The Harvest Collection--November Writers

November--the month of all the "-fuls"; grateful, bountiful, thankful, wonderful, beautiful.  I could go on, but we are here to share and celebrate our creativity and freedom in our writing.

This month's collection is "full" of fiction, how-tos, narratives and abstracts.

Read them ALL.

Choose your favorites.

Leave helpful, thoughtful, loving and kind comments.

If you are unable to leave comments here on the blog, the Canvas Discussion board is open as well.

Comments are due Wednesday, December 8.

 When leaving comments be mindful of your CONTENT and TONE.  This blog is a safe space for ALL writers in our class.  Be kind, courteous, helpful and encouraging.  Give reason(s) and explanation as to WHY you have chosen to leave feedback.  Why is this a favorite piece?  What did you find intriguing? Suspenseful?  Silly?  Horrifying?  You get the picture.  Do not merely comment that you like the piece.  Explain WHY.

If you are a writer for the month, you DO NOT have to leave comments and feedback on the pieces, only if you wish to do so.

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I will see you in class :)

Feed Your Soul,

Mrs. Solano

How to properly get into the Marvel Cinematic Universe--Angie

 

If you haven’t heard about Marvel, then you must be 80 years old. Actually, that is a lie

since the first Marvel comic was released in 1939, and they were a hit! It is important to know

that there is beauty even in the ugly (we are looking at you, Thor: Dark World). We do not want

a toxic fan base or are one! You can find every single little flaw and focus on the negative, but

why would you want to? This is an epic part of pop culture in the modern day and for good

reason! Life lessons, joy, pain, and delight are all embedded in the pixels of your TV screen. Now

before we get into this, I will clarify some myths about the Marvel Cinematic Universe and give

you some general facts you will need to know before embarking on this adventure. So sit back,

relax, and learn about the greatest trilogy of the modern day.

The Myths!

1. You must read the comics to understand marvel.

LIE!!! There are over 50,000 marvel comics released. Who has time to read all that? One thing

you must remember is that the movies are BASED on comics. Some occurrences directly follow

certain comics, and many simply take inspiration. Now if you want a guide on how to get into

the comics, then sorry, can’t help you. Needless to say, the movies can be understood without

prior knowledge, as everything is inevitably explained.

2. It takes too long

Okay maybe it might take a while, but honestly, that just means the more the joy lasts! You can

watch 1 movie a day or try 3 over the weekend. Either way, it is a fun experience!

3. There are too many details to understand

Umm yes, but that is not a negative!! You will never catch every easter egg, parallel, or ironic

occurrence on the first watch. You can even watch videos on YouTube to catch all the easter eggs

from a movie! It is fun to watch and catch them for yourself.

Now just some general facts before we get started:

- As of November 2021, there are 26 films and 4 television series. (Hawk-eye show and

Spiderman: No Way Home approaching release)

- The first movie came out in 2008 (Iron Man).

- The movie The Incredible Hulk is somewhat iffy. The actor playing HULK was replaced

with Mark Ruffalo, who plays Bruce Banner in the MCU. Honestly, many people skip

this movie because you can understand the MCU without it, but if you don’t mind, go

ahead and watch. (This movie is not found on Disney+)

- The shows and movies are released in phases, so far, phase 4 is in progress.

- The character development is unmatched compared to other trilogies.

- I will keep this tutorial spoiler free!

Now let's get into the steps on how to begin and how to not get lost. The devils in the

details isn’t it?

1. Get a Disney+ subscription

Most Marvel movies are on Disney+. You will need to get a subscription for the streaming

service as it is the most affordable way to watch the movies. The Marvel shows are also only

found on the streaming service. It is also beneficial as all the movies are organized in release

order, chronological order, and phases. This makes it easier to follow!

***Movies not on Disney+ are Spiderman movies and The Incredible Hulk

2. For first time watchers, watch in release order.

It might be tempting to watch in chronological order right? Wrong! Marvel Studios released

their movies in a specific order for a reason! As long as you know where the specific movie is in

the timeline (pictured below), you should be fine. Ex. Captain Marvel came out in 2019 but is set

in 1985 in the MCU. Watching in release order is incredibly important as the end credit scenes

are in chronological order! If you watch the movies in chronological order, then the end credit

scenes will essentially spoil future movies.

This timeline is in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER^. Keep in mind Iron Man (2008) was the first to

release, but it is not the first on the list, Captain America is. (once again I do not recommend

first-timers watch in this order)

Release order ^^

3. Organize yourself with the 4 phases.

Look at this graphic below, this image shows what was released within each phase.

(image 2) (the TV series are part of phase 4)

You can take breaks between phases to develop your own opinions, theories, and to let the

content ruminate for a while. The waiting game is vital, so you have time to take it all in.

Watching every movie back to back will be too much and you will forget details. When I was

teaching my mom, we watched one movie a day and took breaks after phases so I could explain

and catch her up. It can get overwhelming, so take your time so you could take it all in!

4. Watch the end credit scenes.

The end credit scenes are just, if not more important than the movie itself. This is the reason

why I recommend watching in release order. The movies may not be in chronological order

when watching, but the end credits will be! EVERY single movie and some episodes have end

credit scene(s). NEVER leave the theater before the prominent red MARVEL logo appears. The

only movie so far without an end credit scene is Endgame… :(

5. Watch with a friend!

Sometimes one needs to bounce ideas off one another to get a new perspective. You may have

missed a detail or two, so it's nice to have someone to ask so they can clarify. My friend who

started watching Marvel at my discretion always asked me questions to clarify. Two minds are

better than one after all!

6. The shows are still part of the MCU! Watch in release order as well!

These Emmy award-winning shows are phenomenal and add so much to the universe.

WandaVision in my opinion was nothing like I've ever seen before. It is truly astonishing the

creativity and talent that is put into this series. Loki, What IF…, Falcon and the Winter Soldier,

and the upcoming Hawkeye series are all canon to the MCU. These shows are just as important

to the MCU storyline as the movies, they cannot be overlooked.

***Daredevil, Agent Carter, Jessica Jones, and Marvel Agents of Shield are excellent TV shows

that follow the MCU storyline. Kevin Feige has stated the shows are not canon to the MCU yet. I

personally enjoy the show Agent Carter as we only saw Peggie Carter in a few movies and this

show allowed for character development.

7. Understanding the Sony situation

The character of Spiderman/Peter Parker has a lot of red tape as the character is owned by

Sony. This is why you will not find the Spiderman movies on Disney+. You will not find The

Incredible Hulk on Disney+ either. There are previous Spiderman movies with Toby Maguire

and Andrew Garfield. I adore watching these movies, even though they aren't particularly part

of the MCU. The third Spiderman movie with Tom Holland is set to release in December. I

recommend watching Maguire and Garfield's Spiderman movies, as they are connected in the

upcoming film.

image 6

8. Stan Lee Cameos

image 9

Dont forget to look out for Stan Lee (creater of many marvel comics) in all the movies! His

appearances are always fun to catch!

If you follow these steps and suggestions, then you are on the right path to becoming a marvel

fan. It is exciting to watch all the movies and to be part of such a major fandom. I hope this has

answered some of your questions and cleared any misconceptions you may have. Just remember

I'm with you to the end of the line! Let me know if you have any questions and good luck!

image 7

Image 1-

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140420025424/disney/images/0/05/Marvelstudioslogo

2013.jpg

Image 2

https://preview.redd.it/lmgt6aq2akt21.jpg?auto=webp&s=8568ed8aaa8a0ae9901c02ef7eb0e839

97a8322c

Image 3

https://mculocationscout.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/avengers_105-shawarma.jpg?w=768

Image 4

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/336433034641206522/

Image 5

Teaser of 'WandaVision', 'Falcon and the Winter Soldier …

Image 6

https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1152061-spider-man-3-tobey-maguire-andrew-gar

field

Image 7

https://japaninja.pro/welcome-marvel-fans/

Image 8

Marvel movies ...theverge.com

Image 9

https://screenrant.com/stan-lee-greatest-mcu-cameos-ranked/

The Date--Krista

 

Time seems to pass by slower than I would like when I’m waiting for something. This

time, however, is different. The guy of my dreams has finally asked me out on our first date. I

anxiously sit on my couch, my hands balled up into tight fists as I glance at the door and window

every other second. I could hardly stand it, I was so excited. Though, I would be lying if I said I

wasn’t nervous too. After all, how am I supposed to act? Everyone says you should be yourself

because that’s what he wants and that’s why he asked me out. There’s always that little voice in

my head that contradicts my voice of reason and logic, no matter if that voice is wrong or right.

Interrupting my thoughts, the sound of a car pulling up to the curb in front of my house

rings through my ears. I shoot up out of my seat almost immediately as the pit in my stomach

grows more and more. The reality of the situation was getting more and more real.

I open the door to find him standing there with a smile so bright it rivals the sun, his eyes

twinkling in a way so familiar to me at this point.

“Hi, Rose…” His voice trailed off, and I found that I loved the way he said my name

because it rolls off his tongue as smooth as butter.

He had the most beautiful brown eyes that could melt my soul. I loved the way the light

shined off his long, red-brown hair that framed his face so effortlessly. However, it’s his

mischievous smile that gets me falling hard.

“Distracted, love?”

His voice snapped me out of my thoughts and back into reality. I find more and more that

he can distract me into oblivion to the point where I’m unaware of anyone and anything else.

“Oh, sorry,” I chuckle softly. “I was a little distracted, but I’m ready to go!” I tried to

make it sound like I wasn’t so nervous that I felt sick to my stomach.

As I stepped out of the doorway, locking the front door as I left, I felt his hand on my

lower back and it made me feel so warm and loved on the inside. Then he took my hand and

gave it a small squeeze as if to tell me that everything was okay. The way our hands fit so

perfectly together baffles me, but it’s as if we were meant to be, as cliche as it sounds.

“Here, let me open the door for you, love.” Without any hesitation, he opened the

passenger side door with a cheeky grin.

“Such a gentleman,” I muttered with a blush rising on my cheeks as I stepped inside of

the car.

“Of course, am I anything but a gentleman?” he retorts with a wry smile.

I had always known that he hated his laugh, and I knew by the way he held his laughter

back with a smile so effortlessly as if this wasn’t new to him at all. By just looking into his eyes I

felt that I could figure him out, all of the ins and outs, in no time at all. However, I also knew

how he seemed to put a wall up to avoid having people figure him out so easily.

It was then in the car how I could almost feel that he was letting his guard down and

letting himself be open and free to me, so I could get to know the true him and not some fake

version of him.

“Penny for your thoughts?” He kept his eyes glued to the road in front of him, but only I

could spot the hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

“You know I was thinking about you.” I teased playfully, avoiding his complacent look.

“I do, I just wanted to hear you say it, it’s much more fun that way, don’t you think?” he

asks, glancing my way.

In an instant, he perked up and a smile curled on his lips. “Close your eyes, I want where

I’m taking you to be a surprise!”

I rolled my eyes and placed my hands over my eyes, and I could only try to figure out

where we were going by the sounds going on around me. So far, though, I had no idea where I

was because, admittedly, I wasn’t paying attention earlier in the car. I was a little distracted, so to

speak.

“Robin, can I open my eyes now?” I asked quietly, turning to him.

I heard him chuckle slightly and say, “Let me help you out of the car first.”

I felt his hands on my shoulders leading me out of the car. I felt light, cool air hitting my

face and the increasing sound of music. And then before I knew it, the sound of a door opening

rang through my ears.

“Open your eyes, love,” Robin told me.

As soon as I opened my eyes I saw my favorite restaurant. It was nothing fancy, and not

even that special; so, that confused me a little because of that fact.

But I turned to him and I saw a cheeky grin tugging at his lips, and I could see how proud

and happy he was. It warmed my heart to see him so happy because of me. But the question is…

Why?

“Can I ask you something?” I look him squarely in the eyes, wanting to inquire more

about his “motives” behind the date.

“Of course…” His voice trailed off as he continued to remain in eye contact with me.

“Why did you take me here? It’s nothing special or fancy, I know that.” I broke eye

contact with him and my eyes dropped down to my feet, to which he lifted my chin with his

finger with a soft smile, I could see in his eyes how much he cared.

“Well, that’s simple. I know this is your favorite place to eat and how happy you are

when you get to eat here. And seeing you so happy and in your element makes me happy.”

I truly didn’t know how to respond because it made me speechless to know that I make

him so happy. So, all I thought to do was hug him as tight as I could and savor the moment, no

matter where we were because all that mattered was how much we cared.

“Thank you, I don’t think you know how much this means to me,” I confessed, a slight

blush rising to my cheeks.

“I guess I’ll find out, won’t I?” And with that, he kissed my cheek as we walked to the

register, and I absolutely could not wait to see how it turns out.

Slenderman IS REAL--Kim

 

They never believed me when I told them Slenderman was real, it’s not like I had proof but after all, I was telling the truth. My friends had been planning a camping trip for years and they
finally managed to get these plans moving. I didn’t want to go, but they told me it would be nice to go out after everything I’d been going through the past couple of months. I had been
consumed by the idea that something far more dangerous than a mountain lion would be
awaiting our arrival but I brushed it off in hopes that this short trip would help me get better.
Of course, I wish I was filled with less paranoia and more excitement but the only things I
managed to pack in time were a flashlight, two days’ worth of clothes, and a pocket knife (just
in case).

As terrified as I was, the scenery was breathtaking, literally I passed out due to my fear of
heights. I let anxiety wrap it’s claws around me and this was my first mistake. Ringing in my
head as I lay flat on the forest floor, constant ringing, I want this ringing to stop. Was this my
body telling me something was close? A threat maybe? This nauseating ringing blocked my
train of thought. I was in danger, my friends were in danger and I had to do something about it.
I regained overall consciousness after a good five minutes of being wiped out on the floor.
Confusion is the only thing clouding my mind as I wondered where my friends could be. I mean I was just with them wasn’t I? I pick up the courage to wander these woods in search of my friends and decide to pull out my pocket knife. Cautious of every step I took, I kept my ears
open for any surrounding noise that might be a threat to me even the smallest crunching of
leaves caught my attention. If only my friends had waited to walk to the campsite with me, I
wouldn’t be in this mess. After what felt like hours of walking which is dramatic for 10 minutes,
I suddenly heard what sounded like the crunching of leaves coming from behind me. My heart
was probably racing by now as this sound grew louder and faster. I closed my eyes instinctively and held my arm out slashing the air with my pocket knife like a coward when I suddenly felt the knife pierce the shadow I could barely see through the skin of my eyelids multiple times. My mind is filled with satisfaction as I realize what was trying to catch up to me was now probably pulseless, but the satisfaction quickly fled when I opened my eyes to see the bloody corpse of my good friend Apollo. Every single emotion you could think of flooded my brain. How could I do this to my friend? How could I be such a coward that I let my fear get the best of me? My friend is dead and it’s my fault, the ringing wasn’t a threat, it was my paranoia. I fell to my knees while the memories I had of them rushed into my imagination. How could I explain this to the others without sounding like a complete psychopath? The answer was clear, I couldn’t tell them at least not now.

I ran in the direction Apollo came from in hopes that I’d catch up with the others before they
suspected anything. After about twenty minutes I finally heard the laughter of my two other
friends. I had no other choice but to let the memories haunting my mind become my puppeteer, my second mistake. We made our way towards each other and I cried into their arms hysterically. The first word to come out of my mouth was “Slenderman”. I had to make
something up to keep myself clean, Slenderman did it, he was real, he was very real at this
moment. The only reaction I managed to get was the confusion on their faces. Of all things why this? Why Slenderman? As the tears sprinted down my face I tried to convince them that
Slenderman was real, that Slenderman was the reason our dearest friend Apollo was dead. I
must’ve sounded crazy but I had to make sure they bought this lie. I panicked and yelled for one of them to follow me and suggested the other stay and keep watch of our things. What was I to do with poor Demeter? Her innocence would now be spoiled if she sees what had been done to Apollo. We approached the spot in which the corpse laid and I slowly prepared the knife in my pocket. I showed her the dead body and the innocence leaped out of her body and faded into the breeze of the foggy afternoon. I sneakily threw a small rock into the distance to immediately distract her, this worked and well. Demeter was the kind to close her eyes the entirety of a scary movie, and this was shown as she sat down and covered her face. This would not be helpful for either of us, especially me so I suggested she get up and run with me. As I extended my hand to help her up I reached for my pocket and shut my eyes as I swung my arm for her chest. The forest echoed with her heartbreaking screams as she finally took her last breath. The price I was willing to pay in order to keep myself clean, pure even.

I had to take a moment to realize what I was completely capable of, what this need for purity
drove me to. As I sprinted towards the campsite, my mind was already made, it had to be done
once more. I caught my breath as I finally got a glimpse of the tents. I let my emotions take
control once more and started yelling for my final friend, Hephaestus, to run and head for the
car. We quickly made our way out of the forest and hopped into the car. I never really
particularly liked him, so it made this pretty easy for me. I told him to speed down the road, no
questions asked as I waited for us to reach a curve. It was finally time, I hoped to get better and this was my way out. I violently reached for the steering wheel and made a sharp right flying down the cliff. My moment for purity had come, but at what cost? These friends only wanted the best for me and that’s how they aided me, my mortal life never really was of importance.
Afterall, my name was Ares, of course I had to act.

The Fear Of Life--Sarah

 

Dear whoever,

If I die tomorrow tell my parents I love them. Tell them I’m sorry I didn’t clean

the bathroom or my room. Tell them I wish I had more time with them and that

they were amazing parents. If I die tomorrow tell my brother I miss him. Tell my him

I had hoped to see you sooner and that I’m proud of all your accomplishments in

college. Tell my sister how much I loved how our relationship grew. How we become

closer as sisters and as best friends. If I die tomorrow thank my friends. Tell them

how much I love and thankful for them. Tell them how I’m sorry for never being as

good of a friend as they were to me. How I never checked up on them or tell them

how much I appreciate them. Tell the guy from my past that I never stopped liking

him, never stopped thinking about him. Tell him how I’m sorry for hiding my

feelings when I was too scared to be vulnerable around him. If I die tomorrow tell

all my teachers and coaches thank you, tell them how I have learned so much

from them and would miss them.

Sincerely,

Anonymous

Fear: “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is

dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.” The consuming fear of time, the fear

of death, and the fear of what I haven’t done.

Our lives are divided in differnt sets of stages stages. From birth to

childhood, to adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Each age holds their

momentous occasions, for example taking our first steps to graduating college.

Its a continuous cycle that never seems to stop and we never expect it to. Their is

always a next age, a next step towards are future that we all plan to achieve. Every

second we grow older without even relaizing it. I remeber as child I was a fraid of

thr birds at costco’s food court. There was a time where we could no longer eat

outside because I would freak out everytime they got close to us. I rember the fear

of bugs that used to make my younger self feel uneasy and would make me plead

to my sister if I could sleep with her that night. I never want to go underground or

in parking garages because the fear of it collapsing. I never want to live by the

ocean for the fear of tsumani’s. I’m scared of growing old and seeing time pass by.

To be too scared to tell the person that I love my true feels for the fear of

embarsemnt if they don’t love me back. Fear holds you back from the best and

most terrifying moments of our lives. It create a block that prevents us from what

scares us the most and what we perceive as dangers to our lives. It can consume

all your days and keep you worried of what might happen instead of what yould

experience instead. We have a limited time on our earth, a time that can be cut

short when we least expect it. Fear cannot be the reason we hold back on things

we want to do or experience because we expect it just to happen or we are too

scared. The truth is, we never know when our time will be up. We might never get

the chance to write our own letter to the one’s we love around us.

The Festivities Have Begun--Rylyne

 

With the Holidays approaching, don’t you feel like you are missing something unique, creative,

and festive? Are you tired of your front door looking boring and bare? Making a holiday wreath

is a great way to show your festive spirit this holiday season. I will be walking you through how

to make a holiday wreath under $15.

Before we can start creating the wreath we are going to need supplies to create this festive DIY.

Stop by the Dollar Tree store to buy a circular wire frame, four rolls of two different colored

deco mesh, pipe cleaners (choose pipe cleaners that match the colors of your deco mesh), hot

glue gun (with glue sticks) and a few accessories (bows, flowers, bells, etc.).

Step one: To begin, cut the deco mesh in six inch pieces until all the deco mesh in the roll has

been cut. You will cut all your deco mesh colors in six inch pieces in order to prep the body of

the wreath. Also, cut all your pipe cleaners in half.

Step two: Next, take one color of each 6 inch piece of mesh and roll each individual mesh to

form a taquito shaped roll.

Step three: Now place the rolls together in the middle of one pipe cleaner.

Take both ends of the pipe cleaner and twist tightly, which holds the rolls together. However, do

not roll the ends all the way, but leave the ends sticking out, in order to be able to tie the roll onto

the wired frame.

Step four: Repeat step three until all your pieces of mesh are in rolls and tightly wrapped in a

pipe cleaner.

Step five: Now take a look at the wired frame. It should have four lines running in a circle

creating the wired mesh.

Now choose one roll of mesh and take one end of the pipe cleaner and place it on the inside line of the wreath or the first wired line (indicated in the photo above). Now take the other end of the pipe cleaner and place it on the second line from the center.

Flip the wreath over and twist the two ends of the pipe cleaner together. You twist the ends of the pipe cleaner together in order to attach the mesh to the wreath.

Step six: Repeat step five until all the rolls of mesh are tied onto the wreath. This is what creates

the body of the wreath. Your whole wreath should be covered and the wires no longer show.

Step seven: Now flare out each roll of mesh to fluff out the wreath. Fluffing up the mesh helps

hide the wired frame and make the wreath larger in size.

Step eight: If you want to add accessories, such as flowers, bows, or ornaments you will need to use a hot glue gun to attach the accessories onto the wreath. Please be careful when using a hot glue gun. Once the hot glue gun is hot, squeeze a bit of glue on the back of your accessor and place it onto the wreath. Continue putting your accessories around the wreath to make it look festive.

Step nine: Place your gorgeous holiday wreath on your front door. You may need to purchase a command strip and place it in the middle of the door. Lastly, hook the top of the wreath onto the command strip.

Now you have a holiday wreath to celebrate the holidays. You also can invite friends for a wreath

DIY party to celebrate the holidays. A wreath is nolgastic and it welcomes your guests before

they come into your home for your holiday party. You can create a wreath for each holiday of the month to add a unique touch to your home. Creating a holiday wreath is an inexpensive and easy way to show your holiday cheer.

Having a Holiday wreath isn’t a trendy craft that is a recent phenomenon, but a tradition that

goes back hundreds of years ago. In the 16th Century both decorating a tree and a wreath became a tradition in America because of the Germans bringing their holiday traditions with them to America. Having a Christmas tree requires pruning and a process to keep the tree in the triangle shape to symbolize the three trinity of Christianity. The Europeans did not want to waste the leftover branches and material from pruning the tree so they used the leftover materials and created a wreath. The wreath was not only made into a circular shape because of pure convenience, but also to symbolize eternity, as a circle has no end.

Source:

Moon, Kat. “Where Did Christmas Wreaths Originate? History of Tradition.” Time,Time, 21

Dec.