Turn your Inkblot into a Butterfly

Back in middle school

I used to think cliques were okay.

I used to think

not everyone

belonged in the same clique.

I used to pay attention

to what was "cool"

and what wasn't.

I used to be afraid of being

different.

  

 I didn't realize that being in a clique

meant leaving other poeple out.

I was blind to how my actions

might affect others.

I've come a long way since then.

Being "cool" stopped being important.

Being friends with everyone was what mattered. 

 Cliques started to become a foreign lanuage. 

I tried to include everyone

and made sure no one got left behind

because I started to understand that being a nice person meant you were cool. 

                                                                                    

Gina Peca

http://blog.timesunion.com/ginapeca/hello-its-me/4/
http://blog.timesunion.com/ginapeca/

Gina Peca describes herself as "...a 52 year old stay at home mom who is trying to find my way back into the “real” world." She keeps busy by caring for her two sons and running a cancer foundation in memory of her daughter and she is a wife of a man battling a brain tumor. "Like most parents, my husband and I have juggled soccer tournaments, basketball games, baseball games, ski club, school activities, volleyball practice and family trips." She clearly has a lot going on in her life and has also gone through some tragic events. The Catie Hoch Foundation is the foundation that was established for her daughter before she died. Gina is very devoted to this foundation and supporting anyone else who may be going through the same thing with their loved ones. On her blog I read an article about a little girl who recently passed away that was battling the same type of cancer as her daughter Catie. The author can relate to the parents of the girl, Ila Jean, because she lost her daughter 11 years ago. "I want to say to them, right now your mind may be playing an endless loop of her last days and you may think you will never feel joy again.  But somewhere down the road, and no one knows how long it will take, you will feel happiness." She tries to give hope to these parents and says that one day "...you will wake up and not feel that weight pressing against your chest." Gina send strength to this family because she knows just how much they need it at this time. "The next part of their journey is not an easy one." She tells them to be grateful for everything they do have which is exactly what Gina does. She is living a "roller coaster of a life" and is slowly getting back into the swing of things by blogging and hoping to help other people as well as overcome her stuggles.

NYT Tuesday

Katniss

A female warrior,
a different kind of hero.
She defends the fragile society; ready to confront whatever awaits her.
An athlete, an idol.
Outrageously bold and believes in taking risks.
Captivating: the right word to describe her.
She nurtures yet kills,
but does both extremely well.
Unique and competitive.
She is so important to many girls and women.
One of the truest feeling and complex female characters.

A Radical Female Hero From Dystopia:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/08/movies/katniss-everdeen-a-new-type-of-woman-warrior.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hpw

The Met, the "Ring" and the Rage Against the Machine:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/arts/music/peter-gelb-on-wagners-ring-cycle-at-met-opera.html?scp=1&sq=The%20Met,%20the%20%22Ring%22%20and%20the%20Rage%20Against%20the%20Machine&st=cse

-Lauren, 15, Guilderland NY

Did you have a favorite blanket or toy? Tell about it.

On my first birthday I got my most favorite gift that I still have today. The gift was a big stuffed teddy bear from my parents. I couldn't say much at that age, but once I started to talk a little more bear was one of the few words I knew, so I named my stuffed teddy Bearbear! Once I got Bearbear he never left my side no matter where I went or what I was doing. We ate together, slept together, played outside, did arts and crafts, played hide and seek, took naps, etc. Bearbear was my best friend. I was never lonely with Bearbear around and he kept me company until my sisters were born but even after they were born Bearbear was still with me constantly. Even as I got older he was never forgotten. I started giving my old toys and stuffed animals away and every time I thought maybe it was time to let Bearbear go I just couldn't. A part of me couldn't let go of him. I gave away all my stuffed dogs, my other teddy bears, cats, bunnies, everything except Bearbear. It seemed like he was a part of me now and I didn't want to find out if I would be okay without him or not. I decided I would keep him but maybe it was time to put him in the closet instead of sleeping on my bed with him. I kept him in a safe place and I knew he was there but it just wasn't the same. After a few weeks I gave up and decided I didn;t care how old I was or what anyone thought about Bearbear. So he came back out of the closet and he has been sleeping in my bed with me every night ever since.

J= Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville

Jimmy Buffett's Maragaritaville is one of the best restaurants I have eaten at. There aren't many restaurants located in the northeast but if you're ever traveling south there is one in Myrtle Beach (the one I went to), Nashville, Florida, New Orleans, Arizona, and a few other locations out west. Margaritaville has a great family environment. The restaurant is so upbeat and fun with its tropical setting. Right in the center of the restaurant is a humungous statue of a margarita! The last time I went there was a parrot outside! They have live music playing every night of the week and on a rare occasion you might see Jimmy Buffett himself!  They even have a gift shop in another part of the restaurant with Jimmy Buffett souvenirs. The service there is always friendly and entertaining. The restaurant in Myrtle Beach is located in the perfect spot; right at the center of Broadway at the Beach with shopping, rides and plenty of other attractions. The menu includes plenty of delicious burgers, sandwiches, chicken, shrimp and tons of other seafood. The meals are reasonably priced with burgers and sandwiches around $12 and seafood and steak around $20. I would definately reccomend going to Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville for a night of entertainment, great food and great music!

The Book that Changed My Life

The book that changed my life is A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer. This book is an autobiography about a boy (Dave Pelzer) who was brutally abused as a child. I think the reason this book is so powerful and inspiring is because it's an autobiography. The author is telling us his story from his point of view and that makes the experience so real. Reading him describe how he was so badly abused throughout his childhood was heartbreaking. I just couldn't believe what I was reading. I couldn't imagine any parent would be cruel enough to torture their child over and over again to the point where they are near death. The author doesn't hold back anything. He describes in detail the pain of being beaten and starved by his alcoholic mother. Some of the suffering she put him through brought me to tears. At some parts it was almost too much for me to handle just reading about the misery he had to deal with every single minute of every single day. It seems unbearable for a child to live like that and put up with such horrible torment. I can't understand why or how a mother could ever harm her own child to the point where she sees them as just an "it". Reading Dave Pelzer's book made take a minute to stop and think about how fortunate I really am. Not only that but also made me realize that child abuse is a real and horrible thing, that it does happen, probably more often than we think. This book took me away from my happy life and made me look through someone else's eyes. There are so many horrid and terrible things that happen in this world that most people don't even notice. We live in a world with so many faults and tragedies and reading Dave Pelzer's story broke my heart in more ways than one. I am thankful for everything I've been blessed with and I can only hope and pray for anyone who is suffering in this world. I will never forget A Child Called "It".

Bucket List

1. Go to Australia. I've always been fascinated with this country because of the wildlife and the environment. I also love their accents!

2. Play soccer in college. Soccer is something I love doing and to be able to play for my school with new teammates and friends would be an amazing experience.

3. Ride a motorcycle. Even though it can be dangerous it looks so thrilling!

4. Go water skiing. I've gone tubing and I absolutely love it. Water skiing seems like just as much fun!

5. Go scuba diving. Underwater life amazes me. I'd love to see it up close.

6. Go horseback riding on the beach. The beach is one of my favorite places to be. A nice horseback ride along the shore sounds perfect to me. Expecially at sunset!

7. Sing karaoke. This has always been something I've wanted to do. Even though I'm not a good singer I still love to sing and dance!

8. Jump from a cliff into deep water. I love the feeling of anything that is breathtaking and maybe a little scary.

9. Learn to surf. I think surfing is an incredible sport and something I would enjoy learning because I love the ocean.

10. Ride in a hot air balloon. A view from up that high would be magnificent!