September Thank You

A big Thank You to our September Writers!  There were some compelling reads this month.  Great job.  The September Poll has closed and there is a tie for your favorite author.  Sydnee and Alani are the favorites!!!!!  Thank you to all who voted.  October Featured Writers post tomorrow, Monday, October 28.  Check out the blog.  You know the routine--Visit, Read and Comment!  There will be a new October Poll too.  Don't forget to vote.

There are seven writers this month.  October comments will be due by Tuesday, November 12.

Hayleigh

Safe Haven Book Review

                  Nicholas Sparks’ Safe Haven is a suspenseful romance involving a courageous woman named Katie who finally decides to take control of her life. An unhealthy marriage that could ultimately lead Katie to her death leads her to become a runaway in a town near Southport, North Carolina. New to small town life, Katie is not prepared for the attention that she would draw being the new girl in town. However, she especially draws the attention of the widowed grocery store owner, Alex and his two kids, as well as her new neighbor Jo.

                   As she becomes acquainted to small town life, Katie begins to build relationships with her new friends. The relationship that develops the most, however,is that of her and Alex. Her walls that she has been holding up begin to come down, and the reader begins to see the vulnerability and fear that she has been keeping locked up all this time. This is probably a result of Alex’s kids making her feel so relaxed. Alex’s walls also come down, as he is unsure how to decipher his feelings for Katie when he knows his wife is looking down on him from Heaven. As Katie falls harder and harder into love, the secrets of her past haunt her and she knows that they have to come out sooner or later. Meanwhile Katie becomes a part of the family, going on family trips and beginning to appear like a mother figure to the kids. The events that transpire begin to test the relationship of Alex and Katie, as they try to prove their undying love to eachother while dealing with the fact that not all the truth has been told. As the lives of all four members of this makeshift family are put on the line, the loyalty and love of all four members is put to the test.

                  Sparks maintains a simple theme throughout the work: trust. It is a simple idea that is constantly put to the test as relationships are constantly being built and torn apart. Sparks also uses flashbacks throughout the work in order to tie her past to the present, showing the reader that it is not fully gone. The flashbacks give the reader a sense that these ideas still haunt her, and become a precursor for events related to her past that will transpire. Sparks also does a good job of making the reader feel like they are a part of the story. He achieves this through syntax and diction throughout the novel. He does this with the goal of the reader obtaining an emotional attachment to the story and its characters. He achieves this perfectly, as it becomes hard to put the book down because of great emotional attchment. The reader begins to feel the emotions that the characters are feeling, almost like these tragic events are happening to them. The suspense that Sparks creates makes Safe Haven a perfect book regarding reader interest. The reader gets the opportunity to feel a rollercoaster of emotions as if the characters themselves were popping out of the book.

September Featured Writers

Check out our September Featured Writers.  Read, Comment, Enjoy!!!  I'll post a new poll.  Keep a look out.  There are seven writers this month.

Jerine

Anyone Can Be a Great Runner

If there is one thing that I hear many people complain about constantly it would have to be running. I know running can be hard but it is really not that bad.  Once you know the basics you would either be able to run a marathon or even work to run as fast as the Olympic winner for track, Usain Bolt. All it takes is a little technique, self discipline, motivation, and a relaxed mind.  You can be any size or shape to be a great runner all it takes is dedication. You don’t have to run many years of track as I did to be a great runner.

            The tools to the accomplishment of becoming a great runner are simple and inexpensive. All you need is some workout wear, whether they are running shorts, running tights, a t-shirt, or a workout shirt, any brand or any style you desire. Of course you are also going to need some running shoes (Nikes or Adidas are highly recommended) however, any brand of running shoes are okay.) NOTE: Any shoes worn while working out or running that aren’t meant for athletics will cause shin splits and will add an unnecessary obstacle to your journey of becoming a great runner.  Any other athletic attire or accessories like headbands or wristbands are fine as well; just remember that the less weight you have the faster and easier you can run. One of the most important factors of running is to stay hydrated so make sure to grab your water bottle and stay hydrated throughout the whole day. Side effects of dehydration may be: passing out, gasping of air, dry throat/mouth, cotton mouth, exhaustion, or lack of dedication to run. THEREFORE, STAY HYDRATED!

            If you are interested in building your endurance and prefer jogging the steps are easy. First have a good mind set and be ready to run. Second, find a good running location, whether it is a treadmill, a park, a track, or even just around the neighborhood. CAUTION: If you are running around the neighborhood watch out for moving vehicles and any other obstacles that might interrupt your journey of becoming a great runner.

If you are planning to run for a specific amount of time remember to bring a watch or timer to keep track. Now that you have your running attire, water, running location, and a great mind set you are ready to be put into action. Start your timer and get going.

            Whether you want to sprint or jog there are a couple of mechanics that you must know.  When running try to keep your arms at a 90 degree angle and swing your arms from the shoulders. NOTE: Keep in mind the faster your arms move is the faster your legs move.  Try not to extend arms out to far or there is a high possibility you might smack yourself in the face while running.  When running, you do not run on your heels or your toes, but the balls of your feet, which is the portion of your foot in between your toes and your heels.  When running, also remember to step over. You might be asking what step over is, well I have an answer. Stepping over is making sure that as you run, your foot passes right over the opposite knee. (If you were standing still your thigh would be in a flat tabletop position and your foot would be parallel with the ground placed right over the opposite knee.)

If you want to be more of a sprinter (fast runner that runs shorter distances), remember you cannot run a long time at a very fast speed. Therefore, the distances you run are going to be a lot shorter. For example, you might run 100 meters 10 times at a fast speed with a 3 minute rest in between each 100 meter, whereas someone that would rather run at a slower pace and a longer time and or distance. In that case it would be better to run for 30 minutes to an hour at a nice comfortable pace, where you are not huffing and puffing for air. Or you might just want to run a certain distance between 1 to 5 miles.

Another important factor of being a great runner is to make sure you breathe. This may sound irrelevant but you might be surprised at how many people run’ whether it’s fast or slow and forget to breathe.  For the best air circulation through the lungs, try to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.

            Now you have every step and tool of what it takes to be a great runner. Whether you want to train to be in the Olympics, stay fit, or just loose weight, just know you can do it.

Photo credits by Google

Alani

Pusher

                  So Cold. Why is it so cold out here? I shouldn’t be cold right now. I should be at home, in my dingy one bedroom apartment, sitting on my torn sofa, eating dinner. Why can’t I feel my hands or my toes or my legs? I don’t understand. Everything should go perfect tonight. This is one of the most important nights of my life. This could make or break me. If this goes as planned, I’ll be saying good bye to my little apartment. It’s a real shit hole, but it’s my shit hole and I’m proud of it; I bought it all by myself with the money I earned. Sure it wasn’t exactly earned the proper way, but I still earned it. Where is this guy? It’s almost 11 o’clock. So cold. My boss is going to be so mad. He said that the guy was going to be here by 10:30 p.m. Why isn’t he here yet? I miss my mum. I should go see her tomorrow. I haven’t seen my mum in ages. She worries about me. “The streets are no place for a lad like you Harry,” she would say. “How am I supposed to help support you and Anastasia if I don’t sacrifice something,” was always my reply. See, I love my family. I would die for them, especially my younger sister. She really is my whole entire world. I was only five years old when she was born. After she was born, my father left. I vowed from that moment on I would do anything to protect and support my sister and mum the way my father wouldn’t. My mum is the strongest person I know. She struggled to raise us and did a great job too.  My sister is 17 now and that worries me. She’s beautiful and I see the way men look at her. I’d die before I let anyone hurt her in anyway. When we were younger we would always go to this pond behind our house and sit there and talk for hours. She would tell me about—Where the hell is this guy? I’ve been standing here freezing for almost an hour. Why can’t I feel my arms anymore? Oh there’s the guy! Wait. Why is walking towards someone else when I’m clearly right here. He knows what I look like. No! He was supposed to give me the bag not that other boy! Oh no. oh no. oh no. He shot him. He shot him. Should I help this kid? Dammit! This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I hope this kid is okay. “Hey kid are you—“ Oh my god. This isn’t right. This can’t be right. I’m dreaming. That can’t be me on the floor. I feel so cold. So cold.

Alyssa

How to: Throw (Baseball/ Softball 101)

Have you ever been in a very embarrassing situation where you could not throw a ball? Well I am here to help! By the end of this guide, you should be able to throw like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Trout, Yasiel Puig etc. This step by step throwing guide is so simple even a cheerleader can do it!

In order for you to achieve the ability to throw a ball, you will need a baseball or softball (whichever you prefer) and a glove. If you wish to play catch with another person, they too will need a glove. If this is not the case, then you can just throw into a fence or net.

Please carefully read each step to make sure of a full success. Below each step are diagrams to help you further understand each step. Now let’s get started!

Step 1: Identifying Your Throwing Arm

            Identifying your throwing arm is quite simple. If you are a left handed person, then the glove will be placed on your right hand leaving your left hand to be the one throwing the ball. For a right handed person, the left hand will be your glove hand and the right hand will be the one throwing the ball. Thou there are some people that are vice versa, it is your own preference to be left handed or right handed when throwing a ball.

(Left handed model)                                                                                      (Right handed model)

Step 2: Foot Work

            Thou many may think that throwing is all about your arms, your legs play a very important role! You will want to have your feet about shoulder width apart, with your glove hand facing the fence or the direction you are throwing the ball in.

(Feet are shoulder width apart)

Step 3: Function of the Arms

            Now with your arms you are going to raise them from your sides into 180° or more so at your shoulder height. With the ball in your bare hand and your glove hand pointing at your target, you are almost ready to throw the ball!

(Arms at 180° and legs shoulder width apart)

Step 4: The Final Throw

            Time for the most important part! While you have your feet shoulder width apart and arms at 180°. You will now take a step toward your target, with the foot that is the same as your glove hand. As you take this step forward, allow your glove hand to come into your body and the hand throwing the ball to come over your shoulder like a sling shot and bring through your back foot so that it now becomes parallel with the foot you stepped forward with.

            Now that you have all four simple steps to throwing a ball, the only possible way to become a master of the art, is to practice every day for at least twenty-thirty minutes. If you enjoyed this guide on How to: Throw try our How to: Throw like a Pro!

Ashley

Coincidences

Since I was little, I have always wanted to have a sister or a brother to play with. My friends would tell me how lucky I was because I did not have an annoying sibling. I’d tell them how lucky they were because they were not so lonely. And then it happened, it was as if someone in heaven had heard me. I was 10 years old when we were in our backyard and my mom confessed to me that the father I had grown up with, whom I love with all my heart, was not my biological father. I was so shocked; I nearly fainted. All I remember was yelling “WHAT?!”, then everything was spinning and I almost hit the ground. I was able to control myself enough, though, only to then be filled with curiosity. I wanted to find my “second” father because that meant that I just might have siblings out there somewhere. However, there was one problem: my mom had lost all contact with this person, Roger. Four more years would pass until this grand mystery was solved.

            It was summer vacation and my mom and I were visiting family in Mexico. When we got off our bus, my mom tripped in one of those potholes and sprained her ankle badly. As a result, she had to use crutches for a few weeks. During that time we visited a plaza (mall) and were enjoying enchiladas and mole when a stranger came up to us. He was trying to sell my mom a walker to replace the tiresome crutches when my mom recognized his accent and his similarity to Roger’s best friend, Ivan, and asked him if he was related. The man, surprised, told her that they were indeed brothers. I was anxious to contact Ivan so that we could reach Roger.

Eventually we met with Ivan and spend the day at the plaza along with his family. I remember bombarding him with questions, asking him what Roger looked like, if he had any children, etc. Unfortunately, Ivan only had his sister’s number, my aunt Martha. After calling her and sharing all the excitement, and realizing that I had just discovered countless new family members, I finally obtained Roger’s number. My mom made the first call; they talked quietly for some time. Even though they talked for only a couple of minutes, it felt like an hour to me. Eventually my mom passed the phone to me and we talked. I remember it feeling awkward; I was talking to a complete stranger and I did not call him dad yet; it just did not feel natural, but what really mattered is that I learned that day that I have a brother and a sister.

Since that day, I knew I was not alone. I had siblings to have fun with, to get annoyed at, to party with, but most importantly, to share a bond that only exists between siblings. I talked to my sister first, then to my brother. I was so overjoyed, yet our talks were paused, short, even awkward. I realized it would take time for us to be comfortable with each other, but I didn’t care; I had finally found them. When I first met them in person, it felt wonderful to just hug them and know that I was not alone; it was a feeling I will never forget. This life-changing experience made me feel like the luckiest girl ever because, through a series of coincidences, I now have two fathers whom I both love, a sister, a brother, and countless other family members, from aunts to uncles to cousins and a grandma. I can give thanks to my mom because if she had not sprained her ankle, we would not have met Ivan, my aunt Martha, my father Roger, or my brother and sister. The puzzle would still be unsolved.

                                                *          *          *

It has now been 3 years since that event. To be honest, good and not so great feelings have sprung from it. For starters, I have not spoken to Roger for well over a year, it does not matter though            because I already have a father: the one who raised me, the one who has been with me in the hospital when I have gotten sick, the one who has always supported me in all schooling, the one who actually cares and loves me. As for my brother, he lives relatively close and surprising I see him only about once, maybe twice, a month. He is also a teenager and likes playing video games and hanging out with his friends. We are not very close, but I guess that is normal since we never grew up together. My sister and grandma live far so I see them even less, only like 4 or 5 times a year. All in all, this experience did not turn out as expected. I wish I could see my siblings more often, but I don’t even know if they feel the same way. Life is life and in the end, I am glad I did find them or else I would still be dying to know the truth.