Happy Holidays! Celebrate with some new writers!

 Remember to read all of the selections for this month --   comments are for this latest group only (no earlier months/submissions, or last year's submissions)  NO ANONYMOUS COMMENTS.  Be sure your name is attached or included in the text book with your comment.

https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/what-makes-a-snowflake-special/3008386.article

All Students:  Be sure to read the entries for this group  (December writers).  Everyone is required to comment on at least three different pieces of writing.  You must post the comment here on the blog (below the post is the "comments" link to click) AND cut and paste your comments, complete with dates and times, on to a Word document and turn it in to me by January 18.  You must do both to get credit for comments this month.

Remember, comments must be positive, supportive, constructive, and SPECIFIC.  No "Good Job!" comments, unless you follow that with specific things you thought were done well in the piece.  Show them you actually took the time to read and enjoy their work!

“How To Make Arroz con Leche” by Jasmine H

When I think of Arroz con Leche I think of my young self begging my grandma to make me some arroz con leche. Arroz con leche is a mexican desert that is made with rice, cinnamon, lechera (sweet condensed milk), milk, and leche de clavel (evaporated milk). There are many ways to make arroz con leche, but I’ll be showing you the way that my mama and abuela taught me. It can be difficult the first couple of tries but as my abuela says, “ Lo que más importa es la cantidad de esfuerzo y amor que pones.” which means what really matters the most is the love and effort you put in. This dessert will always be my favorite and I can’t wait to pass it on to my children and have my children pass it on to theirs. This is the perfect treat for the people that love sweets. Hopefully you’ll try to make it and enjoy it as much as I do. 

Ingredients needed:

• -  3 cups of white rice
  
• -  1⁄2 gallon of milk
  
• -  2 sticks of cinnamon
  
• -  1 can of carnation milk
  
• -  1 can of condensed milk
  
• -  Water 
  
  
  
  
  Equipment needed:
  

• -  A pot or large saucepan
  
• -  Measuring cup
  
• -  Cooking spoon
  
• -  Can opener
  
• -  Strainer
  Steps:
  

1. To start off, get your pot and pour 3 1⁄2 cups of water with the 2 sticks of cinnamon in medium to high heat 

4. Once you see the water boiling and the rice looking fluffy you can add the 1⁄2 gallon of milk 

5. Add in the carnation milk (evaporated milk) once you pour it in, fill up the can with water and pour into pot

6. Add the condensed milk and make sure you put in every but in the cup so it can be very sweet 
   
   
   
   
                                             * It should look like this once you add
                                                                  everything
   
7. Now you can lower the heat to the lowest and continuously to stir for 1 minute and cover with a lid and let sit for 40 minutes
   
8. You can try a spoon to check if the rice is fully cooked if it’s still a bit hard you can let it sit for another 10 minutes
   
9. There are couple ways you can eat:
   

a. you can put it in the refrigerator and eat it cold or you can eat it right warm
10. Serve and top with ground cinnamon or raisins 

11.  ENJOY !!!! 

Tips:
★ If it’s getting too thick what you can do is add milk and mix
★ If you’re worried about the rice sticking to the bottom while its sitting for 40 minutes you
can give a couple of stirs not too much because you don't want your rice to break

"The Audition" by Lilian H

 
      My heart is pounding. My hands are shaking. I can’t catch my breath. I don't know what
to do. My future will be determined within the next five minutes. I enter the room.
      I signed up for this audition in hope for acceptance into the 2018 San Bernardino County Honor Band. I participated in this band last year and I hope to do so again but before I can know
whether or not I have made it in, I have to go through the completely terrifying five minute audition. This audition consists of playing the prepared selected pieces by the director of this band, two out of all the twelve major scales, one full range chromatic scale, and one sight reading excerpt. I rehearse at home for two hours almost everyday in the weeks leading into the audition; playing the Remington exercise, blowing through some scales, and then the prepared pieces. These rehearsal sessions have been good and I improved something every session.
      I feel confident, but as the last day before the audition arrived, I run through different possible scenarios that could occur. I imagine myself completely fumbling all my scales and somehow dropping my clarinet. I know that I am just psyching myself out and take a quick break. I calm myself down and begin the last rehearsal before the actual day came. I begin with the Remington exercise to warm up my fingers and my instrument. Then, I play scales in different patterns to work on my articulation and scales. Everything is going well so far and so I

decide to play my selected pieces. Nothing sounds to odd from what I have played before and decide to get lots of rest before I am judged by someone else for a chair.
     The time came for me to get ready to leave for the San Gorgonio High School. I brush my hair and put on a dress before I eat breakfast. I feel fine so far and begin to get in the car to leave. I do my best to keep my composure for my mother took me to this audition. I do not want her to see that I am nervous but as my mother, she could tell that I was and in an attempt to make me feel better, she told me to take out my clarinet to practice a little. I did just so but because I was in a moving vehicle, the bumpy freeway caused the clarinet to bounce a little and stab my lip a few times. Because it was making me feel even worse, I decided to stop and just relax until we arrived.
     I had just arrived at the high school and I still remember it from last year. The high school was mainly brown and all pretty spread out as well. I walked to the gym where the sign up table was and I really begin to start feeling the pressure. I see a few of my friends and I greet them in an attempt to not fall apart completely. I set up my instrument and begin to warm up a little. Everything is alright and so I ask a friend to name a scale so I can practice. I begin to play one and my fingers froze and then fumbled and I am terrified all over again. But I have to keep going and just “trust my fingers” as my clarinet coach has told me before. I don’t want to over work my ombuchure so I stop, drink some water, and decide to look for the room that I am suppose to be auditioning in. It was chilly when I walked outside and since I was wearing a dress and wasn’t used to it, I begin to shiver and hope that my finger do not get to cold when I have to play. Inside the building, I am not allowed to play and so I walk down the long hallway to find

my room trying to remember everything that i had been told. I stand outside the door and wait for 1:50.
     At last, 1:50 has arrived and the judge opens the classroom door and beckons for me to go in. I slowly begin to make my way inside and then hear the door slam shut behind me. My heart is pounding. My hands are shaking. I can’t catch my breath. I don't know what to do. My future will be determined within the next five minutes. I feel like I have been trapped but the judge in the room reminds me that I can take my time and I begin with the scales. The first scale went smoothly but the second had a little hiccup on the way down and I begin to feel embarrassed. I then play my chromatic scale upon request and I feel more confident again. It then comes time for my prepared excerpts and luckily, they decided to only play the first and third excerpt which happen to be the easier of the three. I am then asked to play a sight reading excerpt and it was good until the very last note because I played the wrong note but as I looked at the judge, they seem to not have noticed so I play the right note and at last the audition is over.
     I do not completely remember what had happened the next day to be honest but now I have to wait for the results to be released within the next week or so.
     Finally, the results have been released and to my relief, I have been chosen among fifty to participate in this band and I am really glad that my clarinet coach had told me to “trust my fingers.” If he did not, I think that I would have messed up even more and I realize now that I should believe in myself more often and not worry about everything so much.

"Memories" by Paul A

 

     One of the many things I will forever remember from my high school experience is joining Etiwanda High School’s marching band. I learned many important aspects of life throughout my freshman to senior year in the band. As a freshman I had no clue what life was going to be like and how difficult the courses would be. I did not know as many people as I should I have because I was a total introvert. So as a resort, I joined the marching band. My very first year joining was a huge blur but I do remember meeting new people and learning many things about high school. I remember on my very first overnight trip with the band, Seniors were initiating freshman room to room. From remotes going into wrong places, fat wedgies, and clogged bathtubs, this struck fear into me but a weird sort of excitement. My roomates and I started to hide our belongings and try our best to avoid our demise. Luckily, they never reached our room and relief swept through us. I also remember my first banquet night when I became drum major. I auditioned for the spot but I had little faith I was going to be selected since I was only a freshman. As the positions were being announced I grew more and more anxious. My button-up grew tighter every second. Sadly, our director did not call out my name and I felt myself melt into my seat. However, at the very last minute our director said he saved to announce the very last drum major position until the very end. I heard my name be called out and I felt the surge of happiness. I walked up to accept the award feeling proud. This year within the band taught me love. 

     The following two years of band were the longest seasons for me. The practices seemed to last a lot longer, the responsibilities began to pile up, and to add on to that, we received a new band director. The transition was difficult for many of the members but it did not matter to me. I

remember having to face many difficult situations and having to diffuse them myself. My job was getting harder and harder. Along with my responsibilities as drum major, I had to balance my academic life. Sophomore year was a breeze however, junior year was the worst. I had to learn how to manage my time properly and manage my stress levels. With the assignments piling up and the difficult responsibilities, I wanted to quit band. Certain members irritated me everyday and made me question how can their IQ be so low but I had to hide that all. I wanted the stress to disappear so I could relax. I remember during the band’s overnight trip to Utah I had to lead warmup. One of the kids decided to critique my conducting and say how poor of a job I was doing out loud. I felt my ears get red, my fists clench, and my head about to explode. However, I was unable to do anything because I had to act professional. My sophomore and junior year definitely taught me patience. 

     Though my sophomore and junior year were the most difficult, my senior year in band was the most time-consuming and grueling season. Coming into this season, I had very low hopes of achieving any high placement at competitions. However, as the season progressed, the band surprised me and we started to place very high. This was due to the amount of effort and time members had to sacrifice for practice. This season had the most practice hours and longest rehearsals. Some days it felt like rehearsals would never end but the work was paying off. Finally, championships came around and I felt nervous. Many thoughts went through my head that night. All my four years has led up to this final performance. This was going to be my very last show. I was nervous that I would forget all the important things. I did not want to make a mistake. During warm up, my palms started to feel sweaty, my knees became weak, and my arms became heavy. I thought about the multitude of hours we had to practice this season and how

much effort the entire band put in. We then performed our show for the very last time in front of the thousands of people in the crowd and the judges. After the performance ended I felt a big wave of relief. I made no mistakes and everyone felt great. Next came the award ceremony in which each band was given a final placement. One by one, the placements were called out. The announcer paused at every name building the tension. The announcer then had to call out the next placement. “And in fourth place....with a score of 94.00....” those few seconds felt like an eternity. My feet dug into the turf and my body became stiff. “...ETIWANDA HIGH SCHOOL!” I felt let down. The band had put in so much time and effort the whole season. Out of the four years I have been in band, this year was not the most talented but the most hardworking and dedicated individuals. In my mind, I believed we deserved a medal. Unfortunately, the judges did not agree. This year taught me pain. 

     Looking back to my freshman year, I am glad I joined the band. I was able to learn many important aspects of life such as leadership, love, patience, and pain. Though my final year did not go as expected, I am proud of the entire band and how much we were able to accomplish. I do not regret joining band as much as I thought I would but I am glad I persevered and finished all my four years.

"The Bees" by Kaili F

Day 1: I woke up early today. The air smells crisp and fresh. Thousands of others like me wake
up now, too. My home gets loud now. I want to go out right now. No need to change my clothes before I go. I zoom out and find that the Sun is up and the birds are waking as well. The world is beautiful and so bright and full of potential. I zip past the trees and the pond and find a flower patch. They are gorgeous; bright red and yellow and pink and purple. I go in for a whiff. They smell amazing. I'm so glad I live in this world. I wish I could take the flowers home with me but if we all did that, there'd be none left. If we have no flowers, the world would be so dark and gloomy and there'd be no pollination and everything would just fall apart. But that's not going to happen. Every creature on this Earth protects it. 

Day 2: Good morning world! Today, I'm going on an adventure. I’m going to go out as far as I can and see new places and find more pretty flowers. My journey will be exciting. 

Day 3: It was amazing! I saw tulips and roses and tulips. Everything was so bright and pretty! But I saw something... something strange... it was some massive creature that I've never seen before. It had giant feet and huge hands. It held something that looked sharp, and was coming right to my forest. It stopped moving when it got dark and then I couldn't see it anymore. I'll go and investigate more tomorrow. Maybe I'll make a new friend! 

Day 4: I camped out all night so I could be ready to look for the creature. It came out again when the sun came up. Maybe the creature is some type of sun creature? It appears to based its life around the sun. It looked up and saw the sun above head and then began eating. Then, when the sun left, it slept. Today it came into the forest. It looked around at all the trees and animals then left. I tried to follow but it moved to fast. 

Day 5: The creature came back again today, this time with more creatures just like it. They were all giant with sharps things in their hands. This time though, they didn't look. They hit the trees with the sharp things as hard as they could. I tried to stop them, I really did. I went up to them and yelled at the top of my lungs for them to stop hurting the trees. I don't understand why they’d do this to the trees; they are so big and green and pretty. The trees would never hurt them. But they didn't care. They ignored my screams and kept hitting. The trees started to fall and they took them away. All that's left of them is a sad stump. They didn't take all the trees though. I'm scared they will be back tomorrow though to take more. I have to stop them somehow. 

Day 7: I traveled all night to get home. I got all my friends and family and we all went to the place where I saw the creature. By the time we got back, it was morning. The sun was up, the birds were chirping, but those trees that were stolen didn't get to enjoy it with us. We saw a

swarm of creatures coming towards our forest. They still came with their tree hurting objects. Some of my friends wondered how we could stop them; they were massive. When they arrived, they immediately began to kill the trees. One by one, they fell. We all screamed and yelled, begging for them to stop. They stopped but only long enough to swing their tree killers at us. That didn't stop us, we kept bugging them but with no success. I see my best friend get on the monster's shoulder and stab him. We all froze in shock. None of us had ever hurt anything so why now? But then, the monster shrieked. He screamed and started swinging at us in rage. Luckily, the pain was too much for him and he left. We all looked around at each other and knew what must be done. We charged at the monsters and though they tried to hit us away, we were too fast. We all stabbed them and watched as they screamed and fled. Our forest is safe now. And so are we, the bees.

“Gold Necklace” by Charlene S

Bing. “We are now ready for taking off”, the pilot said. I took a breath and closed my eyes as the lights dimmed down. For the first time after a while, I decided to leave behind the stress that was pulling me away from people who could not continue holding my hand for a while. The stitches that failed to piece me back together will be forgotten in a letter that may never be read.  Silently, I prayed that being 7,000 miles away from mental chaos will help me find my lost souls and I drifted into slumber. 15 hours later, I opened my eyes under the night sky of a different set of invisible constellations. It was December 23rd, 2017 in the U.S. but in Manila, Philippines, it was already Christmas Eve, 23:11.

My heart dropped as the door of the van opened to Lipa City, Philippines. Light rushed in through the opening and reached my dark corner. A few steps out and I'm already bombarded with unfamiliar faces I’ve seen from Facebook happily greeting me at the same time. Nervously, I smiled and spoke my greetings. Hola. I wanted to make a good impression but I guess I was so awkward that I ended up speaking in Spanish. It was one of those cases that ended up happening with no coherent reason. Regardless, they all laughed with me and they guided us into their gray, small house that had family history written all over. Up the creaky stairs, I was able to give the best Christmas surprise for my Lola and hold her tight in my puffy jacket. If it weren’t for her visiting the U.S. 2 years ago with an inability to speak English, I probably would not have attempted learning Tagalog nor embrace my accent. The night ended pleasantly as I was able to connect with cousins I barely met with my American-Tagalog tied tongue. Fortunately, Jet lag lost the battle to my physical exhaustion. I drifted away in a deep slumber with a feeling of sunbeams warming up my winter.

Three days had passed and I was already amazed by my cousins’ simple lifestyles. Celebrating Christmas with them became one of the liveliest I’ve had in years. The Tagalog phrases I exchanged with my relatives was not been grammatically correct nor was their English perfect. However, every time we laugh over our inside jokes, tell stories or embrace when departing, we would always forget about our different tongues. Unfortunately, right after Christmas, I woke up with sweaty, burning hands and a voiceless body with throbbing pains from my head to my throat. The pain led me to an emergency bed under the sick scent of blood, sweat, and germs behind the green curtains. It was disappointing having a throat infection in the wrong place and the wrong time out of all the other days I could've been sick. However, the disgusting antibiotics did not barricade my enjoyment there. 

The adventures I had with my cousins from one province to another was unforgettable. They helped me realize that there was more to just waking up with bug bites and smelling the polluted air under the humidity with bathroom inconvenience. On New Year's Eve, we visited the farm of trees and land that illustrated the colors of my dad's childhood. We had a long walk under the shade of palm trees and encountered dangerous dogs and friendly neighbors. With my left black converse shoe slightly covered with dry mud, I ran up the hill of tall grass. Ahead of me, I saw the view of the mountain’s faded outlines as the sunlight touched the light-green sea of nature below it. Seeing a whole different painting I would never see back here left my jaw dropping in bittersweet admiration. If only I was given more time.

Serene clear, blue water of Coron, Palawan, Views of quiet volcanoes of Tagaytay and crowded mall trips at SM reached the final page of the book. It came in a flash and every moment increased my anxiety as each grain of sand in the hourglass fell to the bottom. The gold necklace they gave me as a goodbye gift continued to link every moment I have with them so I wouldn’t forget. As every last picture gets taken, my eyes slowly began to sweat tears that eventually released a waterfall as I saw my relatives beginning to cry. I could barely breathe in my own ocean of tears and I hugged each of them, thinking that they are going to disappear once I let go. I found myself under a group hug and I for once didn’t mind the scent of their sweat that kept making me cry even more. Before I know it, I was in the van waving at them as the door closed.

The fresh canvases I painted in my head overpowered the monotone colors of my art gallery once again. Despite that it was quite painful to leave right when the roots of our foundation deepened, the memories I had with them continues to motivate me to persevere and maintain my optimistic personality no matter the difficulty. Until now, I continue to wear the golden necklace that had me promise to wear most of the time as a reminder of my family back home.

"The Redeye" by Aaron S.

On the floor, she looks up and sees the gigantic shadow and the man fighting... 

She began to reminisce of the peaceful bygone days. 

She grew up in a small village deep in the forest, mostly isolated from contact with the empire. This village was renowned for its ability to produce hunters who stood at the pinnacle of their kind. The village who was able to tame wild beast and become allies with them. No matter what foul beast the hunters needed to pursue, they subjugated their prey triumphantly. Her name was Linde and she grew up under the tutelage of her master Z’aanta. 

One day, the king of the empire had encountered an abominable beast that seemed like it clawed its way out of the depths of hell. The king reluctantly sent out his men to slay the beast, but these men had become stone. The king feared for his empire and had believed that the people from the secluded village were able to slay this unfathomable monster. He sent an envoy to the village that was given to their most dextrous hunter, Z’aanta. Z’aanta accepted the quest and then took several of his best hunters to slay the beast. No word has come from master Z’aanta and Linde becomes worried. 

She knows that his longest hunt has only ever taken 1 year and several months. She begins to talk to her companion, Kliff. 

“Do you honestly think something has happened with master?” Kliff growls in a downcast manner.
“I think it’s time we go an look for him.” 

She proceeds to exit the house, then a ground-shaking roar is let out. Nearly falling to the floor, Linde stumbles out of the cabin. She encountered the monster. She suddenly realizes the truth, that her master was defeated. The village has been engulfed in blue flames, the creature slaying everything in its sight. Linde goes back into her cabin and grabs her equipment. She exits and finds that the monster had somehow fled already. 

She becomes infuriated and begins her quest to hunt the monster that had bested her master.

She traveled to the empire’s capital in order to meet the king. Fortunately, she was granted an audience with the man and had learned that her master had traveled towards the north. She then headed north of the empire. Encountering several clues on the whereabouts of her master. There Linde had met an old acquaintance of Z’aanta and herself. Her name was Atalanta and she had known that Z’aanta had embarked on the quest as she had housed Z’aanta for a few days. Atalanta told Linde that he had went to the west in order to pursue the beast. And with that said, she traveled to the west.
While they were venturing through the mountains, she spots traces of the monsters footprints. Linde follows the markings and finds her master. She started to weep... Her master and her fellow huntsman had been turned into stone. She hugs Kliff in despair. Moments later, an arrow falls from the trunk of a tree. There was a note attached to it written by her master. She reads, “I fear I have little time for this world. My legs have been turned to stone already. Linde, I know you will come out to look for your foolish master. It is not wise for you to track this creature Linde. There is a very old companion of mine down in the far south east. His name is Marsalim and he will be able to aide you on your quest. I hope you can truly forgive this foolish master of yours...” 

As with the newfound knowledge Linde had gained from finding her master, she makes for the south, the land of the deserts. She finds the city where she would meet with Marsalim. Linde begins to ask around if anyone knows the location of Marsalim and some kind pedestrian advises her that he would be drinking in the bar. She heads over and of course, she finds the target. 

He questions her, “I don’t have any money to spare... wait who are you?” She replies swiftly, “I am the pupil of your former companion Z’aanta.” 

He says, “Z’aanta? I haven’t heard from him for 3 years now. How’s he doing?”

Linde woefully responds, “My master has been turned into stone by the creature known as Redeye.” 

Marsalim began to show a slight discomfort with her words.
He says nothing for a short period of time and then sternly asks, “Where is the Redeye?” 

Linde replies, “I believe that it’s near this city.”

Marsalim nods his head and pauses to think for another moment.

He states, “Let me get some equipment and then we can converse about how we defeat the monster.”

They then head towards the ruins of the Sunlands.
There they find traces of the beast and a small camp right outside of the ruins. They enter it and see several men turned into stone. They find a path leading deeper into the cave and follow through it. They see the horrid beast demolishing the foolish men who dared to challenge it. 

Marsalim then hands over an amulet.
He explains, “That amulet has the power to negate the power of the beast.” 

Time continues from where it stopped
She refuses to lose and ignores the pain. Looking at her companion and Marsalim. She grabs her sword and returns to the fight... 

The beast has succumbed to the mighty hunters. It is laying down in pain. Marsalim exclaims, “You have taken too much, repent for your actions!”

The beast achingly roars. 

Marsalim and Linde begin to let out a thunderous shout and simultaneously cleave the Redeye’s head off. Standing there, they let out a sigh of relief. Linde drops to the floor and begins to cry. She had finally avenged her master. They exit where they fought the beast and then they hear some men yelling. They rush over and they see that it was the people who were turned to stone. Linde immediately thinks that this curse that was casted upon her master was lifted. She lets Marsalim know and returns to her demolished village. 

And she finds the one she had thought she had lost...

"Good Samaritan" by Katy O

      It all started at driving school. I know right! Who’s parents would make their kid actually
go to driving school instead of taking online classes? Well, mine did. But anyways, back to the matter at hand. It was just the usual day of driving class during Spring Break of 2017. I would sit in the small, cramped classroom and get lectured on why it’s dangerous to have your brights on while it’s foggy. Then, finally might I add, the class was dismissed for lunch. We all walked up the street to the nearest food center up the street. I was strolling along the sidewalk minding my own business when I saw this lady with a suitcase next to her. As I took a closer look, I realised that she was homeless. At first, I just saw her as another homeless woman wandering the streets in California. But then, when I got to thinking about it, I had always wanted to help a person in need. It all started from Youtube (classy I know). I would always see these nice and kind-hearted people help out those less fortunate. Some would give the homeless person $100 while another bought an entire house for a man. After seeing those videos, I had told myself that if I ever saw a person in need like that then I would help change their life. So I took this as my chance to change someone’s life. Or at least their day. I ran as fast as I could to the nearest Target to get some food and water for the woman. I couldn’t stop smiling. It got to the point where I felt like my cheeks were about to break off. I felt good. So, I got the food and drinks and put them in my red bag from Etiwanda High School. I walked as quickly as I could down the street and back to where I saw the woman. But when I didn’t see her, my smile instantly faded. I really thought “that would happen to me.” As in, “I really could’ve helped someone but instead they left” type of deal. At least, that’s what I thought. I started walking down the hill slowly and I imagine that I looked something like a dog with its tail between its legs because that’s just how disappointed and sad I felt. Here I was, trying to make a difference and get some good karma, only for it to blow up in my face. This is not how I planned it out in my head. So, as I trudged along the jagged and cracked sidewalk, I pulled my head up to see if I was close to the crosswalk at the end of the street. As I’m looking, I see her. I see the woman that I wanted to help so badly. “Oh heck yes”, was the thought that ran through my head at the sight of the woman with the purple suitcase. Quickly, I sprinted down the street in order to catch up with the lady who was walking away from her shady spot by a tree. My smile from the store returned. I shouted to her, “Excuse me ma’am!” I had to do this a couple of times because I was still pretty far from her. After the second time of calling her, she turned around. She had a look of confusion and a little bit of fear as she probably thought, “Okay, why is this random stranger running full speed at me whilst calling me?” I finally got up to her and introduced myself. I told her my name and that I saw she was under the tree. She explained to me that she was waiting for the next bus but she realised that she doesn’t have the money to pay the fair. Then, I pulled the two salads and water bottles out of my bag and gave it to her. She took all of the items and said, “How did you know I like salads?” I smiled as I replied that it was a lucky guess. She then looked back up at me and asked me if I was with a group. I said no. Then she asked if I was with a church. I said no again. She seemed astonished at the fact that I bought her all of her food and drinks simply because I wanted to. She looked at me and said thank you and my heart just filled with warmth and happiness. I finished the meeting by giving her the $22 dollars in change I had so that she could pay for her bus. We both exchanged “God bless you” and parted ways. I called my mom on the way back to class and told her about the entire exchange. She

said she was happy for me and, as lame as it sounds, I started crying. She asked why and I simply said that I felt good about what I had just done. After the phone call ended, I looked back on all of the things that I have. I have a family, food on the table, a roof over my head, and clothes on my back. I then realised that there are so many people who would do anything to have all of the things I’ve been blessed with. Each and every day, I pray to God and tell him that I’m thankful for all of the things I have ever since that encounter. And as the holiday season approaches and we all get the things we asked for for Christmas, I recommend that we all recognize our blessings and give back to those who aren’t as fortunate. I don’t really know why this memory has stuck with me but I’m glad it did. It taught me to always be grateful and never take things for granted. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was my good samaritan act of the year.

"What is Done is Done" by Johnny D

I woke up for my first day of work while it was still stark black
outside, whether from anxiety or excitement who knows. I showered and found my uniform, green and red garb with a jingle bell hat. I hopped in my car and
headed to my new job I was already running late. When I arrived I was greeted
by a tall very upset man in a red suit. The man staggered 3 feet above me,
which isn't that hard considering I am 2’8 and he was not happy, I was late. He skipped introductions since we were already running behind and said, “I don't have time for your excuses” as I tried to apologize this was not starting off well. He was showing me the facility, where all the toys are made, and my new workstation. I was slaving over my task in deplorable sweatshop like conditions waiting for my break to finally come, and it did. I decided to walk around and explore my new workplace when I stumbled into a room I shouldn't have. I entered the room and saw elves being tortured in order to steal their magical blood and tears, but, why? My head began to spin and all the blood rushed
to my head, but I knew one thing for sure I had to find that man in the red
suit. I began to run faster and faster searching everywhere the more I searched the worse the atrocities got and the less and less innocent the toy shop
became. I began to feel as if I was being watched and followed, but there was no one there or was he, he always knows when you've been bad or good? I saw him and I knew I needed to confront him. I asked him about the awful sight and he

called it “a necessary evil in order to keep business running” and to “not take it personally” in a fit of rage I grabbed my screwdriver from my pocket and lunged at him. After what felt like eternity I stopped bloody and exhausted and stood over the lifeless corpse of none other than Santa Clause.

"How to Fix a Sprinker" by Ivan L

            Have you ever been mowing your lawn when suddenly you hear a large crack? You then proceed to turn off your lawn mower and investigate what has occurred. To your surprise, you just hit a sprinkler and now you must fix it before the scheduled sprinkler activation. Do not fear, these instructions will teach you how to repair any sprinkler regardless of where it is located on the lawn.

           

            First, you must isolate your house from the water supply that runs underground. To do this, simply locate a green plastic cover on your lawn labeled “irrigation control valve” or something similar to “master valve.” Pull off the cover and there should be a red lever. Turn the lever counter-clockwise until it stops. Congratulations! You have successfully cut water flow to the sprinkler system. (Bonus: you now know what one of the underground boxes at your house does, even though it has been there the whole time you have occupied the house.)

           

Now it is time to remove the broken sprinkler. Grab some garden gloves or other thick gloves that provide both protection while still allowing enough mobility of your hand. If the cap of the sprinkler is still in one piece, unscrew it. The nozzle spring and check valve should all come out with the cap if they are still there. If the cap is not present, remove any of the parts inside the body and then proceed to the next instruction.  Now, grasp the body of the sprinkler and twist counter-clockwise until the entire unit comes out. (Warning: If you do not have gloves, you risk cutting your palms on the threads of the top of the body. This step can be done without gloves, but any cuts received will be like long papercuts.) (Note: It helps to squeeze the sprinkler while you twist as this deforms the sprinkler giving you more grip, so your hand does not slide around the sprinkler.) (Note:  If you are unable to grasp the sprinkler firmly, try using a small shovel to remove dirt from around the sprinkler. This allows you to grab more of the sprinkler. Feel free to dig as far as you want keeping in mind that any mess you make, you need to clean up.)

After you pull the sprinkler unit out, check around the body to see if the label is still in one piece. If you are still able to read the label, it should tell you the height of the sprinkler and the angle of the spray. Now you just need to go to your nearest home improvement store and purchase a sprinkler that matches these dimensions. If the label is not legible, because the sprinkler is old or because you chopped it off, you must take extra steps to ensure you purchase or have the right replacement. To determine the height of the replacement, simply compare your broken sprinkler to potential replacements. To determine the angle of the spray, look on the top of the nozzle of the sprinkler. There should be indents along the circumference of the nozzle indicating where the water comes out. (Example: If the indents are formed so that they cover half of the circumference, this represents a 180-degree spray angle.) It helps to take the sprinkler with you before throwing it away so that you do not need to memorize its dimensions when you shop for the replacement.

After you successfully purchase or find a replacement, it is time to put the sprinkler back in its place. This part will be easier if two people are present. (Note: At least one of you must know how to manually turn on the specific sprinkler zone that the broken sprinkler was in.) (Warning: The person who does not know how to activate the sprinkler manually will most likely get very, very wet in this next step.) First turn the irrigation control valve back on so that the sprinklers can turn on. The person who is activating the sprinklers must be on stand-by while the other mentally prepares themselves to get hit in the face with the pressurized water. (Optional: Wear a bathing suit.) The person who is screwing the sprinkler back into place must signal the other to activate the sprinklers. This will send a jet of water into the air. The sprinkler must be screwed in while the water is running. (Note: Be sure to screw clockwise as you can get disoriented when getting hit in the face with an unrelenting stream of water) This may take a few tries but eventually you will be able to screw the sprinkler back on. The purpose of this step is to flush out any dirt or contaminants out of the piping so that no clogging occurs in the future. (Note: If only one person will perform this step, they must both activate the sprinkler and replace the broken one.)

When you are sure the sprinkler is attached correctly, turn the water off. Remember the indents on the cap must be aimed in the proper direction so the water hits the lawn. (Note: Unless of course, the angle is 360 degrees. If so, skip this step) To reorient the sprinkler so it is aimed in the correct direction, get a flat head screwdriver (Note: it looks like a minus sign, not a plus sign), wedge it in between the nozzle and the cap and push on the handle of the screwdriver so that it lifts the nozzle up, grasp the nozzle with your hand and turn it so that the indents are pointed in the direction you wish the water to go. When you have finished, activate the sprinklers to check the functionality of everything. Now you can go do whatever else is on your agenda.

"The Wonders of Dreaming" by Ivan M

       I never realized the significance of dreaming, until very recently. I think this is because
since we do it so often we forget how amazing it. I never really cared much about my dreams until something just clicked inside of me. See most people just see dreaming as something normal but it is something so beautiful. I realized that dreaming, takes you to your own universe that no one can ever even imagine. With dreaming there are no limitations, no boundaries, nothing to hold you back. When you dream, it’s as if you are the author of your own personal world and only you can understand what everything means. 

     In this world of yours, you are free to do whatever you want. I don’t think people realize the significance of something that we do almost every night. As humans, we are trained to follow laws and rules set by others from a very early age. When we dream, there is no one that tells us what to do. You are the controller of everything. Everything. How can it be possible to do anything and control everything and that is with dreaming. It difficult for me to wrap my head around that idea because in this life we are so limited to things, the idea of being able to do whatever we please while we sleep is just absolutely mind blowing. The fact that our brains are so powerful where they can form a world, a universe based just off our thoughts and ideas is utterly incredible.

     Not only are we able to create what we want, but we are also able to go back in time. It’s amazing how past events and memories help shape the person we are today and that’s the beauty behind dreaming. We can relive memories from years ago and experience the same emotions we felt when we first went through that event. I always think of this as gift because this way one can never truly lose someone or something. As long as we have that person or thing in our minds, we are able to dream and through those dreams we can go back in time and relive something that we may not have in the present. In a way, dreams allow us to time travel and that is something we should never take for granted. 

     So what are you waiting for. Sleep more and nap more because you never know what you are gonna dream of. Remember being able to dream is a gift because we become invincible and unstoppable in these dreams. That is why we should never forget the importance and significance of something so simple like dreaming.

"What God is like to the eyes of a believer " by Tanner A

     God to me is my Savior. He is the one person I can talk to without feeling judged. The one person I can speak to and know he is always listening no matter what. God is the one person who has been there for me through the easy times and the tough times. I really love the bible verse Isaiah 41:10 because it says “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous hand.” This quote to me is very important because it gives people a backbone of what God is like as an individual. God is a very loving and strong person to know because he can do ANYTHING as long as you let him. Many people may have their own opinions and/ or beliefs about a holy figure have their own way of describing their God because know many people but this is what I think. I think God can be anybody's interpretation of a holy figure. God is said to be apart of the Holy Trinity. For those of you who don’t know what a Holy Trinity is, it is the christian doctrine describing God as these three things.One would be “our Father.” He is called our Father because he is said to have created the earth so therefore he can be a fatherly figure to all of us. The second term God can be defined as is “the Holy Spirit.” The reason for this is because the Holy spirit is considered to be the third person of the Holy Trinity. Last but not least is that God can be associated with “the Son” because of his son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is also somebody who I also love dearly because he was sent down by God to be our Savior for all the sins we have created as people.
     Just because people have their own way of dealing with hardships, does not mean I will fall in the cracks like some others. I know that the relationship I have built with God over the years of me growing up is not the best but it’s how I have obtained a relationship with him. God has helped me countless of times throughout life from praying in the car with my sisters, on our way to school for a happy and safe day to praying to thank him for just simply being in my life and helping me to get where I am at this moment before I go to bed. A lot of people I know find it weird to pray to someone but I believe it’s a way of getting to be heard. I truly don’t know where I would be in my life without him being around because MAN have I gone through some good and bad situations. A verse that I hold really close to me, that I feel is just a daily reminder of how things happen through God is Matthew 19:26. “WIth God, All things are possible.” I know God is a holy figure to some people but just know he is always there for you when you need him because he never gives up on you and he wants to see you succeed as said in the verse, Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know I have plans for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

"Untitled" by Donyale T

     It was regular summer day. My sister and I were sitting at home as we weren’t allowed to leave when our parents were at work. One of friends, David, who lived around the corner called and asked if we wanted to come over to his house to hang out. We knew that we weren’t allowed to leave but we didn’t see the harm in leaving. We thought that since we had stayed in all summer long we deserved to go outside just once. But then we realized that our parents would catch us if we snuck out. We knew that our parents didn’t get home until after 6:00pm so we’d just come home at 5:00pm. We took our skateboards and we snuck out. When we got to his house David and his brothers and sisters wanted to go to the park across the street. When we got there the younger kids went off to the playground, my sister and David’s older siblings went to the basketball courts to skate while David and I sat on a bench in the middle of the park. We were having a good time just laughing and talking. We walked to the snack shack on the other side of the park. There was this older womb just staring at us. I told David about it and he told me that he was just a grandparent of one of the kids on the playground and that he was always there. He had on this really long black coat and all black underneath that. He was extremely pale and tall. He was also kind of scrawny looking. We walked back to the bench and continued to laugh and talk.About an hour or so passed and I looked over at the basketball courts but my sister and the other kids weren’t there. I looked over and saw that they had moved into the middle of this cul de sac. At the same time I saw this black car parked up the street. A few more hours passed and the black car was still sitting there and then all of a sudden the engine started but I never saw anyone get in. The car just sat there with the engine running for about 30 more minutes and then out of nowhere the car went even further up the street and just stayed there in the middle of the street. I noticed all of this but everybody else was completely clueless. I turned to David and said “Hey do you see that weird car over there?” He said “Yeah that car is always here don’t worry about it.” So I didn’t think anymore of it. About 30 more minutes passed and the car was still sitting in the middle of the street with the engine still running. And then, all of a sudden the car took off down the street. It was barreling down the street towards my sister and the other kids. I assumed that it

would slow down eventually. But it didn’t. I’m not sure what happened but I immediately got up a sprinted towards my sister and the other kids. They were playing this game where one person would be skating and showing off their tricks while the others sat and watched. My sister was up and the other children were watching her. When they saw the car coming they ran away and my sister was still there. I was running so fast it felt like my legs were spinning like in a cartoon. I finally got to her and I pushed her out of the way right before the car swerved into the cul de sac. When I tackled her we hit the ground but I hit my head on a huge rock. When I hit the rock it felt like everything was in slow motion. It didn’t really hurt but I still felt a sting. Then I heard ringing. It was like in movies where there’s a bomb that goes off and everything sounds really far away. I could see all of my friends running toward me and when they got to me they all asked if I was okay and I physically couldn’t respond. I opened my mouth but nothing would come out. I heard my sister ask if we should call our mother so I nodded. My sister called my mom and explained to her what had happened. She took me to the doctor and they said I had a mild concussion and that I would be fine. When we got home my mom told me that that’s what I get for sneaking out.

Something to Be Thankful For! New Writers are Up!

Remember to read all of the selections for this month --   comments are for this latest group only (no earlier months/submissions, or last year's submissions)  NO ANONYMOUS COMMENTS.  Be sure your name is attached or included in the text book with your comment.

https://www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/colors/g600/fall-paint-colors/

All Students:  Be sure to read the entries for this group  (November writers).  Everyone is required to comment on at least three different pieces of writing.  You must post the comment here on the blog (below the post is the "comments" link to click) AND cut and paste your comments, complete with dates and times, on to a Word document and turn it in to me by Dec. 6.  You must do both to get credit for comments this month.

Remember, comments must be positive, supportive, constructive, and SPECIFIC.  No "Good Job!" comments, unless you follow that with specific things you thought were done well in the piece.  Show them you actually took the time to read and enjoy their work!

"07/07/2017" by Nufsat K

I woke up in the morning, went out of the room and saw my house was full of guests who were congratulating my parents. I was perplexed and went to my mom asked her, "What’s going on? Why are there so many people in our house?”. She replied, “ We got our visa, and we need to leave for America within one month as the school starts in August.”. I was so happy as my whole family was in America. I called my friends and shared how excited I was. But after a while one my friend said, “ Oh, so you are going to leave us?”. That’s the moment I faced with the reality that I will be leaving people behind with whom I grew up with back in my country. The one month past meeting family and friends, packing our luggage and getting together everything. Finally, the day arrived, when we needed to leave everyone. I saw my grandparents crying, my cousins trying to hide their tears and my friends couldn't stop crying but still, explaining to me how happy they are as I am leaving and they won't miss me at all, but those tears told me everything. Then went to my best friend, who is hiding from me in the back so that I don't catch him crying and as I went to him, he hugged me and murmured in my ear," I will miss you best friend. You were the gluestick of our friend group. Don't ever change yourself " It was the 5th of July, 2017, I left behind Bangladesh.

7th of July, 2017 I entered the United States of America with lots of anticipation and urge to make my parents proud of me. Everything was new around me, the people, their culture, different language even the climate. All of these didn't matter until the first of day of school when I knew nothing but was afraid to seek for help. I

came back from school ran to my mom and told her, " I don't want to stay here anymore. " She understood that I was feeling alone so she asked me to give myself some time to get used to everything. Everyone telling me how hard junior year was supposed to be and how important that year was for all the student and the only thing I noticed was my failing grades. Soon I realized how this country has given me so many opportunities and opened so many routes which I never thought I would have and all I needed to do was grab those chances and make my future the way i want. It was really challenging for me, but the support from my family made everything possible.

"Perseverance" by Mayur C

I am almost there. I have been working very diligently for seventeen years. Don't give up now! You must be cautious in every step you take and the distance between having fun versus being serious. You notice that many of your peers are either doing better than you or slacking off. I reflect upon my peers and myself. Tighten up because there are no second chances in high school. 

I use to prey upon listening to the advice that best soothes me. Now I must think, listen, and understand differently. With big dreams after I turn eighteen, the only thing that will stick to me is my education and the impact that my teachers and society have made upon me. 

It all started when I was a sophomore in high school. Ms. Min was my honors chemistry (and later AP Chemistry) teacher who is also the advisor for Science Olympiad (SO). At first, I thought it was a huge waste of time; spending countless hours studying to what avail- finding pleasure and motivation to make a scientific breakthrough? 

Sticking to my teacher’s advice, I finally complied to join. I came to the first meeting and everyone appeared very enthusiastic, except I had mixed emotions; one being that I love science, and the other being that it sounds stressful. 

Junior has arrived and chaos emerges. It’s 2:55 pm and I walk out of my sixth period english class, making my way to Ms. Min’s class. It’s an entirely different atmosphere in which everyone is studying very diligently for the upcoming regional competition. 

At the day of my regional competition, I felt ready to compete against other schools in the following events: thermodynamics, ecology, and helicopters. There was a block schedule that I had to accommodate for all of the other events that SO has to offer. Event after event, my excitement started to build up. By the time I had to compete for thermodynamics, I released all of my excitement and knowledge into the experimental and test portion of the event. Coming out of the testing room, I looked very forward to the award ceremony at 6 pm. 

*applauses from the entire Etiwanda High School Science Olympiad*

I made my way to the front of the stage to be given my thermodynamics and ecology medals. I glanced at my partner with much joy and reflected upon how much I have accomplished that year. Everything that I learned from the members in my cluster I hope to teach to the new members that I am currently with. 
 
The so-called year of procrastination has finally arrived. 

Senior hit and I plan on teaching my new cluster how to build and test their thermodynamics box. I was super excited to see many new faces filled with enthusiasm. As I rebuilt my thermodynamics box, I let the quote “there is always room for improvement” become my driving force. As I improve from the mistakes that I made last year and also realize how I will need to manage my time even better, I come to Ms. Min’s class to look for motivation to continue on my path of perseverance. At any point I start to slack off, Ms. Min spots me and picks me right back up. 

The new members in my cluster found out about how well I did last year and often call me the “thermo god”. I look at that name as if it is a noble title that I have to live up to. Even though it many think it sounds dumb, I think of it to be very important and a way to become recognized in the club. Also whenever I feel unmotivated, I occasionally socialize with them to relieve some stress weighing upon my shoulders. 

Science Olympiad has not only taught me to become well-rounded in all of my events, but also to manage my time very well; as spending many hours studying can sometimes outweigh my study time for school. Also SO has also taught me to become socially proactive, help keep a strong student-teacher relationship inside and outside of class, and become an ideal role for others. The last thing that my partner last year taught me was that once every work has its own method with some exception. I completely agree with that especially when learning more topics that pertain to thermodynamics. The mathematical concepts can be a little tricky and also understanding the conceptuals from a chemistry and physics perspective for example the first law of thermodynamics.

"Dad's Christmas" by Leslie R

December 22nd 2014, it was nearing Christmas so we packed and left for the family trip we usually always took to celebrate. I had visited my dad a week before we had left and spoken to him over the phone only a few days before. We, being my little brothers, my tia, uncle and myself, were heading to Angel’s Camp located in Calaveras County, CA. The trip took a few hours and when we finally arrived it was later in the day and so cold, the ground was covered in a thin layer of snow, which was an awesome change from the typical scenery you get in Fontana. After a few hours of lazing around the hotel room we began to unpack the little Christmas tree and decorate the room to give it that spirited feel because we’d be staying there until the 26th then leaving. The next day we spent messing around in the snow and walking around the town heavily associated with the Gold Rush, so of course you can imagine what was plastered all over the town. Then we walked back to the hotel, made dinner, ate dinner and went to sleep. The rest of the days leading up to Christmas went similarly, snowball fights, walking, eating and sleeping. Waking up Christmas morning came with excitement because all I could think was “Heck ya, can’t wait to see what I got”, but also an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. It felt like when you know how bad your grades are, and you know your parent is most likely going to check and see, which is then going to lead to them clicking on a class and seeing all those missed assignments you have. You know you are going to get in so much trouble, that something bad is going to happen and you are just waiting for it to happen. Except in this case I had no idea why I felt how I did nor did I know when this “bad thing” would happen, and eventually I forgot about it and went back to ripping open my presents. After hours spent playing with my new IPad we ate dinner and went to bed. One of my little brothers and I had to share the pull out bed in the living space and my tia, uncle and other little brother got the bed in the actual room. I was on the verge of sleep when my tia’s phone rang, and because i’m so lazy I ignored it and tried going back to sleep then again it rang and again I didn’t pick it up. It happened about 2 more times after that before I decided to get out of the bed and look at it, my abuela’s contact came up and I went right into my parents’ room to let my tia know that her phone had been ringing and that it was my abuela. She called back and I went right back to bed, once again I was on the verge of sleep when suddenly I heard a shout in my ear that scared me awake, I looked around and saw no one around so I kind of just sat there looking lost. Then my tia came out of the bed room. She had tears streaming down her face, sobbing and the instant she looked me in the eyes and I just knew exactly what had happened, he was dead. Never in my life had I cried so hard in my life, it wracked through my body and made it almost impossible to breathe. My uncle came out, took my little brother to the bedroom and let my tia and I cry without disturbance. It took me hours to calm down, but the tears never stopped, not when I watched t.v to try and distract myself and not when I tried to sleep. That entire night was spent sitting on the couch doing nothing but thinking. The next morning as soon as the sun rose we were on our way right back home. The next few days passed by in a blur, just a bunch of family giving their condolences, late nights sitting up thinking about him and why it had to happen the way it did and on Christmas day. That was  THE worst day of my life and since then Christmas has not ever been the same, but it helped me become stronger. There is not much worse emotionally then losing a family member so it really did help me, especially being able to put things in perspective when it gets tough.