Famous Last Words: My Best Week Ever

I think this is the best week I’ve ever had in this class in term of being on top of things. I mean I’m doing the extra credit so that shows that I actually had time to do it instead of working on the real class work. I just really buckled down and did what I needed to do instead of letting myself get distracted and letting the work pile up. I was better about sticking to my schedule that I set for myself at the beginning of the semester. Like for example, I didn’t have the revisions on my Storybook back by Wednesday (which according to my schedule is the day I do them), so I just moved onto Project Feedback and Blog Comments and saved working on my Project for the weekend. Normally I would just be like well I can’t do anything now! All in all, I was very proud of myself this week.

I’m glad I could show myself that I can get everything done in a timely manner because I’m really going to need to use that this upcoming week! I have a paper due on Thursday, then two tests on Friday, and its Dad’s Weekend so I really don’t want to push a lot of work to the weekend. Luckily, I had to split my latest story for my Storybook into two parts, so I have the other part mostly all written. That is going to save me so much time already! I’m also going to try and start my readings tonight and really stick to my schedule for the week! If I am only able to stick to that schedule once this semester, then this needs to be the week I do it! It would be great if I could get ahead because I’ve been trying to do that all semester, but baby steps, Kelly, baby steps.

(Photo from Make A Meme)

Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

I already had the Canvas Mobile App for iPhone installed on my phone because its super convenient. There were no problems with the download if I remember correctly and you just log in with your OU 4x4. I use the app all the time! It has everything that regular Canvas does! I can check my messages and grades, look at PowerPoints and other files, and you can even turn in assignments on the app (I haven't done that yet though). Like I said it's super convenient!

Reading Notes: Southwestern and California Legends, Part B

I have already chosen a story from Part A to do so the Part B reading was just for fun! These stories were a little longer and were again more creation stories. I enjoyed them all the same though!

The Children of Cloud

This story did not go at all like I expected it to in both good and bad ways. I kept expecting the mother's warning about not stopping on the journey to their father to come up but it never did. The ending was very random because they didn't talk to anyone on their journey so why were they turned into mescal? This myth just kind of seemed like they wanted a myth so baldy about how mescal came to be and why storms travel from place to place that they made this disjointed thing. 

The Boy who Became a God

Now this story was just weird. It seemed like something from a fever dream or an LSD trip or something. It was really disjointed and didn't make much sense. There were crow people and sheep people. I have so many questions. Why were the crow people in the story? Were they the gods or were the 12 deer the gods? Why didn't the older brothers believe the younger one? Also what happened to the brother in law who believed the younger brother? So many questions! I did  think it was cool that the gods taught the young boy so much and then let him tell his people about it because gods don't often do that.

(Resting Navajo-Churro Lamb. Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912). Link to readings

Reading Notes: Southwestern and California Legends, Part A

I didn't really know what I wanted to read this week so I asked the Crystal Ball and that's what I read. These stories were very short and really cute. A lot of the stories were creation stories and it was really interesting how many different versions there were for the creation of one thing. 

Creation and Longevity

This was my favorite of the three coyote creation stories! I liked how all the animals worked together to create the earth and I loved that Coyote carried the fire from the west back to the Indians in his ears. I could just picture it and it was so cute! If I were to rewrite this story, I would probably tell it as a bedtime story. That way the kids can learn to work together and think Coyote bringing fire back in his ears is cute too.

(Photo from Deviant Art)

The Creation of the World

I enjoyed how this story described how a lot of the basic things came to be like the earth, the sun, and the stars. I liked how they all had a different component to them and I would like to use that if I rewrite this story. I would probably have a planet making factory and as you follow the assembly down, you would learn about how the basic planet was made and then you add water and mountains, and then the sun, and so on. There would also be a room for trying to build new planets, like how the Earth Doctor tried a few different ways to get the earth to stay steady.

The Origin of Light

I thought it was so funny that the animals used to just bump into each other before there was light. In a retelling of this story I would write about Hawk and Coyote planning on how to create the sun and then having to regroup when they realize they also have to make the moon.

Bibliography. Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912). Link to readings