The Glass Castle-Pt. 2

1. Loaded Words
I. rich, pg. 51
- loaded because this could have a positive influence on people by them thinking that it would be great to have money, or it could be negative by them thinking that it is a snooty way to say wealthy.
-author used it to explain that they were going to strike it rich when they find gold.
II. scrawny, pg. 58
-loaded because there is a negative side to it in my view, i think think that it means someone very small and not built at all.
-author used it to say that some kids just were not very big or muscular.
III. Mexican, pg. 59
-loaded because it could have a negative or positive effect on the people who live in Mexico, or for enemies of Mexico.
-author used it to discribe a name.
IV. Kids, pg. 71
-could have a positive view for an adult wanting to be young or a negative view for a child wanting to be called a young adult.
-author used it because she was explaining that the children were not well behaved and that there was many of them.
V. freedom, pg. 73
-this is loaded because this word carries a lot of weight to some people who live in very strict and controled countries.
-the author used this to show that letting children have freedom lets them experience their full potential.
VI. crazy, pg. 91
-loaded because some use it negatively refering to a mental state and some discribe others actions.
-author used this because she wanted to show that mom didn't drive very safely it was "crazy"
VII. ugly, pg. 70
-loaded because it could really insult someone if they were to ever be called it. some could take it positively others could take it negatively.
-author used it to discribe mother's painting.
VIII. bellyaching, pg. 71
-loaded because its an extreme, its not a good thing. you feel really pestered.
-author used it to show how much complaining mother was doing to father.
IX. grave, pg. 88.
-loaded because it could refer to a face or an action or it could refer to a cemetary grave.
-author used it to discribe the childrens face so that you could understand that they were not happy faces.
X. grown-up, pg. 71
-loaded because it means they are more mature, they are older, elderly...
-im really sick of doing this...the author used this loaded word by showing the adults status and "grown" ups.

2. Short Summery
The family begins to move around again. They leave Blyth and move to Battle Mountain. They are going to strike it rich when they find gold in the mountains. but they do not. The family meets this boy named Billy and he kisses Jeannette and begins to unbutton his pants until someone comes in to inturrupt the whole attack. He begins to tell people that he kissed Jeannette but she claims that it wasn't a kiss because her eyes were open. He yells at her by saying that he raped her but response because she didn't know what rape was would be "so what!". he then shows up at the depot(where they were living) with a bb gun and begins to shoot the kids-parents where at the Owl Club. Lori gets dad's gun and beings to shoot real bullets at him. The parents come home later with a police officer who tells them to be in court the next day to discuss what went on. So once again they pack up and leave...

3. Personal Reaction
My personal reaction would be that all this fleeing has got to cause more trouble for these small towns. They must have hundreds of people coming after them!

The Glass Castle-pt. 1

1. In the beginning of the book, Jeannette Walls is riding in a taxi through the city thinking she is over dressed, when she looks out the taxi window and sees her mom happily going through a dumpster. She then tells the taxi driver to turn around and bring her back to her apartment. Where she then called her mother’s friend to inform her that she would like to eat lunch with her mother- the only way her and her mother kept in contact. They met on Friday at the local Chinese restaurant. She told her mother that she embarrasses her and that she should just loan money from her. Her mother said no and told her that is the way she and Jeannette’s dad want to live. The rest is really just a flash back.. she was on fire that was her earliest memory. She was making hot dogs at the age of three and her dress caught on fire from the burner. The neighbor rushed her to the hospital because her father was gone with the car. She had severe burns and was wrapped up in the hospital for weeks. Her father came and picked her up and they ran out of the hospital-the “Rex Walls check-out”. A few days after she was home, she made herself some hot dogs on the stove. He dad came home in the middle of the night a few months later and got them all out of bed. He told them they had fifteen minutes to pack up everything they needed and they were getting out of there. It took them an hour but they were on their way. The cat began to throw a fit so Mr. Walls just threw it out the window. That night they stopped in the middle of the desert and they slept under the stars. They were always doing the “skedaddle” her father told her it was because they were being chased by the FBI but her mother told her that was just her fathers cover up for not being able to pay the bills. Her father liked to invent things. His greatest invention (or thought) was called “The Prospector” it was a tool that would be used for finding gold-which was hit mission in life. His other great invention was “The Glass Castle” which was a house that was to have a glass roof, thick glass walls and solar panels that would collect all the energy needed for the whole house, including appliances. They talk about how she had a sister born between her and her sister Lori-her name was Mary Charlene-but her dad did not like to talk about her because he was the one who found her dead in the crib. Lori asked Jean what she thought of moving around so much, and Jean responded by saying she liked it and asking what would happen if they were to stay in one place, Lori responded by saying “we would get caught.” They then lived in Las Vegas for awhile, Mr. Walls earned well until the dealers caught on to what he was doing when the family once again packed up and moved on. They went to live on the Pacific Ocean for a while, at least till they got sick of the city folks. They moved on to Midland where her mother fell in love with a Joshua tree, a tree that she just fell in love with. The mother found out she was pregnant with a third child. The children never believed in Santa Claus, they did not have enough money for them to. They rather just told the children that the other parents were liars and that the children are being brainwashed. One Christmas when they had no money and they were living in Midland in the middle of the desert, her father took each child out individually to choose a star that they wanted. He did this because nobody truly had claim to a star so they could just claim one as their own. They moved to the city of Blyth so that the baby would be able to be born in a city with things they would need. Jean started first grade and was an active participant. Other students called her a teachers pet and they followed her home one day and jumped her in the alley behind her apartment. The next day when they were waiting to do it again her younger brother came out to protect her, but instead they both got beaten up. At the very end her mother gives birth to a healthy baby girl at the hospital in which they check out “Rex Walls Style”.

2. My reaction to these pages would be that this family is brought closer together by the fact that her parents are so disfucntional. The parents do not always get along but atleast they love eachother as a family. I think that the father's drinking problem produces issues in the family but it doesn't tear them apart.

This I Believe...

1. http://www.npr.org/templates/story.php?storyId=7293598

2. Ann Karasinski

3. There is No Blame; There is Only Love.

4. The mother of a Heroine addicted teen now believes that she cannot blame anyone, not even herself, for the addiction of her daughters...she can only love her.

5. -The only thing that connected her and her daughter while she left due to her addiction was believed to be love.
- They meet every Friday for coffee, she doesn't try to heal her or change her. She just loves her.

6. "Sometimes there is pain and sorrow, but there is no blame. I believe there is only love."

Blog #1

The thing that I am most anxious about at Edina High School is the sports seasons. I really enjoy going to varsity football games in the fall, varsity basketball in the winter, and participating in synchronized swimming in the spring. I'm also really anxious about being part of Edina High because I am now allowed on the "high school field trips" hosted by my church. These consist of being a chaperone to many events for the younger parishners. One last thing that I am anxious for is not having to ride the bus! I have some friends that also attend Edina that are seniors so I have a carpool...no more standing out in the snow to get on a large stinky bus that will only get stuck in the snow.

One goal for myself this year would be to get constant good grades. My grades normally do a nice rollar coaster ride, except its not that nice it's more like the Wild Thing on steroids...
I can never seem to get my grades to always be constant. If they ever are constant, they aren't great. I have never had super bad grades and I want my goal to be to keep that.