fairy Tales. Honestly, who doesn't love a good fairy tale. After reading on a bit, I was very intrigued that it involves the Little Mermaid. It sounds very interesting to read a very un-disney version. Definitely captured my attention. I picked the image associated with this unit because I really liked the artwork.

(Illustration by W. Heath Robinson)

In Unit: Chinese Fairy Tales, I was very interested in the fact that it incorporated animal legends, as well as items about the supernatural. It seems like this unit really has a lot to offer in readings, and doesn't stick to just one thing.

Lastly, I looked into Unit: Mississippi/Great Lakes. It seems like this unit really has a lot to do with different tribes involved in these areas. The overview referenced a story about trickster-hero Manabozho. After reading this, and about a battle with his wolf-brother, I was very interested to read more.

Week 1: Storybook Favorites

In all honesty, I picked all three of these storybooks based on their names, and how every one sort of relates to something I'm interested in. I am not familiar with any of these stories, but the storybooks definitely have me interested.

The first storybook I look at was Mermaid Maiden. The name of the storybook was the first thing that caught my eye. Once I was at the website, the picture used on the main page really stood out to me. I thought it was a great find of artwork to convey the idea of the website. After reading the introduction, it was very clear that the author had very good, as well as vivid, writing skills. The overall look of the site was very nice. I really liked the simplicity to it.

(Image found at Deviant art)

The next storybook that captured my attention was Planet of the Cats. Again, the title really captured my attention. I have a bit of an obsession with cats, so it was really cool to see that someone made a whole website that incorporates just cats! From first look, the website was very well organized and the colors/layout used really was pleasing to the eye. I really enjoyed the photo used on the main page of the website. It was a very interesting artwork that I would actually be interested in have tattooed on me. The writer was very creative, and the introduction definitely had me wanting to read more.

Monster Hunter was the last storybook I was interested in. I was attracted by the name, but once I got to the website, I was extremely pleased with my choice. First of all, once I was directed to the site, I was extremely impressed with the background and layout used. It really worked well with the picture the author put on the main page. After reading the introduction, I was very excited to read on. The only thing I would have wished for was maybe a photo or picture on the Introduction page, but overall it was great.

Week 1: Introduction

My name is Taylor Peterson. I’ve lived in Oklahoma for roughly 8 years now and consider it to be my home state. I moved to Norman from Tulsa 4 years ago in May to continue my education and to be with my boyfriend. We met in high school and have been together for almost 6 ½ years. We have two adorable pets. Our cat Bella definitely loves to beat up on her younger dog brother Cobi. Although they fight quite a bit, they still have their loving moments. They definitely bring a lot of happiness to my life, and I couldn't imagine it without them now.

Currently, I have an Associates in Applied Science for an Accounting Associate, but am pursuing a Bachelor’s in Business Administration for accounting as well. This will be my sixth semester at OU, and so far I really like it here. As for my career, I just started a job as a tax intern for an accounting firm in Oklahoma City. Luckily they extended me to stay on for the spring, and I hope they will just keep me on for good. I really love it there and pretty much everything about it. The people are great, and it's nice to know that I always come home from work with a smile on my face.

I have a few options to occupy my free time, but I think my most favorite hobby would have to be playing Magic the Gathering. It’s a card game I started playing at the local comic book shop in August of 2013. It’s kind of like Pokemon or Yugio, but more for adults, and I think a little more complex. It’s a really fun game, and if you get a chance, you should definitely try it. Unfortunately the new set of cards is not very good, but hopefully it will get better.

(Image Information: personal photo of Bella and Cobi; photo from January 4th, 2015).

Week 1 Storytelling: The Tormentor Known As Cat

(Abandoned Pet 26. Source: Deviantart)

Week 1 Story: The Tormenter Known As Cat

A young cat lived on 22^nd floor of an apartment complex with its owner. The cat kept to itself for the most part, but did not like intruders in its space. One day, the cat went to the kitchen for a drink, and saw a mouse creeping around on the floor. The young cat hesitated for a moment, then decided confront the mouse. He chased the mouse until it was trapped in a corner of the room. The cat contained its desire to eat the mouse, but instead tried to validate his desires. “Little one, you have come in to my house and offended me every day for the last week.” “I do not believe so sir, I just started my journey to this apartment last week from the first level of the complex,” squeaked the tiny mouse, “I just arrived in these apartment’s walls two days ago.” “You nibbled on the cheese in my owner’s fridge, and I will not take lightly to such senseless actions.” “I am unable to eat cheese sir, I am lactose intolerant,” the mouse said in his defense. Then, the cat stated, “you drank all the water from my bowl. I am certain it was you!” “That is inaccurate. I am not capable of drinking that much water in two days,” stated the mouse, "If I were capable, I would not be this tiny.” “All you speak is of lies,” argued the cat. The mouse saw the look of death in the cat’s eyes, and attempted to run towards the hole in the wall. The cat caught the mouse by the tip of its tail. “I am correct in my accusations, and I will not listen to your insignificant rebuttals,” said the cat, “I am right in my desires to consume you, and you will be one scrumptious snack!”

     Author's Note:

     The original story was about a wolf (cat) and a lamb (mouse). The wolf comes across the lamb, and accused the lamb of wrongdoing him under three different accounts. In the end, the wolf is just trying to justify why he should be able to consume the lamb. It doesn't matter what the lamb says in rebuttal, because it doesn't matter to the wolf. I decided to change the characters of the story, and to also add a few more characteristics of the environment as well as add to what the characters have to say. The moral of the story continues to be the same: the tormentor will always find reasons to back what he wants to do.

     You can find the orgininal story of The Wolf and the Lamb here. 

Week 1: My Favorite Place

I wouldn't necessarily I have a favorite distinctive place I like to be. I do have a favorite place that encompasses many different locations though. I love the beach, whether that be one in Santa Barbara, California or Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I find beaches to be very beautiful, and sometimes very unique in there own ways. Some rocky, which aren't very safe for swimming, but very nice to look at; and soft sandy beaches that are great for playing in the waves.

This past summer, I took a trip with my family to Cabo San Lucas. We went to two different beaches, both offering something a little different. Both were very beautiful. Chileno Beach had soft sand and medium sized waves to play in. It was very fun swimming out, and kind of just floating in the ocean. It was very calming.

(Chileno Beach. Photo by Taylor Peterson)

Santa Maria Beach, on the other hand, had very rough sand that hurt our feet. That didn't stop us at all from playing in the waves though. Not only was the sand rough, but the waves were rough too. We were too scared to swim out, for fear that we could drown. We did find another activity to occupy our time though. My dad and I decided to try climbing up on the big rocks that sit to both sides of the beach. We found many crabs just hanging out up there. Although that probably wasn't one of the safest things we could do, it was well worth it treking up to new territories.

(Santa Maria Beach, Photo by Taylor Peterson)

So, like I said, I don't think I have a favorite location, but my favorite place to be is definitely the beach, wherever that might be.

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