Today's creative complex is another writing prompt.
This time, you are climbing a pine tree. You climb higher and higher and higher, but you still don't get to the top. What happens next?
Spruce Nogard
Attributions:
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Creative Complex: Climbing Trees
Good Day, Friends!
Today's creative complex is another writing prompt.
This time, you are climbing a pine tree. You climb higher and higher and higher, but you still don't get to the top. What happens next?
Today's creative complex is another writing prompt.
This time, you are climbing a pine tree. You climb higher and higher and higher, but you still don't get to the top. What happens next?
Monday, June 27, 2016
My Writing: The Adventures of Emily Hattinkson: The Terrible Tumble
Greetings, Friends!
This week is an odd week. It is the fifth (at least I'm counting it as the fifth) week in June. My blog schedule is for four weeks only, so this week is extra. So, I'm going to share a story I've written with you.
Thank you for reading my story, Friends! On Friday, Dragomir will be doing another guest post!
This week is an odd week. It is the fifth (at least I'm counting it as the fifth) week in June. My blog schedule is for four weeks only, so this week is extra. So, I'm going to share a story I've written with you.
Once upon a time, there was a girl who
rode the city bus every day to school. She was an ordinary girl, but
even extraordinary things happen to ordinary people sometimes. The
first time she rode the bus, there were many new faces. All were
adults going off to work, and she was terrified she would miss her
stop, get lost, and be stuck on the bus forever. Maybe she would be
on the bus so long, she would become a ghost, and wander that same
bus for all of eternity.
However, this was not the case, as she asked a benevolent
young woman when to get off, and successfully made it to school.
This was the first of her many
adventures aboard the city bus, and goodness, how many she would
have. On this particular day, she was studying the “usuals;” what she called the
people who were on the bus mostly every day. There was the
grandma-ish lady with graying hair (her nametag said Nancy), and she
worked at a hospital, and the older lady with curly blond hair;
Charles the Accountant, the “Jodi Picoult” lady, named because
she always read Jodi Picoult books, the lady with the bright pink
Kindle and shoes that clopped, the man who read, the lady as old as
the hills (she really did look like it), the young man with the
yellow winter coat, the man only as tall as she was, and the lady
that walked fast. Every day, people were bleary-eyed and tired,
dozing off in their suits and fine clothing. Conversations rarely
started, but when they did, she found them irritating, for they
caused too much noise at too early an hour. Today, she was sitting at
the very front of the bus, in one of the sets of three seats that
faced each other, and, with such an awful lot of things to carry,
what with schoolwork and an instrument, it was a bit of an ordeal.
Her bus whizzed along the highway
quite confidently, being a commuter bus, and having the privilege to
use the shoulder. On this route, few turns existed, but, the turns
that did exist were harrowing. She was ever afraid she would fall,
and, this day, she actually did. She fell with her knees over her
instrument, which had also fallen, and the floor scraped her hands,
although barely. She got up quickly, righted her instrument, and
struggled not to be embarrassed. Nancy, the hospital lady asked if
she was all right, and then put her foot in front of the girl's
instrument so the girl could focus on keeping her balance. When she
left the bus, she was glad she had time to regain her dignity.
This is the first of the many adventures of
Emily Hattinkson.
Do you like to write?
Spruce Nogard
Attributions:
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Genre of the Month: Realistic Fiction
Hello, Friends!
This month's genre is realistic fiction.
Realistic fiction takes place in the real world, with things that actually can happen in the real world, but is fiction. Therefore, magic is not in any realistic fiction books, or scientific advances that haven't taken place yet. Another way to put it is realistic fiction can happen now.
I haven't read much realistic fiction, but one book I read that I did like was Wreath, by Judy Christie.
Wreath is about a girl who's mom just died of cancer, and with no other living relatives, she has to go to social services. However, she doesn't want to go to social services, so instead she moves to a different town and tries to make a living. She has to avoid getting caught by authorities that will make her go to social services. . . but can she?
I wouldn't have liked it if the book spent too much time on Wreath's mom's death because it would make me too sad. However, there still is a part where Wreath's mom dies, so use your better judgement.
Do you like realistic fiction? Why?
This month's genre is realistic fiction.
Realistic fiction takes place in the real world, with things that actually can happen in the real world, but is fiction. Therefore, magic is not in any realistic fiction books, or scientific advances that haven't taken place yet. Another way to put it is realistic fiction can happen now.I haven't read much realistic fiction, but one book I read that I did like was Wreath, by Judy Christie.
Wreath is about a girl who's mom just died of cancer, and with no other living relatives, she has to go to social services. However, she doesn't want to go to social services, so instead she moves to a different town and tries to make a living. She has to avoid getting caught by authorities that will make her go to social services. . . but can she?
I wouldn't have liked it if the book spent too much time on Wreath's mom's death because it would make me too sad. However, there still is a part where Wreath's mom dies, so use your better judgement.
Do you like realistic fiction? Why?
Spruce Nogard
Attributions:
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Creative Complex: Character Constructing: Minor Character
Hello, Friends!
Today's character constructing is a little different. Instead of me giving you information to create a character, I want you to find information to create a character. Here's what I mean. Pick any book or movie you like. Then, pick a very minor character in it. For example, if the main character in a book/movie is in a marketplace, and sees a clown juggling, a boy stealing bread, and a lady buying apples, you would pick one of those characters and create their background/story. However, the characters can't be major characters in the book/movie/play/etc.
As always, have fun!
Today's character constructing is a little different. Instead of me giving you information to create a character, I want you to find information to create a character. Here's what I mean. Pick any book or movie you like. Then, pick a very minor character in it. For example, if the main character in a book/movie is in a marketplace, and sees a clown juggling, a boy stealing bread, and a lady buying apples, you would pick one of those characters and create their background/story. However, the characters can't be major characters in the book/movie/play/etc.
As always, have fun!
Spruce Nogard
Attributions:
Monday, June 20, 2016
On My Mind: Zootopia
Hello, Animal-Lovers!
Today, Zootopia is on my mind.
How many of you have seen Zootopia? How many of you liked it? I know it's a kids movie, but that doesn't mean we can't like it. :)
Zootopia is about a place where animals live in harmony, whether prey or predator. The story is about a rabbit, Judy Hopps, who fulfills her life's dream: to become the first rabbit police officer. Meanwhile, animals in the city of Zootopia are disappearing. The police force is having trouble finding them, but then Officer Hopps takes the case. The rest of the police force is less than thrilled. Meanwhile, Officer Hopps has to work with Nicholas Wilde, a fox who isn't always on the right side of the law, go to a naturalist club (the animals don't wear clothes!), deal with some very slow sloths, and much more!
Sorry, but because it's copyrighted, I can't put any pictures of the movie here. Here's a link, though:
http://img.lum.dolimg.com/v1/images/products_zootopia_digitalhd_5f05fae6.png
Zootopia is a great movie with wonderful morals. I would tell you about them, but that would give you plot spoilers, and, if you've already seen the movie, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I love Zootopia for three reasons:
Go watch it, then comment below. What did you like about it? Were there things you think they could have done better?
Today, Zootopia is on my mind.
How many of you have seen Zootopia? How many of you liked it? I know it's a kids movie, but that doesn't mean we can't like it. :)
Zootopia is about a place where animals live in harmony, whether prey or predator. The story is about a rabbit, Judy Hopps, who fulfills her life's dream: to become the first rabbit police officer. Meanwhile, animals in the city of Zootopia are disappearing. The police force is having trouble finding them, but then Officer Hopps takes the case. The rest of the police force is less than thrilled. Meanwhile, Officer Hopps has to work with Nicholas Wilde, a fox who isn't always on the right side of the law, go to a naturalist club (the animals don't wear clothes!), deal with some very slow sloths, and much more!
Sorry, but because it's copyrighted, I can't put any pictures of the movie here. Here's a link, though:
http://img.lum.dolimg.com/v1/images/products_zootopia_digitalhd_5f05fae6.png
Zootopia is a great movie with wonderful morals. I would tell you about them, but that would give you plot spoilers, and, if you've already seen the movie, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I love Zootopia for three reasons:
- As I said earlier, it has great morals and lessons
- It has an intriguing plot
- It parallels real society very well (in my opinion)
Go watch it, then comment below. What did you like about it? Were there things you think they could have done better?
Spruce Nogard
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Dragons: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Good Day, Friends!
Today, we are going to talk about the view of dragons in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. These books are: Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons. I recommend them, and, as with pretty much any book I mention, shall have to write a post about them sometime.
In The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, dragons are another race. They are equal to witches, wizards, humans, etc. They have their own government system, and are not tied to humans, like they are in the view of dragons taken in The Inheritance Cycle, by Christopher Paolini. (To read that post, click here.)
They are very smart. When they are young, they do not have a gender; they get to decide their gender when they get older (Females get three horns, males get two). Also, you must be very polite to dragons because, after all, they're dragons. Also, it's good to be polite to anyone. :)
Which view of dragons do you like better: The Inheritance Cycle's (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance) or The Enchanted Forest Chronicles?
Comment Below!
Today, we are going to talk about the view of dragons in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. These books are: Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons. I recommend them, and, as with pretty much any book I mention, shall have to write a post about them sometime.
They are very smart. When they are young, they do not have a gender; they get to decide their gender when they get older (Females get three horns, males get two). Also, you must be very polite to dragons because, after all, they're dragons. Also, it's good to be polite to anyone. :)
Which view of dragons do you like better: The Inheritance Cycle's (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance) or The Enchanted Forest Chronicles?
Comment Below!
Spruce Nogard
Attributions:
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Creative Complex: Imagine Words
Hello, Friends,
Creative
Imaginative
Artistic
Inventive
Grow
Raise
Cultivate
Garden
Dragon
Pixie
Sea Serpent
Phoenix
Story
Novel
World
Words
After you have picked one of the words, twist it to make it a new word. It can be a new word, or a word you made up.
You can twist it pretty much any way you want. Here are some ideas:
Artistic backwards is Citsitra. Keet-seet-ruh. I think it sounds pretty.
Words scrambled is Sword.
Have fun!
Today, pick one of the following words:
CreativeArtistic
Inventive
Grow
Raise
Cultivate
Garden
Dragon
Pixie
Sea Serpent
Phoenix
Story
Novel
World
Words
After you have picked one of the words, twist it to make it a new word. It can be a new word, or a word you made up.
You can twist it pretty much any way you want. Here are some ideas:
- Say it backwards
- Scramble
- Combine more than one word
- Anything you can think of!
- P.S. Does it have a definition?
Artistic backwards is Citsitra. Keet-seet-ruh. I think it sounds pretty.
Words scrambled is Sword.
Have fun!
Spruce Nogard
Attributions:
Monday, June 13, 2016
Books: Favorites: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Come, Friends. Come hear about one of the wonderful books of the world.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, is an amazing book.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret is about a boy who lives in a train station in Paris, in 1931. He runs the clocks in the train station, and has a journal full of interesting drawings. As we follow Hugo, we meet Isabelle, a girl who loves to read, and an old man who runs a toy booth. There is a slight hint of mystery to the book, but it is not an absolute mystery novel. The book is told through words and pictures; if you skip the pictures you miss part of the story.
What I love about the book is that it is told in words and pictures. I haven't read any other book told in both words and pictures. I have read books only in pictures, and of course, only in words, but never in both. The story was also amazing.
I love this book. Have you, Friends, read it? Do you like it? What do you like about it?
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, is an amazing book.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret is about a boy who lives in a train station in Paris, in 1931. He runs the clocks in the train station, and has a journal full of interesting drawings. As we follow Hugo, we meet Isabelle, a girl who loves to read, and an old man who runs a toy booth. There is a slight hint of mystery to the book, but it is not an absolute mystery novel. The book is told through words and pictures; if you skip the pictures you miss part of the story.What I love about the book is that it is told in words and pictures. I haven't read any other book told in both words and pictures. I have read books only in pictures, and of course, only in words, but never in both. The story was also amazing.
I love this book. Have you, Friends, read it? Do you like it? What do you like about it?
Spruce Nogard
Source:
Attributions:
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Gardening: Small Start
Wonderful Weather, my Fine Friends!
Today, we will take another glimpse at my gardens, and if you want, you can share yours in the comments.
It is only the beginning of June, so where I live, plants are just getting started. I prefer to start my plants from seed, for various reasons. I'll have to write about that some other time. However, I do make exceptions, as most of my herbs I got as plants from the store.
My veggies, (particularly my tomatoes), so far, are very small. This is perfectly fine with me, however. As you can see, my tomatoes are two to three inches tall and look like they will never grow. They are off to a small start.
(By the way the chicken wire is to keep animals out of my gardens.)
Like many things in life, when things start small, it's hard to trust that they will grow, becoming something bigger and better. Last year, when I first started gardening, my tomatoes started off the same size as the ones this year. It would have been easy for me to give up. After all, how could something that small ever produce something as big as a tomato?
Last year, though, we had about 400 tomatoes from five tomato plants. I started them all from seed.
By the way, this picture was taken about half- to three quarters-of the way through the summer--the plants don't have any red tomatoes yet, but if you look closely, you can see very big green ones.
Anyways. . .
In today's age, we want to be able to predict everything. We order things online, asking: When will my sister's present arrive? When will my new book get here? And we get answers. Fourteen days. Five days. If you become a member, two days.
We plan everything, from what we're doing this summer to what we eat. But some things can't be planned. They're not predictable. They don't follow a pattern. Those things, though, are just as important in our lives.
So, how do you know the barely three-inch seedlings that haven't grown for two weeks will survive?
You don't.
Sometimes, you just have to trust.
Today, we will take another glimpse at my gardens, and if you want, you can share yours in the comments.
It is only the beginning of June, so where I live, plants are just getting started. I prefer to start my plants from seed, for various reasons. I'll have to write about that some other time. However, I do make exceptions, as most of my herbs I got as plants from the store.
My veggies, (particularly my tomatoes), so far, are very small. This is perfectly fine with me, however. As you can see, my tomatoes are two to three inches tall and look like they will never grow. They are off to a small start.
 |
| My tomatoes in proportion to the rest of the bed (circled) |
(By the way the chicken wire is to keep animals out of my gardens.)
Last year, though, we had about 400 tomatoes from five tomato plants. I started them all from seed.
 |
| Last Year's Tomatoes--in the same size bed |
By the way, this picture was taken about half- to three quarters-of the way through the summer--the plants don't have any red tomatoes yet, but if you look closely, you can see very big green ones.
Anyways. . .
In today's age, we want to be able to predict everything. We order things online, asking: When will my sister's present arrive? When will my new book get here? And we get answers. Fourteen days. Five days. If you become a member, two days.
We plan everything, from what we're doing this summer to what we eat. But some things can't be planned. They're not predictable. They don't follow a pattern. Those things, though, are just as important in our lives.
So, how do you know the barely three-inch seedlings that haven't grown for two weeks will survive?
You don't.
Sometimes, you just have to trust.
Spruce Nogard
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Creative Complex: If and Only If
Hello, Friends!
Here is a fun activity that can take as few as thirty seconds. Unlike usual, you can just think of it in your head, instead of feeling like you have to write it down.
Here is the activity:
, if and only if .
The first blank should be a character. The second blank should be an action. The third blank should be a condition.
Here are some examples:
Cinderella, you can go to the ball if and only if you pick one bowl of lentils out of the ashes in one hour.
Daughter, you can marry your love, a commoner, if and only if you go to the four corners of the earth and bring me a feather from the right wing of each of the four winds.
Have fun! Leave a comment, creative and/or silly, of what you came up with below!
Here is a fun activity that can take as few as thirty seconds. Unlike usual, you can just think of it in your head, instead of feeling like you have to write it down.
Here is the activity:
, if and only if .
The first blank should be a character. The second blank should be an action. The third blank should be a condition.
Here are some examples:
Cinderella, you can go to the ball if and only if you pick one bowl of lentils out of the ashes in one hour.
Daughter, you can marry your love, a commoner, if and only if you go to the four corners of the earth and bring me a feather from the right wing of each of the four winds.
Have fun! Leave a comment, creative and/or silly, of what you came up with below!
Spruce Nogard
Attributions:
Monday, June 6, 2016
Recipes: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Hello, Pie-Lovers!
Here is a recipe for a simpler version of strawberry-rhubarb pie. We always used to have strawberry-rhubarb pie when I was young, and it is one of my favorites. Here is a recipe from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/12612/rhubarb-and-strawberry-pie/
Ingredients:
Directions:
Here is a recipe for a simpler version of strawberry-rhubarb pie. We always used to have strawberry-rhubarb pie when I was young, and it is one of my favorites. Here is a recipe from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/12612/rhubarb-and-strawberry-pie/
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- In a large bowl, mix flour and sugar. Add strawberries and chopped rhubarb. Toss with sugar and flour and let stand for 30 minutes.
- Pour filling into pie crust. Dot top with butter, and cover with top crust. Seal edges of top and bottom crust with water.
- Apply yolk to top of pie, using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut small holes in top to let steam escape.
- Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly and brown. Cool on rack.
Friday, June 3, 2016
Writing: Fairy Tales: Fairy tale Twists
Hello, Fantastical Creatures,
Today, we are talking about fairy tale "twists." At least, I like to call them twists. A fairy tale twist is where someone takes a classic fairy tale and changes a few things, but keeps the original story, to make it different. Examples of these are: Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, and many others. Princess of the Midnight Ball is a twist on "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." Cinder, the first in The Lunar Chronicles, is a twist on Cinderella. What fairy tale twists have you read?
Today, we are talking about fairy tale "twists." At least, I like to call them twists. A fairy tale twist is where someone takes a classic fairy tale and changes a few things, but keeps the original story, to make it different. Examples of these are: Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, and many others. Princess of the Midnight Ball is a twist on "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." Cinder, the first in The Lunar Chronicles, is a twist on Cinderella. What fairy tale twists have you read?
Spruce Nogard
Attributions:
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Creative Complex: Monster
Good Day, Friends!
Tonight, as you are laying in bed,
you hear a sinister scratching coming from your closet. What happens
next?
This prompt reminds me of a Veggietales song. Veggietales is a show for younger kids teaching them morals. It is Christian, but the song fits very well with this prompt. :)
Spruce Nogard
Attributions:
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