Maid of Honor, it is not an easy job, but it is fun. My cousin Joleen asked me to be in her wedding, and a month later she didn’t just want me in her wedding but be her maid of honor also. So I didn’t know what to do. I never have been in a wedding, so I went to the internet. There is so much that goes into a wedding and with me working and starting college it has been a hard time. But the wedding is in March and the shower is coming.
In my spear time on the weekends I handmade all the invitations, all ninety of them. With pink and turquoise as her colors it was fun to play around with to come up with the perfect design. Then it was time to plane what to have to eat, and come up with the games to play. I looked and looked on so many web sites to find the perfect games. I decided on the name game, where you cannot say what is on you name tag. And Price is Right, where I went to Wal-Mart and find different item to buy and the guest had to guess what the right price was.
The day of the shower finally came, and I was sick but the shower had to go on. I got to the hall and we had to decorate and get all the food out. People started to arrive and we served the food. Then we started the games. We started with Price is Right and I lost the recite to the game. So we had to impervious, everyone had to remember all the items on the try. It worked and we were saved. After the games we opened all the presents. After three crock pots and two toasters we were all done. Now it was just clean up time, and taking all the gifts to the apartment. I was exhausted and got home and sat down and had some punch. Bad idea, I was allergic to something in it and broke out. I thought it was my medicine the doctor gave me so I kept drinking it. On top of being sick I was all broke out and tired. I can’t believe that I got throw the week alive. All I do is sleep and type this paper, so good night I’m taking a nap.

Voices of Men

I attend the play called “Voices of Men” by Ben Atherton-Zeman at the Lunda Center last Tuesday. The play was based on men’s violence against women. I have seen some plays like this, but Ben’s performance was a lot better than others. He used different crops and mad it fun to be there.
When I first arrived I heard a bell ringing every twelve seconds. He later explained that every time he had hit the bell a woman was being abused or raped. That was shocking for me; I knew it happened but not that much. Then he showed use a video of Rocky in one of his movies pressuring a girl to come in and have a seat. When the film stopped Ben came out dressed up as Rocky. He acted just like him and asked use what he did wrong in the tape. When we saw the video clip again there was a counting on the bottom of the screen telling every time he asked her to come in, and all the different whys he did ask to come in. He explained different situations that he would work around to get the girl to say yes. After the Rocky clip we watched another clip but this time it was James Bond. Just like the first time he came out dresses up as Bond, and acted just like him. But, with this act he asked why the victim stays. There are many answers to the question I think. If they are being abused and told no one will ever won’t them. If you are told so many times that no one will ever love you, you will begin believing that person. Or if the person threatens you or your family, and you can’t get help. There are many reasons why a person stays in a relationship, not because they won’t to but, because they don’t know how to get out or get help. In Ben’s last act he came out as Austin Powers. With using Austin he explained how women should be treated. In many of Power’s movies he says “Yea baby” but, a women does not like being called different names. They have a name for a reason so someone can use it. Also a women has the chose to look and do what she wants, she does not need a man to tell her what to do.
I think Ben did a great job in this play. Violence is a big problem and with unemployment at the rate now it is more common for someone to get abuses. Please help our community stop it. Men go out and buy a white ribbon to have on your shirt to show you care. Speak up when you see someone getting hurt and don’t stand back. If you see something stop it.

Vermont

Our journey to Barre, Vermont had begun in the early morning with two fifteen passenger vans. And twelve people in each van it was a little tight with all of our luggage for a week. The first night we slept in the van, it was not conferable at all. But after the twenty seven hours drive and no showers we arrived at the church, Christ the Redeemer. But we were running behind so we didn’t have time to stop and go to the hotel. That night we meet with the whole church and all the nice ladies made use a nice hot meal. Once we were done eating and talking to the people we finally arrived at the hotel. Our second day was a busy one. We woke up and started are walk up the hill to the church. Once we got there and had breakfasts and started to decorate the two vans for a parade we were in. Our group also handed out pencils and cards that told about why we where there, and what we were going to do. Which was to spread the word of god. After a long walk we finally got back to the church and started planning for the week. We held a vacation bible school at the church, with crafts, lesions, and music. Everyone split up in there groups and planed the first lesson. After all of our planning we were let free to do whatever we wonted for the rest of the day. Most of us went back to the hotel and went swimming or plaid cards until we feel asleep. After little sleep we all woke up and got to work with our first day of bible school. I was in charge of arts and crafts. The first day we did finger painting with all the kids. It was a little messy but we were outside so that made it better. After our first day we took a trip to tour the area. We went to the Rock of Ages, a granite mill. We toured the grounds and took a bus up to a hill where we could look down into the mill. After looking at all the rocks we ended our day with worship back at the church. Day four was also a lot of fun. After the morning of vacation bible school we went to Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. We toured the grounds and saw how they come up with new flavors; I also went up the graveyard where they had flavors that are no longer made. But the best part of the day was trying the different flavors of ice cream, it was so good. Our fifth day was also packed, we have vacation bible school in the morning again and it was the last day we were with them. That night all the parents were invited back to the church to show off all the things they learned, their songs and crafts. It was a little said because you had to leave all these little kids and hope that they would come back to find more about their god. But the next day was a lot of fun. We traveled into Montpelier the capital in Vermont. Split up into groups and walked the town. I saw the capital and went to all the cute shops they had. It was a blast. After walking in Montpelier we went to Cold Cider Mill. Where I got to taste some of the best apple cider, and had some homemade maple syrup. It was our last day in Vermont. And our next stop was Buffalo, New York. Once we arrived we ate at a great Italian restaurant. And then went to Niagara Falls. One of the most amazing places I have ever seen in my life. We walked down by the bottom and right up to the falls, once back to the top I farther down. I and a friend found a path that went off the track and went on it. Bad idea for me I fell right on my butt, getting all muddy. But it was worth it. Once it got dark the lights came on and it was amazing. The colors looked so pretty. But after a long night we had to get up early in the morning to get back in Tomah the next day. It all started good the next day we were on the road again. Until a tire went flat on the van, it was horrible. On the middle of the interstate we had to change a tire. We lost a lot of time but made it up as we ate in the car. The trip was a blast from the times in the car to the Vacation Bible School. I got to see another part of the country that I would never see with all of my friends again. It was a blast and would love to go again. Mission trips are a fun way to meet and help people all at once.

Tinkering school

Have you ever looked back at what you had when you where growing up compared to now. Children these days have little cars, I pods, and DVD’s. I remember just playing bored games, or with a piece of wood and some nails, or house in the calf shed. It is amazing how much more children have now. Most children these days don’t even know how to use a hammer or a nail. But Gever Tulley is starting to change that with Tinkering school. Exploring your mind and using dangerous things. That is what the motto is at Tinkering school. Gever and his wife work to teach young children what a hammer, nail, and screwdriver are and how to use them.
Some children these days are so sheltered that they don’t even know what a nail is or have never touched a piece of wood. They don’t get out of the house and see what they can do with a plastic bag. In Gever’s video on TED he explains how children use plastic bags to make a bridge that can hold there own weight. Also he explains that everything does not always turn out the why it is to. Even after all the drawings and planning it does not work out, but the kids do not give up, they turn to creativity in paint and markers by making the project into a canvas.
One of the most amazing projects I saw on the TED video was the roller coaster. There are not many seven year olds that can go into their first day of school and say they built a roller coaster this summer. And not just a small roller coaster, but one that can have a person ride on it and works. This is one project that turned out great, seeing the smiles on the kids faces and the feeling that they achieved something.
Watching this video has made me want to go out to a camp and help. I love working with my hands and seeing the smiles on children’s faces. I am amazed about all the time and patients that the leaders put into the projects; it cannot be easy to work with 7 year olds when something does not go their way. It is amazing what Gever has done with his time and life and I hope that he continues to make more Tinkering schools.