Reading Notes A - Cupid and Psyche Part 7 or 10

Cupid and Psyche

Source: Rubens

Part 7: I could change the dialogue for the sisters. In my mind, I kind of pictured a refreshed version of this part of the story that was more of a Jersey shore twang to it. Reading how the sisters complained, I just pictured things as if it were a reality show and they wanted to ruin things for Psyche. 

Part 10: I could write about a different reaction that Psyche has to seeing her husband. I could also change how she goes about discovering who he is, along with possibly changing how her sisters convince her to go against his wishes. 

Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche; The Jealousy of Psyche's Sisters

Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche: Psyche's Husband Revealed

Week 2 Storytelling: The Dog and His Bone

A dog and his bone

Source: Moral Stories

There once was a dog named Spot. One day, Spot was traveling through the neighboring town when he stumbled upon a butcher. The butcher noticed Spot gazing at the leftover bones he had in the corner.

After a few minutes, the butcher cleaned himself off and introduced himself to Spot. “Hello there! You’re a cutie, aren’t you?” as he reached him hand out to pet Spot. Spot wagged his tail in excitement. “Maybe if I seem excited, this sucker will give me one of those delicious looking treats,” Spot thought to himself.

A short time later, the butcher walks back into his shop and picks the biggest, most delicious bone he could find in his stacks. When he found the right one, he brought it back to Spot. Curious if Spot could do any tricks he begins trying different cues. “Can you speak?” he questioned. Spot slightly tilts his head to the side, unsure what the butcher is saying. “Hmm, let’s try something easier. How ‘bout shake? Can you shake?” Spot tilts his head to the other side. “I’m not sure what else a pup like you might know. Is that all you want?” as he raised the meaty bone up to Spot’s eye level. Spot’s eyes immediately went to the bone, and he couldn’t take his gaze off of it. His tail went wild, his ears perked up, and he had the biggest grin on his face. Spot barked hoping this was enough for the butcher to hand over that delectable thing in his hands. “Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme,” he thought.

Finally, the butcher handed it over.

Spot ever so gently took the bone from the butcher’s grasp, and almost immediately ran off. He didn’t want to give the butcher a chance to change his mind. He must get home, so he can hide is new found delicacy.

About half-way home, Spot noticed a strange figure out of the corner of his eye. He turned around, and the figure was gone. He continued on. A few moments later, the figure returned. He froze mid-step. He lowered his head and started to snarl. His fangs became visible, his ears perked up, he lowered his body to an attack stance. “No one is going to take this bone from me,” Spot thought. Again, he quickly turned around, trying to catch the dark figure in the act. “Catch him, before he catches me,” was Spot’s logic.

Again, he lost the figure, so he continued on. “There’s the Sleepy River. That means, I’m almost home!” Spot sped up so he can get home slightly faster.

He finally reached the river, and was sure slow his pace as he crossed the bridge. The bridge was really old and creaky, which made Spot uneasy every time he walked over it. As he trotted across, Spot noticed the figure again. This time he could make out more features than before.

His image the Dog did not know,

Again, Spot gnarled at the figure in attempt to protect his treasure.

Or his bone's, in the pond's painted show:

That’s when he realized the figure already had a bone of its own.

"T'other dog," so he thought,
"Has got more than he ought,"

That bone looks even bigger than the one he already had. “I must have that one instead,” Spot was determined. He took a moment to come up with a game plan. “I’ll walk a little further, and when he least expects it, I’ll make my move,” he decided.

He’s now halfway across the bridge, “Now!”

So he snapped and his dinner saw go!

He lost the delectable bone the butcher had given him. The strange figure became indistinguishable in the chaos. Spot jumped into the Sleepy River, trying to save him prized possession, but it was a lost hope. He was unable to find it again. Spot crawled out of the river, shook the water off his golden fur, and sulked all the way home.

Author's Note: The original story was short, sweet and to the point. I just expanded on the back story, explained how the dog got his bone, and a little insight on how he lost his bone in the end. I included the original fable in my story to allow the reader to relate the two different stories to each other. 

Reading Notes B - Aesop's Fables (Jacob's) Part 6 - The Dog and The Shadow

The Dog and The Shadow Fable

Source: Aesop's Fables: Dogs and Cats

I will write about how the dog finds the bone on his travels through town, and how he is being followed by another strange black dog. He is eventually brave enough to confront the dog, but in his attempts he loses his prize possession. 

Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs; The Dog and The Shadow

Growth Mindset

Source: Laura Gibbs via cheezburger

I have never heard of Carol Dweck or Growth Mindset before learning about it in this class. I definitely see myself looking at class/class work as getting a passing grade. I let life get in my way all the time, so I tend to focus more on what I need to learn to do good enough on the assignments. I like the way of the not yet, that Professor Dweck mentions in the first video. My brother was one of the many kids that had ADHD when he was younger. He hated school, and learning and struggled with it until he was in middle/high school. Luckily for him, as he got older, he was able to overcome his challenges and focus better and is now finishing his junior year as a Mechanical Engineer major with a relatively high GPA. If he had the not yet option when he was younger, I feel like he wouldn't have been so hard on himself. I remember him being upset all the time as a kid, because he just couldn't grasp what was going on in school.

Being at OU, you have a large variety of teachers and teaching assistance/grad students that help professors. All of them have their own teaching styles. Some that are completely different from mine. I've definitely had to put more time and effort into some classes than I have with others. I have had to change my learning styles to adapt to the teacher rather than what is best for me. My freshman year was a shock. In college, professors, especially in larger lecture classes, only focus on teaching the information required for the class. It doesn't matter whether or not you understand it. I definitely went into college as a fixed-mindset student, but over the years, that has changed.

Time Strategies

Checklists as a procrastination strategy

Source: Psychology of Checklists

I am a terrible procrastinator. I always feel like I have more time than I really do, then the next thing I know I have a couple hours to finish an assignment. 

I read the articles about checklists and how to beat procrastination. The article about checklists talked about placing more value on the bigger projects than the smaller ones. Tilting the cost benefit analysis in favor of the larger assignments. That way you don't dread doing those assignments as much as before. 

The other article I read discussed how to beat procrastination. The title spoke to my soul, so I had to read it. This article made a list of steps to take on how to beat procrastination. Some of the things the author wrote were making a list of small steps rather than large daunting ones, tie those to a treat to make doing the task more appealing, and the last was to remove the blockage that is keeping you from performing those tasks. 

Hopefully, I can go through and read some of the other articles and steal some of those tips, so I can help curb some of my procrastination this semester. Since it is my last semester, I have a feeling my procrastination is going to be at an all time high. Normally, I make checklists and mark them out as I complete them. Most of the time, I feel like I am forgetting something. Deadlines always give me anxiety. Between work and all my classes, it doesn't take much to get overwhelmed. For some reason, my response to stress is just ignore it all and hope it goes away. Maybe I can incorporate some of the articles into my time strategies, and have better time management over this next semester.  

Storybook Favorites

Three Labors of Hercules

This storybook is interesting because it mixes in Harry Potter along with Hercules. It was different to read it as one dimension teaching it to a class in another dimension. It's not something that would ever cross paths, but it's cool to see how the author mixes them together. The intro to this story was similar to syllabus day at OU. Hagrid was going over what the students would be learning over the course of the class, and what rules he had. That drew me in because it was relatable to my life. The layout of the pages was in the form of a script, as if you were reading a play or something. I liked that design because then you knew exactly who was talking and it made the story easier to follow along.

Fairytale Case Files

One of the cases that was worked on in this story was that of Rumpelstiltskin. This is a story I have heard a time or two once before. So, I was familiar with the story. The other was based off a Grimm Brother's story called Elves and I was not familiar with that one. The introduction does a good job at drawing in the reader, because it gives a crime show kind of intro. I liked how the author laid out the stories as a recall to meeting with the clients and his process of solving the cases. I enjoyed reading these stories as they are retold, and how the are separate pages to navigate through.

Tales of Beauty and the Beast

I really enjoyed reading this story. I was very similar to the Disney version, but it was different at the same time. I enjoyed how the narrator was an old book that was cursed by a sorceress. The lay out was easy to follow as it progressed through the different parts of the story.  The pictures that the author chose, I thought captured the story. Being told from an old book, I felt was a nice touch since Beauty is known for being a bookworm. Overall, I feel the story was easy to follow along with, and I enjoy how the author broke the story up through the book feeling the curse "acting up" as he was telling the story. 

Storybook

Source: Flickr

Reading Options

One storybook that I am interested in reading are the Buddhism and Hinduism stories in Week 4 and 5. I have always been interested in Buddhism, so I am looking forward to learning more about that. It will be interesting to learn the stories behind Buddhism and where some of the beliefs stem from.

Buddhism artwork 

Source: Third Monk

The other two groups of stories I am excited to read about are the Grimm Brothers and the Hans Christian Anderson stories in the European unit in Weeks 13 and 14. I have always been fascinated with the Grimm brother's stories. I loved the movie and I had a book with a collection of their stories. Even though I had the books, I never had the chance to sit down and read them all. Hopefully this will give me the chance to do so. 

As I mentioned before, I am slightly obsessed with Disney and I've always been interested in the original versions of the stories. I am excited to read about how they differ from the fairy tale version we all know. I've heard they are more intense and gruesome than the Disney versions, but it will be intriguing to see the resemblance between them.  

Week 1 Story: Tom, the Boy Who Causes Trouble

boy jumping from hay bales

Source: MyScrappyLife

Tom, Tom, the piper’s son

Tom was an ornery little boy. At the ripe age of 8, he was getting into all the trouble he could.

Just last week, he was scaring the cows in attempt to make them fall over. He would sneak through the fields, run up behind them and scream as loud as he could. His parents definitely had their hands full with this one.  

The week before that, he was in the chicken coop tormenting all the poor chickens. He would chase them around and try to catch them. The chickens did not like that at all.

Mama and Papa would tell him time after time, “Leave the animals alone, Tom! How would you like to get chased around and scared?”

“I don’t think I would mind it,” replied Tom.

Stole a pig, and away he run!

This week, Tom went after the pigs. He liked the screeching sound they made when you chased them. 

Unlike the chickens that could flutter off when Tom got close enough, the pigs only had so much space to run. Eventually Tom caught one of the older, bigger piglets.

Tom thought, “Maybe if I catch a pig, and take it to the cow field, the pigs screams will make the cows fall over!” So, that’s what he did. Unfortunately, it did not go as he planned.

As soon as Tom opened the gate, the piglet flailed itself around until it broke loose of Tom’s grip, and away he ran. Tom chased the piglet for what seemed like hours, but the piglet was just so fast outside of his pen.

“Thomas James! What have you done?” yelled Papa.

Tom stopped in his tracks, frozen in fear. He knew once Papa used his middle name, he was in serious trouble.  

The pig was eat, and Tom was beat,

Papa grabbed his gun and got the piglet in one attempt. Tom was just trying to have fun. He didn’t want the piglet to get in trouble too.

Papa turned to Tom with anger in his eyes, and Tom knew it was time to run. He ran straight to the house and right up to Mama. She tried to comfort the scared Tom, for she had no idea what had just happened outside.

Papa reached the house, and ripped Tom away from Mama. He was furious. “I’ve had it Tom! This is the last straw! Mama and I have been easy on you, but now that’s changing,” Papa yelled at Tom.

Then he gave him a whooping of a lifetime.

And Tom went roaring down the street.

Tom couldn’t feel his behind once Papa was done. He ran all around the yard. He jumped into the pig’s mud hoping the cool would take away the pain. He couldn’t sit down for days.

It’s been 2 months since Tom has bothered any of the animals. Mama and Papa have enjoyed the peace and quiet. Though Tom, has been itching to wreak some sort of havoc. Then he remembers what happened the last time, and the feeling goes away.  

Author's Note: The original story talks of a little boy that seems to give his parents trouble constantly. I took that story and added little things that I could imagine a little boy doing to cause turmoil for animals and parents. In the nursery rhyme, it says that he stole a pig and let it run free. I took this as the final straw for his parents. It wasn't the first time he had done something of the sorts, but they wanted to make sure it was his last. 

Bibliography:  "Tom, Tom the Piper's Son" from The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang. Web Source

lntroduction to a Future Physical Therapist

Hello guys!

My name is Melanie, and I am a senior Health and Exercise Science Major. I graduate in May, thank goodness. It's been a long 5 years, and I'm so glad it's finally coming to an end, sort of.

After graduation, I am moving back home to take extra classes so I can apply to several PT schools next spring. Once I finish with PT school, I would love to work in a Cardiac Rehab somewhere other than Oklahoma. Fingers crossed for Colorado. I've also recently discovered that Physical Therapists can become certified to work with animals, so I have been considering doing that as well.

Unfortunately, I was stuck in Norman all of break due to work and an intercession class, so I was unable to do anything exciting. Though last semester, I did go on a cruise to Mexico, and I went to Branson around Thanksgiving. I'm hoping to go somewhere over Spring Break to help tame my senioritis for the remainder of the semester.

I have so many favorite movies and TV shows that it is impossible to narrow it down to just one. Any and all Disney movies are some of those on my list. I don't think I could ever get tired of them. I was a huge Walking Dead fan until this last season, which was really disappointing. I'm also in love with Sherlock, I highly suggest it to anyone that has not watched it before. I love almost any type of music, and honestly Christmas music is my absolute favorite. I could listen to it year round (gross, I know).

I have one dog, and her name is Emma. She's a 3 year old Pyrenees/Shepherd mix, and I love her to death.

Emma on Halloween 2014

I am always down for Mexican/Tex-Mex food. I could live off of it. Anything with red sauce, I could live without. Besides pizza, depending on where it is from. Other than that, I'm not a fan. I also love to bake things of any kind. Cupcakes are my favorite thing to make from scratch. 

Well, that's just a little bit about myself. Hopefully it wasn't too boring. 

My favorite place

Main attractions at the four Disney Parks by Ember Langley      

 Source:  Inside the Magic

Disney World in Orlando, Florida is my favorite place on the planet.

I know, it's more for children than adults, but it's so much fun. I can't help but feel like a kid again when I see all my favorite childhood characters come to life. Though it is more for kids, there are plenty of adult things available, which makes it even more fun.

The last time my family went, we brought along my younger cousins. Seeing the excitement in their eyes was amazing, and I can't wait to take my kids someday.

If you have never been, I highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed. :)

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