Peak book review

 

“Peak” by Roland Smith was an adventure book about a boy who tries to be the youngest person to climb Mount Everest. I thought this was more of a sad story because of the choices he makes before he climbs Mount Everest. The story was very suspenseful because you didn’t know what would happen to Peak. I think it was a good idea to include climbing jargon to educate people on unfamiliar vocabulary. This book defines the important characters’ backgrounds.  Also, I thought the map on page 1 was very useful so I could see what Mount Everest really looks like. I know this sounds a little cruel, but whenever a book talks about illness, like this book, it always makes me want to read more. I think it is amazing how a 14 year-old boy can climb skyscrapers and mountains. I am a little confused about how Peak did not have to go to juvenile detention for climbing a skyscraper. Being banished from a city is a little barbaric. I thought that the book made the climbing seem realistic and challenging. The trek up the mountain was very detailed and long, so to me that showed that the author put great effort into this book. This book was a very good book.

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A Creature of the Night

 

You must walk confidently, shoulders back,

like you belong in this dark night world –

because then maybe they will believe that you do.

But I know, I know,

as I step out into the dark,

with its dampened sounds and slick sidewalks,

that this is where I belong.

The wind is at my back;

the rain doesn’t seem to touch me.

Invincible is the word racing through my mind,

rushing through my body

as if it’s an element infused in my blood.

 

But that thought always comes before the fall, does it not?

That belief that nothing can harm you,

that your skin, your mind, your soul,

is impervious to all harm . . .

I suppose I will find out when the sun returns;

but for now, I will remain in the dark –

a creature of the night.

Crescent Companionship

 

The last of the songbirds cry

when the sun sets behind the trees

And out appears that light

not from our great star

not as bright

much too white

not as plainly sighted

Shadowed by lone clouds

that are still visible by dying rays

drowning in the fire of the sunset

The time is waxing

light to the right

and another friend beside him

burning in the night

Our beloved crescent moon is there

and his terrestrial companion:

Venus.

Kitten

 

 

 

 

for Bailey

 

He is a frolicking fawn in a meadow of soft grass.

Playful as a puppy,

yet sweet as a frosted cookie.

He bounces up to me; beckoning me to follow,

then he canters away

to find shelter behind the dining room chair;

thinking he’s invisible,

though I still catch glimpses of his fur.

I’ll call out his name

but he doesn’t hear me,

doesn’t turn in my direction.

It’s the little game he plays.

It’s called ignoring me.

So I can’t help but wonder

if this kitten is really a toddler:

in feline form.

 

Marie Walters, July 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Death Day: Movie Review

Description: “Happy Death Day” is about a college student who is trying to be happy on her birthday. That is, until she is murdered by someone wearing a mask and black hoodie. To her surprise, she wakes up to live the day over again. She is again murdered and realizes she has to keep reliving this day until she stops whoever is doing this. Every time she dies, she becomes weaker. Therefore, she only has a limited time to figure out who her true killer is and how to live through her birthday. Will she figure out who the killer is or run out of time? Find out in the horror movie “Happy Death Day”.

Pros: “Happy Death Day” was definitely a surprise because what seemed like a standard slasher flick turned into an actual good movie. The story was great, the characters were likeable, and the ending was somewhat surprising. This movie was produced by Blumhouse Productions, one of the best when it comes to horror movies. They made movies like “Get Out” and “Paranormal Activity”, and did not disappoint with” Happy Death Day”.

Cons: This movie had some stereotypical deaths that probably could have been predicted by the girl character.

Rating: 8/10, good

Homemade play dough

 

 

Homemade play dough is a great  rainy day craft to make, especially if you’re with younger children or siblings.

It’s easy, cheap, fun, feels soft and squishy, and is very creative!

What you need:

1 cup of any type of flour (you can even use expired)

1/4  cup of salt (fine grain is better)

1/2  cup of warm tap water

Food coloring of your choice – you can mix colors if you want.

Plenty of paper towels and clean-up supplies.

Bowls and spoons (plastic is better because there is less cleaning needed).

Optional:

Cream of  Tartar (about 2 teaspoons)

Vegetable or coconut oil (about 2 tablespoons)

Pumpkin spice or cinnamon

Any essential oil

Plastic bags (for storage)

Colorful glitter or sand

Beads

Plastic gloves

Cookie cutters or rolling pin

What to do:

1. Lay down paper towels. In the bowl mix dry ingredients (*I suggest just using salt and flour- it’s much easier and will work better with only warm water, while mixing in the oil and tartar works better with boiling water*).

2. For one color, mix food dye into the warm 1/2 cup of water.

For two or more colors- just mix in the water.

Now would be the point to add oil.

3. Mix

4. Start to knead if you can- if the dough is to sticky add more flour.

5. For more than one color, divide the non- sticky dough and add the color by putting a few drops on each dough ball and mix it into the dough by kneading it; you might want to use gloves.

The next steps are for fun and creativity.

6. Add glitter or sand.

7. Add beads.

8. Add pumpkin spice, cinnamon, or essentials for a fun scent.

9. Play!  Kids love to play with it, and it helps to have accessories like cookie cutters or rolling pins.

10. Store play dough in storage bags so you can play and have fun all over again!

Tips:

It’s addictive!  Be prepared to make more than one batch so you can experiment with all different smells, colors, and textures.

It’s safe to eat but you really shouldn’t –  it’s not good for your digestion so keep an eye on the kids when they are handling it.

Be prepared to clean! Working with little kids is always messy but the flour and dye make it worse.

I hope this recipe works for you! And may you make many fun, happy memories!

Orgami heart pocket (something to do when you are bored)

With summer here I want to do more arts, crafts, and randoms because this is more fun to do than write poetry or stories all day.  But, I love writing and I might do them every once in awhile or after summer. (This blog was supposed to be posted at the beginning of summer, but I didn’t do it for some reason. Sooo it’s here now!).

Today I will start with something that’s easy to do when you are bored; it might not be  something useful like other DIYs, but it’s really fun. So let’s start this!

This is a very simple craft and the only important things you need are square paper (printer paper will work, too – just cut it to make a square) and glue. You can also use decorations of your choice!

Materials-

  

Decorations                                                  Required materials

Making the origami heart

First, take a sheet of paper and fold it diagonally, then do the same with the other side so the folds create an “x”.

Then, take the top triangle half and fold it to the center. Next, take the bottom half of the triangle and fold it all the way to the top.

  step1    step 2

It should look something like this…

As you can see there is a triangle piece on top with a crease going down the middle (this is  half of the shape). Take one half and fold it along the crease on the triangle, then do the same with the other half.

This should be you semi-final result!

Flip it over and fold the little triangles on the sides and the top.

Here is what the origami heart should look like!

Making the pocket

Open the heart up and you should see a flap of paper. Spread glue on that piece and close the heart.

Flip it to the back again and glue the tiny triangle creases.

Now you have a triangle pocket. Here is one I made before along with decorations!

Decorating (optional)

Now than the pocket is finished I decided to decorate it to make it look more interesting. This is optional but I recommend you do it if you have extra time on your hands.

I am finally done! Here is my final product:

You can use this as a pocket to store things like pencils, pens, and erasers, or you can attach it to the front of your journal as a pocket to keep writing materials in.

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