(MP2 5) Dead Like Me

Eighteen-year-old Georgia is a college drop-out. Her parents seem to hate her, and her little sister, Reggie, is almost invisible to her. That is, until she dies. She is on her thirty-five minute lunch hour (don't ask) when a toilet seat from space is plummeted into earths atmosphere, and hits her. She is immediately killed, and soon thereafter turned into a grim reaper, one of the undead. Her mission, wether she accepts it or not, is to collect the souls of people before they die. She hates seeing people die, and tries several ways to save these people, all of which have disastrous effects. She watches her parents and her sister, all of which see her, although do not know it's her. Her sister turns into "the queen of wierd", stealing toilet seats and hanging them on a tree, a 'toilet tree'. Her parents begin having more and more arguments, and her dad starts cheating on her mom with one of his young college students. What else can go wrong in Georgia's life, or should we say afterlife?
This is a movie and a television show, both very interesting. I personally suggest watching the show first, because the movie is more like a sequel. I strongly advise watching this exciting series, but take care to read the warning and make sure you advise watching it.
Warning: This show is not for the faint of heart, as there is blood. There are plenty of cuss words, as the main character seems to be a cuss-aholic. There is also talk about sexual situations, although there isn't actually any nudity. Viewer discretion is advised.

(MP2 4) Rain Falls By: Shayna Iaconi (other page)

Rain Falls

   

I was running through darkness with only the full moon as my guide. I didn’t see it at first, until all of a sudden I could hear the ocean behind me. It's gentle waves lapped against the shore. I saw a shadow in front of me. When it came into view, the shadow started to take the shape of my Grandma. She smiled at me with kindness that could make any depressed person put their head to the sun.

“Hello there, Annabelle. I’ve been waiting for you!” she exclaimed.

“Sorry I took so long. What’s wrong Grandma?  What’s going on?” I asked her.

“ I came to say good-bye, Annabelle, and to wish you a happy life.” she said. She wasn’t making any sense.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I explained. She shook her head. One tear streaked from her eye, and then she disappeared.

I woke up because my mom was crying so hard. I thought all of the water in her body would disappear. I ran downstairs only to find my mom on the floor while my dad tried to comfort her. My dad's shoulders were soaked from her tears.

“What’s wrong?” I asked my dad.

“Your Grandma died in her sleep last night from a heart attack,” he explained to me. I remembered my dream, and ran up to my room. I cried until my eyes were dry. I sat in my room staring at the computer. I was at the point where I was too sad to cry.

I sulked for days, unable to hear my parents talking about the funeral and unable to see the sun. I felt dead inside. Like a part of me was ripped out. On the day of the funeral it rained all day. My Grandma used to say rain is God's tears. I never believed her until today.

When everybody left, I stayed behind. I just stared at the gravestone that replaced my dearly beloved Grandma. When I started to walk away, I noticed a shadow watching me. When I started walking towards it, the shadow looked more like a boy about my age. All of a sudden he disappeared.

I never saw that boy again. I looked for someone who might look like him, at my school, but no one was even close. It rained for days and days. I hadn’t seen the sun in what felt like weeks. The weather reminded me of what I felt inside. My Grandma would always say that if you put your head to the sun, the light would always find you. The sun was nowhere in sight. Only clouds that created darkness. The rain fell from the heavens until our little town was consumed with water.

(MP2 3) A tune so good (Poem for other page)

A tune so good, so hard to find
A melody that soothes the mind
But even harder, never found
An artist that will hold their ground
The ground they stand on may be weak
And when they step, it may creak
But they must stay, still and strong
Because they soon can be gone
And if they make
But one mistake
*POOF*

(MP2 2) Baby Birdie

A small, blue bird falls from her tree

And finds her wing is broken

But, maybe her fall was for the best

A path she would have chosen

Because broken wings heal

She tried to hide while it did, just in case

Some new friends helped her through

And she realized down is a better place

(MP2 1) Desire

Everything I ever wanted
Laid out in front of me
But it's kind of like a museum
I can't touch, it's not for me

It's cruel to give my most desired
To someone who isn't me
It's like a delicate butterfly
Watching her flowers go to the bees

Have you ever been in the meadow?

Have you ever been in the meadow?

During the spring time, the wildflowers bloom.

You can smell their sweet fragrance.

The bees are buzzing around you.

You just stand there, swaying in the breeze,

Smelling the flowers,

And listening to the bees.

Have you ever been in the meadow?

It's summer time, and the sun is blazing.

Watch it shine off the stream nearby.

Hear the water trickle.

The tall grasses swaying in the breeze.

Lay down, close your eyes,

And soak it all in.

Have you ever been in the meadow?

Autumn, the leaves are falling now.

The trees surrounding it are all orange and red and yellow.

A few are still green.

Leaves run across the ground in the breeze.

Watch the world change colors,

Listen to animals running about.

Have you ever been in the meadow?

It's Winter now, and most animals are gone.

The world sparkles with ice and snow.

The leaves are gone now, replaced with ice.

The stream is frozen, you can walk on it.

A white fox chases a rabbit.

A squirrel sleeps in a tree.

Have you ever been in the meadow.

I doubt you really have.

Have you payed attention at all?

The stream, the animals,

The trees, the flowers and grass?

Just sit, maybe lay down.

Close your eyes and listen and feel.

Have you ever really been in the meadow?

Children of the Moon

I see them

They are running around and playing

One pokes another and runs and hides

One comes towards me and beckons me to follow

They want me to come play too

I hear them

They are laughing and squealing in delight

They're feet hit the ground

Plop, plop plop, plop

Come catch me if you can

I feel them

They feel like cold breezes as they run through me

My fingers go right through them as I try to touch they're hands

They grab me, try to get me to follow

They want me to come play too

I know they are always there

Trying to get me to join them

Ghosts of the children that are gone

They want me to come play too

The children of the moon

Spooky Stories

Some people love scary stories. Other people tend to stay away from them. Some, a rare few, hate them to the point of madness. Let's just focus on the first two, because any mind we pay the other one will surely be lost.

Kayla Brock, an eighth-grader from our own school, says "Scary stories are only good sometimes, because sometimes they're not scary at all and your just thinking "wow... that was dumb". They are only good when they have super creepy or gross things in them to make them scarier. I love scary stories." Miss Brock is saying, basically, that she loves scary stories but only when they are actually scary. This opinion is shared by many people, including Rebecca Davis. She says "If it's not scary, I don't want to see it. If it's creepy, maybe."
Some people don't like scary stories. Mary Gentner says "I don't like scary stories. When I was littler, they scared me and gave me nightmares." Some people don't like anything scary. Some people prefer scary stories over scary movies. Others like scary movies, but not scary stories. Even still, there are those people that love to be scared. They live on scary things. If you are not one of the people who enjoy scary stories, I suggest you do not read ahead. If you are hard to scare, I suggest picturing the scary story, perhaps as if you are the victim. 
This isn't one of the scarier ones, in fact, some might argue that it's not scary at all, sort-of dumb! But picture, if you will, that you are the laundress in the story. Picture the rotting-corpse look of the people in the army, picture the ghostly green-grey foggy glow of the army. Picture not being able to move your arm, to have something attached to you that you used to be able to feel and move and control, a part of you, and no longer be able to feel, let alone move it!


A laundress, newly moved to Charleston following the Civil War, found herself awakened at the stroke of twelve each night by the rumble of heavy wheels passing in the street. But she lived on a dead end street, and had no explanation for the noise. Her husband would not allow her to look out the window when she heard the sounds, telling her to leave well enough alone. Finally, she asked the woman who washed at the tub next to hers. The woman said: "What you are hearing is the Army of the Dead. They are Confederate soldiers who died in hospital without knowing that the war was over. Each night, they rise from their graves and go to reinforce Lee in Virginia to strengthen the weakened Southern forces."
The next night, the laundress slipped out of bed to watch the Army of the Dead pass. She stood spell-bound by the window as a gray fog rolled passed. Within the fog, she could see the shapes of horses, and could hear gruff human voices and the rumble of canons being dragged through the street, followed by the sound of marching feet. Foot soldiers, horsemen, ambulances, wagons and canons passed before her eyes, all shrouded in gray. After what seemed like hours, she heard a far off bugle blast, and then silence.
When the laundress came out of her daze, she found one of her arms was paralyzed. She has never done a full days washing since.

Julian Beever Chalk Art

Julian Beever is a chalk artist who has been creating chalk drawings on pavement since around 1995. He uses a technique called anamorphosis to make the illusion of three-dimensions when looked at from a certain angle. It is also possible to put a person in the image to look like they are interacting with the drawing.

Besides his chalk art, Beever also paints murals with acrylic paints and oil paints, and creates collages. Also, he enjoys drawings, usually based on music.

In 2010, Beever published a book called 'Pavement Chalk Artist', which includes photos of many of his art pieces from around the world.

He is often hired to create murals for companies. He has made his art in the Belgium, UK, The Netherlands, France, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Australia and the USA.

Ben, from the Internet, says "It takes a certain type of mind to be able to visualise something so accurate, while having to draw a completely different image on the floor. Julian Beever has that mind."

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Mama Mia

Have you ever heard of a play/ musical called Mama Mia? How about a movie called Mama Mia? If you have not seen this movie yet, you have to go see it.
On a Greek island named Kalokairi, 20-year-old Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) is a beautiful bride-to-be.  She sends three wedding invitations to different guys to figure out which one her father is, and they all set off for the wedding. Sophie's bridesmaids, and best friends, Ali (Ashley Lilley) and Lisa (Rachel McDowall), arrive and they talk. Sophie tells them in secret that she found her mother's diary from the year she was born, and learned she has three possible fathers. Architect Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), adventurer and writer Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård), and banker Harry Bright (Colin Firth) all are possible candidates. She invited them to the wedding without telling her mother, believing that after she sees them she will 'just know' who her father is.

Owner of the island, and Sophie's mother, Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep), is ecstatic to reunite with her best friends, cook-book author Rosie (Julie Walters) and wealthy multiple divorcée Tanya (Christine Baranski), and reveals her uneasiness at her daughter's desire to get married. Donna explains her precarious finances to Rosie and Tanya, and they offer to help out.

Sam, Bill, and Harry arrive, and Sophie sneaks them into the old goat house and explains that she sent the invitations, not her mother. She begs them to hide so Donna will not find out, and tells them that they are her mothers wonderful surprise, seeing the old friends of whom she "so often" speaks of. They  swear to Sophie they will not reveal her secret. Donna sees them and is unhappy to find herself facing three former lovers, and is sure that they must leave. She explains to Tanya and Rosie a secret she has kept from everyone. She is unsure which of the three guys is Sophie's father. What will Sophie and Donna do?

This is an exciting tale of love, friendship, and family. Mixed in with the movie is songs like 'Money, money, money', 'Lay All Your Love On Me' and 'Tikitita'. A timeless movie, Mama Mia is sure to be loved by everyone who sees it. I hope you enjoy it!

Country Music Versus

Many people do not like country music, insisting it's  too redneck, too hillbilly. True, country music can be like that, but not all the time. Taylor Swift, an artist that swept the nation off their feet with her music, sang country music. She is the most popular, some might say, but others just like her have become icons. Shania Twain, is a country star, along with Sugarland. Their songs are strikingly similar to Swift's. Some male singer's, such as Toby Keith and Keith Urban, are loved by many. Some songs are more hillbilly than others, but you have to admit, you can understand what they say easily, and it talks about things like meadows in spring, and beautiful beaches, and the greatness of pick-up trucks rolling through the mud, just having a great time. Country music also talks about the wild west, and real hero's of the world. Happy Ending, by Sugarland, has a part in it that talks about Martin Luther King, and Neil Armstrong.

'Baby's born in the ghetto

Baby's born with a silver spoon

One tells his mama "I have a dream"

One tells his mama "I'll walk the moon"'

Country music also has a lot of patriotic songs. Red, White, and Blue by Toby Keith is a personal favorite. it talks about, well, how about I let the song tell you.

"American girls and American guys, will always stand up and salute.

We'll always recognize, when we see ol' glory flying,

There's a lot of men dead,

So we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our heads.

My daddy served in the army where he lost his right eye,

But he flew a flag out in our yard 'til the day that he died.

He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister and me.

To grow up and live happy in the land of the free."

It wasn't called country music until the 1940s. They preferred it to the earlier term, hillbilly music. Country music now has many styles and sub-genres. Harlan Howard said "Country music is three chords and the truth." I think that pretty much sums it up. Country music is one of the older styles of music. It originated in the 1900's, although it has definitely come a long way since then. You might prefer more modern country, or maybe you like the oldies. Now the lines between country and rock are blurred. The lines between country and rap are starting to blur slightly. Dirt Road Anthem by Colt Ford helped blur those lines. Country gets more and more popular as time goes on. Country song never get old, where-as pop and rock songs go out of style and it's like they never existed. But, country songs from ten years ago are still played on the radio. Soldier Boy, a very popular rapper a year ago, is unheard of now. Lady Antebellum, a very popular country singer about a year ago, is still a very popular country singer now.

Some radio stations you can go to to hear country music in delaware are 94.7, 97.5, 105.9, 92.9, and 103.7. Go ahead. Give country music a try. You never know, you might like it. I know I do, and so does many other people around the world. Even if you don't end up liking it, well my saying is "I'll try everything once!"

Daddy's Day Poem

This poem was written by Cheryl Costello-Forshey a year before the attacks. The part about the dad being a fireman who died in the attacks on the towers was added later, by Leonard J. Bourret. This poem has touched the hearts of so many people, I truly believe it is amazing. The first time I read it, I cried. So did many other people. It's all over the web, and all comments were along the lines of crying, amazement, an so-on. Happycloud, from Witty Profiles says "This is so touching. I got a lump in my throat and my eyes welled up, why, I feel I could sing a high note ...that would reach all the way up to heaven." Many other similar responses were recorded. When you read this poem, think of everyone who has ever died for there country. Everyone from civil war times to now, people are always giving up everything for their country, their religion, and their beliefs.

"Her hair was up in a ponytail
Her favorite dress tied with a bow

Today was Daddy's Day at school

And she couldn't wait to go.

But her mommy tried to tell her,

That she probably should stay home.

Why the kids might not understand,

If she went to school alone.

But she was not afraid;

She knew just what to say.

What to tell her classmates

Of why he wasn't there today.

But still her mother worried,

For her to face this day alone.

And that was why once again,

She tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school,

Eager to tell them all.

About a dad she never sees,

A dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in back,

For everyone to meet

Children squirming impatiently,

Anxious in their seats.

One by one the teacher called,

Each student from the class.

To introduce their daddy,

As seconds slowly passed.

At last the teacher called her name,

Every child turned to stare.

Each of them was searching,

For a man who wasn't there.

"Where's her daddy at?"

She heard a boy call out.

"She probably doesn't have one"

Another student dared to shout.

And from somewhere near the back,

She heard a daddy say,

"Looks like another deadbeat dad,

Too busy to waste his day."

The words did not offend her,

As she smiled up at her mom.

And looked back at her teacher,

Who told her to go on.

And with hands behind her back,

Slowly she began to speak.

And out from the mouth of a child,

Came words incredibly unique.

"My daddy couldn't be here,

Because he lives so far away.

But I know he wishes he could be,

Since this is such a special day.

And though you cannot meet him,

I wanted you to know.

All about my daddy,

And how much he loves me so.

He loved to tell me stories

He taught me to ride my bike.

He surprised me with pink roses,

And taught me to fly a kite.

We used to share fudge sundaes,

and ice cream in a cone.

And though you cannot see him,

I'm not standing here alone.

Cause my daddy's always with me

Even though we are apart.

I know because he told me,

He'll forever be in my heart."

With that, her little hand reached up,

and lay across her chest.

Feeling her own heartbeat,

Beneath her favorite dress.

And from somewhere in the crowd of dads,

Her mother stood in tears.

Proudly watching her daughter,

Who was wise beyond her years.

For she stood up for the love

Of a man not in her life.

Doing what was best for her,

Doing what was right.

And when she dropped her hand back down,

Staring straight into the crowd.

She finished with a voice so soft,

But its message clear and loud.

"I love my daddy very much,

He's my shining star.

And if he could he'd be here,

But heaven's just too far.

You see he was a fireman

And died just this past year.

When airplanes hit the towers

And taught Americans to fear.

But sometimes when I close my eyes,

It's like he never went away."

And then she closes her eyes,

And saw him there that day.

And to her mother's amazement,

She witnessed with surprise.

A room full of daddies and children,

All starting to close their eyes.

Who knows what they saw before them,

Who knows what they felt inside.

Perhaps for merely a second,

They saw him at her side.

"I know you're with me Daddy."

To the silence she called out.

And what happened next made believers,

Of those once filled with doubt.

Not one in that room could explain it,

For each of their eyes had been closed.

But there on the desk beside her,

Was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.

And a child was blessed, if only for a moment,

By the love of her shining bright star.

And given the gift of believing,

That heaven is never too far."
Sorry about the gap, it happens no-matter what I do. There is no next line or enter key or anything, it just keeps putting the gap in.

Brandywine Festival of the Arts

Has anyone here heard of the Brandywine Festival of the Arts? It is an annual arts festival in Wilmington, Delaware. Featuring hundreds of artists exhibiting hand-made art, the festival has been a Delaware tradition for over 51 years. People from all over the country travel to our small state the weekend after labor day to walk Brandywine Park's Josephine Gardens. There is arts of all sorts, live performances, children's activities, and many different kinds of food. The whole place is filled with the smells of various candles and soaps, flowers, evergreens, cinnamon, funnelcakes, and pizza. The air is filled with the sounds of children laughing, people talking, and people calling out "Water, one dollar!" Everybody is smiling, laughing, and complimenting peoples work.

Ray Berger is one of the artists. He takes metals like copper, brass, and stainless steel and makes them into tree decorations, end tables, and many other cool things. He says "My designs are either abstract, traditional, or contemporary, and reflect subjects that lend themselves to both home and garden decor. The materials that I use are state of the art: pre-finished copper, pre-finished brass, stainless steel and chrome steel, as well as traditional metals such as copper, brass & iron. Normal maintenance requires nothing more than a once over-with a feather duster." His website, http://www.rayberger.com, has his biography, some of his works, and more statements from him.

Another artist named Dona Jones works with copper, making it into pins, earings, necklaces, and window ornaments. She calls it 'Kindred Spirit Designs'. "I am primarily working in what I call torched copper, through repeated heating and cooling with an acetylene torch, I am able to produce a rainbow of color on the surface of the copper." she told me. She let me watch her heat the copper twice, and then let me have the piece.

Katherine Cheetham makes glass decorations. She has multicolored glass shapes and designs. One of her designs is an icicle. She takes thre tubes of glass with colored streaks, and she twirls the glass around and around, until it tapers off in a point. You can hang these on wires, or you can just keep it for good luck. There is a wide variety of colors. You can buy this piece for $2.75. Her website is http://www.katherinecheethamglass.com

There are many other pieces there, including paintings, stepping stones, clothes, belts, bags, dog treats, and more! Everything is hand made, and everything is amazing. Mary Gentner, from our own school, says "Everything is so cool." Alissa Leung, another one of our students that went, says "It's a warm environment. There's so many people creating work and respecting other people's work." This place is amazing." It's every year, during the weekend after Labor Day. Katherine, Dona, Ray, and many other people will be expecting to see you. Will you let them down?

Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)

Leonardo da Vinci is best known for his paintings. The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper are just a few of his amazing works of art. But he was also a genius when it comes to science and math. He invented many things long before their time. He sketched a modern helicopter more than five hundred years before it was built. He invented new kinds of paint. One little-known fact about him was that he was homosexual. His companion since age ten was Salai. The saying "Jack of all trades, master of none." does not apply. I think it should be changed to "Jack of all trades, master of all." when it comes to Leonardo da Vinci.

His biographer, Giorgio Vasari, wrote:

"The most heavenly gifts seem to be showered on certain human beings. Sometimes supernaturally, marvelously, they all congregate in one individual. . . . This was seen and acknowledged by all men in the case of Leonardo da Vinci, who had. . . an indescribable grace in every effortless act and deed. His talent was so rare that he mastered any subject to which he turned his attention. . . . He might have been a scientist if he had not been so versatile."

Leonardo started his art when his father took him to become an apprentice of Verocchio, another artist. The student soon surpassed the master, and by his early twenties, Leonardo da Vinci was downright famous. He was a perfectionist, and turned to science to make his artwork better. He dissected human bodies in order to study the skeleton and muscles, what gives us our shape. He studied geology and paleontology in order to make his backgrounds more realistic. he did not care for painting men with unrealistic muscles, which he called "bags of nuts'. Everything he did was perfect down to every leaf on every tree.

Renaissance Italy was centuries away from our modern day photography and videos, but Leonardo still looked for a universal language in painting. The paintings previously made in this culture were strange and sometimes scary religious paintings. This made Leonardo's way of painting new, a breath of fresh air. This kind of painting became the standard for painters in the 16th century. Leonardo da Vinci died on May 2, 1519 in Amboise, France. He was 62 years old.

All in all, Leonardo believed that artists have to know all of the laws of nature. Opening your eyes and looking around, he believed, was the perfect way to learn these laws, and the artist is the perfect person to portray them.