Native American Literature

This semester I have taken a course that I have completely fallen in love with, Native American Literature. Before taking this class I didn't really think too much about their being a whole separate genre for Native literature, but as I have been engrossing myself in these novels I have come to realize that Native writers do in fact have this beautiful and unique style of writing that I have not had the pleasure of reading in any other books. The books I have read have such a strong sense of identity and what it means to be apart of something, the Native culture. And being the English major I am, I love to devour symbolism, trying to find the meaning hidden in simple things. These books are chalk full of that like no other genre I have read. So to you I suggest, if you have not already, to find a Native American novel and you will be pleasantly surprised as you read and open your mind to a beautiful culture.

Books I suggest:

Love Medicine, by Louise Erdrich.

Winter in the Blood, by James Welch

Ceremony, by Leslie Marmon Silko

Bone Game, by Louis Owens

If you feel so inclined, pick up one of these books, and you will not regret it.

How Time Flies

Man oh man! This school year has been absolute insanity! As you can see, since I haven't posted in however many months. But despite the insanity, I have been having the time of my life. In the past months I have made new friends, discovered new and exciting things, felt heartbreak, and studied so hard I thought my brain would deflate. It really is amazing when you look back on your life and can see when you have grown the most as a person, and for me, this year has been one of those times. In just one year I feel like I have grown into a completely new person. It never ceases to amaze me how in such little time life can be incredibly changed. Within just few month span so much has changed, some good, some bad. I have discovered that music has an intense affect, and can feel as if it is sinking into your soul and searching through your life to bring you peace. I guess that Paul Simon and Bob Dylan can have that effect on a person. I have found that a really good movie can help you to leave behind that world and feel complete elation from that cinematic brilliance. And a book, you know that book, that very special one that you read and find your life changed, can give you a new outlook on life and feel as if that characters in it have become some of your very best friends. When you are going through turmoil in your life, and feel that you are beyond turning to someone, I have found that these things can help you and change you for the better. Music, movies, and books have a unique power that can bring you peace and change you in ways you never thought could be possible. When you find that life around you is changing and completely beyond your control, you can take hold of your own life and mold yourself into the person you want to be. Some things can spin out of control and you have to sit helpless and sit and watch it burn, but when it comes to yourself and who you are, that is always powered by your own hand.

Boy Summer is Busy!

This summer has seriously been crazy busy! Which rightly explains why I haven't had any time to blog! One would think that summer time would be the time to lay about and relax, but in reality summer is always the busiest for me, especially this summer. In May I got my Water Safety Instructor certification, so for the summer I have been teaching swimming lessons at the Farmington Pool. I have been aiding lessons for the past three years, but this year I took the leap and got certified to teach the lessons myself. It has been a lot of work, but the kids make it so rewarding. I get to teach the littler classes, so my ears are filled with the crazy funny stuff they say everyday! On top of teaching lessons I have also been teaching Water Aerobics. Getting paid to work out, doesn't get much better then that! I am seriously in love with Water Aerobics. You get a work out without feeling sweaty and hot. It's great! I highly recommend it! I am also doing Office Staff at the pool for my fourth year. So I am basically doing every kind of job at the pool except lifeguarding haha. This job is seriously the greatest summer job around! Getting paid to swim, and being able to come and swim whenever I want for free. Nothing better!

Feeling Classy

For the past month I haven't been wearing makeup so my eyelids could get back to normal, and today for the first time in what has felt like quite a while I wore makeup. Today I actually spent time on my hair and I wore makeup! I feel quite accomplished! And I am looking the classiest I have in about a month haha. Good thing I got all dressed up for the day so I can look super fancy for my day of intensive studying! But in all seriousness, it is nice to have my face back to normal again. Greatest feeling in the world!

College: Year One

I guess I have kind of been neglecting my poor blog this month. That's what working a part time job and going to school full time will do to you haha. But seriously this semester has been the busiest of my life. I don't think I have ever worked so hard before, but I love it. Although exhausting, and lacking in a social life, these past few months have been some of the most fulfilling of my life. I have learned to support myself financially, with hardly any help, I feel like I am really on my way to being a full blown adult haha. I really have bittersweet feelings about moving back home for the summer next week. I am so excited to go home and see all of my friends and family, but I am really sad to leave behind the many friends, especially my spectacular roommates, that I have up here. This has been one of the biggest years of my life, and I am really sad for it all to end. I look back to the time at the beginning of the year when I was sad and scared about being away from home, and now in completely different shoes I am sad to leave this place that once had me frightened out of my wits. College really is one of the best experiences of my life, and I can say whole-heartedly that my first year was phenomenal. I definitely look forward to coming back in the fall. But in the meantime I will enjoy going home to my friends and family and soaking up some summer sun!

My Name is Danielle, and I am a Pinterest Addict

After months of denial, I finally have to announce that I have a bad case of Pinterest addiction. It is bad! Multiple times a day I get on and make pin after pin. I've got a problem, friends. And the thing is, I don't think I want to stop. This extraordinary website has sucked me into its black hole of recipes, fashion, books, and the most addicting of all, movies and celebrities. How can I resist going and looking at shirtless pictures of Ryan Gosling, or saucy pictures of Josh Hutcherson in black vintage glasses. Curse you, my weakness for attractive men in glasses! Pinterest has targeted all of my obsessions and put them all into one place. It's like the person who invented Pinterest was like, "Oh, how about I make this website so that Danielle will never get anything done ever again." Pretty sure that is an accurate description. So there, now that I have admitted by daily folly I can start going forth in a step process to recovery. But then again, Jason Segel posing with a fish bowl...I don't stand a chance.

Give the Piano Man His Song!

The other day at work the song Piano Man came onto the radio. And of course, me being the enormous Billy Joel fan that I am, was singing along word for word. When it came to the time when he sings about John at the bar, it cut out an entire section of the song! It was like John at the bar is a friend of mine...then cut to the chorus. How are people supposed to know he wants to be a movie star, I ask you?? Come on Kool 103.9, just play the whole song! I mean, you play the entirety of American Pie, you can play the entirety of Piano Man. I am pretty sure that Billy Joel has risen to the point in his career that you shouldn't go cut off his most quintessential song. I mean listen to the his song he wrote at the beginning of his career, The Entertainer. "It was a beautiful song, but it ran too long. If you're gonna have a hit, you've gotta make it fit. So they cut it down to 3:05." Yep, he was talking about Piano Man. And apparently Kool 103.9 is stuck in the seventies, because every other radio channel plays the entire song now. Geez. Well there is my rant....now you can adequately know how crazy I am haha (if you hadn't already caught on that is.)