“Today’s the day, girls,” Briana exclaimed. “Are you ready?”
We were all piling into the van to go to the state Track and Field meet. Greta, Lisa, Briana, and I all got into the van and started our 100 mile journey to St. Paul. We also had to take Aaron and Jacob along. It was not fun getting into the van with seven other people and having to sit by Jacob the whole ride there.
“O my gosh, Dani, move over,” Aaron said. “You’re taking up all of the seat.”
“No, you move over, Aaron. I don’t have any room at all.”
“Guys, stop fighting and move over because I hardly have any room,” Jacob exclaimed.
Once everyone had gotten situated, I listened to music and read books the rest of the way. Sometimes I would stop and think about running in the race. I was in the 4 by 100 meter relay and ran second. I got a little scared every time I would think about running. I didn’t want to let my teammates down.
When we got to Hamline University where the meet was held, we checked in and had to sit around for a while because our race wasn’t for a long time.
“This is so boring,” Greta exclaimed. “Hey, there’s someone I know. I’m going to go over and talk to her.
“What are we supposed to do for another hour?” I asked as I looked though the papers that we got for the third time. “There is absolutely nothing to do.”
A few minutes later, Rich, our coach, came up to us.
“Are you all ready to run? You should start warming up in about an hour.”
“Yeah,” we all sighed with little enthusiasm.
An hour later, we were out on the track practicing our hand-offs and stretching. 4:30 came and we went to report to the tent where we are given instructions. When the guy was finished talking, we went to our positions on the track and got ready. I got my mark on the track and waited nervously for the start of the race.
When the gun went off, I got ready to run as soon as I got the baton. When Lisa handed the baton off to me, I ran with all my heart to Greta. At the end of the race, I found out that we got sixth place, good enough to get into the finals the next day. We were all estatic. We stayed for a little while longer then we went back to the hotel.
“Guys, I hope we don’t get a room with a door that leads outside. That would freak me out,” Greta complained.
Fortunately, we did not get a room like that . There was a pool in the hotel so we all went down there for a while, then went back to our room and went to sleep.
The next morning, we got up and got ready to go shopping since we didn’t have to run until later.
“Everybody check your eyes to make sure you have both of your contacts,” Greta suddenly exclaimed. “Because there is one laying on the counter that is all dried up.”
“I think that contact is mine,” claimed Lisa. “And I didn’t bring any extras along. What am I going to do?”
She finally decided just to wear her glasses until the race and then just have the one in for the race.
Unfortunately while we were shopping, it started raining. We were all so disappointed because nobody likes to run a race in the rain.
We shopped for a couple of hours and took pictures in a picture booth. It was so fun.
“Okay, let’s go warm up around the track upstairs,” Briana declared once we got there. “That way we can watch Aaron do high jump.”
We did warm-ups and stretches for a while and found someone we knew and talked to her for a while.
When it was time for our race, we headed outside to the tent to talk about the race. When I got out to my starting place, they handed out bags to put our warm ups in but I couldn’t get it open so I just laid my clothes on top of the bag.
As soon as our race was over, we went to get our medal for sixth place. It was so awesome!
Once everyone had taken pictures of us, we headed inside to the high jump area.
“Hey, Dani, nice job,” someone told me.
I looked up and I saw it was Brian Bonnema from school.
“Thanks,” I replied.
While we were watching Aaron jump, we had to take more pictures and show everyone our medals.
Finally, once Aaron was done, we started home.
“Where do we want to stop to eat?” Rich asked. “Aaron, you get to pick.”
“Let’s go to Fudruckers. I love that place,” Aaron replied.
After a couple of wrong turns and mixed up directions, we arrived there and had an amazing meal.
“You have to pose for a couple of more pictures,” my mom declared. “All of you, right in front of the restaurant.”
Once we were finally finished with pictures, we headed for home. Briana and I had the whole van to ourselves because everyone else went home with their parents. It was then that I learned that Briana had almost missed our race. She just jumped over the fence onto the track when the gun went off. It was a good thing she made it.
I know that I will never forget this experience. It makes me strive even harder every year so I can go again. Some people might say “Wow, you made it to State.” But it’s especially amazing because I was only a seventh grader running with two seniors and a junior. What was even more special was that I got to run with my sister.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Abby
Abigail Wynd Zwart. I could go on and on about all of the good times we have had together, but I will only write a page and a half. We have had so many fun and exciting times together it’s hard to choose which ones to talk about. I am also going to describe Abby to you.
Abby was born on November 29, 1996 to Steve and Angela Zwart. She has one older brother and four younger brothers. She also has one younger sister. She comes from a very big family and is the second oldest. When it comes to who will baby-sit them, Abby usually gets to do the honors. She has a lot of responsibility being the oldest of the two girls, but she can handle it.
Abby and I are kind of different, but we get along so well. She is in eighth grade while I am in ninth grade. Even though we are on almost opposite ends of the school, I still see her every day. Whenever I get the chance, I will go down to her hallway and talk with her. It is usually during breaks that I go and talk to her. Some days I only get to see her once, but most of the time it’s three or four times a day. There are a lot of other ways we are different from each other. She has brown hair and brown eyes. I have blonde hair and blue eyes. She plays soccer, basketball, and softball. I am in volleyball, basketball, and track. Abby is more of an outgoing person. She can go up and talk to almost anyone. I could never do that. I am a little more shy. I could keep going on but I won’t.
We have a lot in common as well. We both love basketball and play on summer leagues. In general, we both love almost any kind of sport. Both of us play three sports during the school year, one for every season. Abby and I are both athletic and about the same height. Our birthdays are also in the same great month, November. We love hanging out with friends and hate it when we have homework. We both go to CMCS and have a lot of the same friends even though Abby is younger. Both of us have to baby-sit too. She baby-sits her family and I do it for others.
Basketball season was a blast for both of us. Practices were so much fun. On the way to games, we would sit by each other and make up funny things. A lot of times, one of us would say something that didn’t make sense and would tease each other about it for a long time. We would also do that during volleyball season. She was in soccer so she would come to games when she could. During the varsity games, we would sit by each other and do weird things. We would make up silly things or walk around acting strange. I’m sure a lot of people thought that, but we didn’t care. Bus rides home were pretty intense most of the time. It was then that a lot of crazy things happened. When we were both so tired we couldn’t think or talk right. We would tell stories and get the wording all mixed up and tease each other about it. We would laugh about things that weren’t even funny and play fun games. Sometimes when we would get back to school, I would go with Abby to put the med. kit away. The school can be pretty creepy when it’s all dark and we are telling scary stories.
When I was in Knowledge Bowl last year, we had so much fun together. We would always be on the same team together and would do really well. One time, I was on a team of three. Abby, Courtney, and I. We were in the fourth room and at the end of that round, we moved up the the third room. That next round, Courtney had to leave so it was just Abby and me. Even thought we were the only ones on the team, we did good. We always did weird things. We would play card games and get really into them. It could get pretty crazy. It was always to fun, even though we had to get up early. I have so many other Knowledge Bowl stories but there wouldn’t be enough room to write it all.
Abby is such an amazing person and friend. There are so many stories and memories we have together. She can always make my day by reminding me of funny stories. Even when I see her, my day gets better. I know that she will always be my friend.
Abby was born on November 29, 1996 to Steve and Angela Zwart. She has one older brother and four younger brothers. She also has one younger sister. She comes from a very big family and is the second oldest. When it comes to who will baby-sit them, Abby usually gets to do the honors. She has a lot of responsibility being the oldest of the two girls, but she can handle it.
Abby and I are kind of different, but we get along so well. She is in eighth grade while I am in ninth grade. Even though we are on almost opposite ends of the school, I still see her every day. Whenever I get the chance, I will go down to her hallway and talk with her. It is usually during breaks that I go and talk to her. Some days I only get to see her once, but most of the time it’s three or four times a day. There are a lot of other ways we are different from each other. She has brown hair and brown eyes. I have blonde hair and blue eyes. She plays soccer, basketball, and softball. I am in volleyball, basketball, and track. Abby is more of an outgoing person. She can go up and talk to almost anyone. I could never do that. I am a little more shy. I could keep going on but I won’t.
We have a lot in common as well. We both love basketball and play on summer leagues. In general, we both love almost any kind of sport. Both of us play three sports during the school year, one for every season. Abby and I are both athletic and about the same height. Our birthdays are also in the same great month, November. We love hanging out with friends and hate it when we have homework. We both go to CMCS and have a lot of the same friends even though Abby is younger. Both of us have to baby-sit too. She baby-sits her family and I do it for others.
Basketball season was a blast for both of us. Practices were so much fun. On the way to games, we would sit by each other and make up funny things. A lot of times, one of us would say something that didn’t make sense and would tease each other about it for a long time. We would also do that during volleyball season. She was in soccer so she would come to games when she could. During the varsity games, we would sit by each other and do weird things. We would make up silly things or walk around acting strange. I’m sure a lot of people thought that, but we didn’t care. Bus rides home were pretty intense most of the time. It was then that a lot of crazy things happened. When we were both so tired we couldn’t think or talk right. We would tell stories and get the wording all mixed up and tease each other about it. We would laugh about things that weren’t even funny and play fun games. Sometimes when we would get back to school, I would go with Abby to put the med. kit away. The school can be pretty creepy when it’s all dark and we are telling scary stories.
When I was in Knowledge Bowl last year, we had so much fun together. We would always be on the same team together and would do really well. One time, I was on a team of three. Abby, Courtney, and I. We were in the fourth room and at the end of that round, we moved up the the third room. That next round, Courtney had to leave so it was just Abby and me. Even thought we were the only ones on the team, we did good. We always did weird things. We would play card games and get really into them. It could get pretty crazy. It was always to fun, even though we had to get up early. I have so many other Knowledge Bowl stories but there wouldn’t be enough room to write it all.
Abby is such an amazing person and friend. There are so many stories and memories we have together. She can always make my day by reminding me of funny stories. Even when I see her, my day gets better. I know that she will always be my friend.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Hand sanitizers
This is your situation. You are late for a meeting and have just eaten lunch. Your hands are dirty and you need to wash them. Do you use a quick hand sanitizer or wash your hands with soap and water? Are hand sanitizers really effective, or is it just in your head?
If you choose to go with quick and easy hand sanitizers, you have to know how to use it correctly so it is effective. When you put it on your hands, your hands have to stay wet with the sanitizer for at least 30 seconds to one minute. If you just put a little bit on you hands and it dries right away, you didn’t get enough. You are supposed to use 3-4 ml at least. If you use any less, it won’t be effective and it won’t kill the germs. When you put the sanitizer on your hands, your hands can’t be really soiled or dirty. If there is actual dirt on your hands, it won’t really get your hands clean. In that situation, you should use soap and water which is what I think really works. But if you do use hand sanitizers, you should always use them in addition to using soap and water.
If you decide to use hand sanitizers, you should always make sure that it works. There are different kinds of sanitizers. You should always use ones that have at least 60% alcohol in it. Many hand sanitizers that the public use have less than that. That is why I don’t use them. They don’t get your hands totally clean and very few contain 60% alcohol. When you buy hand sanitizers, check the bottle to see if it has enough alcohol in it. Many of the scented ones don’t have alcohol in them so they don’t get your hands clean at all. There are some brands that are better than others so I would suggest spending a little more money on a better brand if you feel like it cleans your hands. Some of the best kinds to get are Purell, Germ-X, and the Bath and Body Works brand. Those are the ones that have 60% or more alcohol in them and work better.
There are many people who use hand sanitizers all the time. If you work in a hospital or a care center, they can definitely reduce the spread of germs from one patent to another. If you are sick or get sick a lot, sanitizing your hands might help lower the spread of germs around you. People who live alone and have no kids will get the most out of using hand sanitizers because there aren’t as many people around. If you live in a household with a lot of people, using soap and water might work the best.
So, does sanitizing your hands every five minutes really protect you from getting sick and killing germs? Most researchers who have studied this topic say that they kill the most important germs. But the real decision is up to you. Some people don’t think it helps. That is also what I think. Whatever your choice is, you should always wash your hands with soap and water to get the real clean. I personally think that using soap and water is the best choice. I don’t think that using hand sanitizers really gets your hands clean. You should really use soap and water whenever you wash your hands.
If you choose to go with quick and easy hand sanitizers, you have to know how to use it correctly so it is effective. When you put it on your hands, your hands have to stay wet with the sanitizer for at least 30 seconds to one minute. If you just put a little bit on you hands and it dries right away, you didn’t get enough. You are supposed to use 3-4 ml at least. If you use any less, it won’t be effective and it won’t kill the germs. When you put the sanitizer on your hands, your hands can’t be really soiled or dirty. If there is actual dirt on your hands, it won’t really get your hands clean. In that situation, you should use soap and water which is what I think really works. But if you do use hand sanitizers, you should always use them in addition to using soap and water.
If you decide to use hand sanitizers, you should always make sure that it works. There are different kinds of sanitizers. You should always use ones that have at least 60% alcohol in it. Many hand sanitizers that the public use have less than that. That is why I don’t use them. They don’t get your hands totally clean and very few contain 60% alcohol. When you buy hand sanitizers, check the bottle to see if it has enough alcohol in it. Many of the scented ones don’t have alcohol in them so they don’t get your hands clean at all. There are some brands that are better than others so I would suggest spending a little more money on a better brand if you feel like it cleans your hands. Some of the best kinds to get are Purell, Germ-X, and the Bath and Body Works brand. Those are the ones that have 60% or more alcohol in them and work better.
There are many people who use hand sanitizers all the time. If you work in a hospital or a care center, they can definitely reduce the spread of germs from one patent to another. If you are sick or get sick a lot, sanitizing your hands might help lower the spread of germs around you. People who live alone and have no kids will get the most out of using hand sanitizers because there aren’t as many people around. If you live in a household with a lot of people, using soap and water might work the best.
So, does sanitizing your hands every five minutes really protect you from getting sick and killing germs? Most researchers who have studied this topic say that they kill the most important germs. But the real decision is up to you. Some people don’t think it helps. That is also what I think. Whatever your choice is, you should always wash your hands with soap and water to get the real clean. I personally think that using soap and water is the best choice. I don’t think that using hand sanitizers really gets your hands clean. You should really use soap and water whenever you wash your hands.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Last Song-book review(revised)
Ronnie is faced with a lot of hard decisions to make in The Last Song, written by Nicholas Sparks. This fictional book shows you how Ronnie delt with divorce and seeing her father again after a long time. She has to deal with having her heart broken many different times and trying to trust her father again.
In the story, when Ronnie arrives at her father’s place, on the beach, she finds a turtle nest and wants to protect it. She sleeps out there for a couple of nights just to make sure nothing comes to eat the eggs. One night while she was sitting there, Will, a boy she had met earlier, comes and sits by her. They start to talk and get to know each other. She finds out that Will recently broke up with his girlfriend. At first, Ronnie doesn’t really like him but when she found out that he works at the aquarium in town, she wants to know what to do for the turtle eggs.
On the first day there, Ronnie also met a guy named Marcus. Marcus and his friends let her come along with them. As Ronnie hangs out with them more and more, Marcus begins to like her. He and his friends weren’t the nicest people. They partied almost every night and regularly got in trouble with the authorities. Ronnie didn’t do those things and didn’t really like Marcus and his group but they were the only people she knew. As soon as Will found out that Marcus liked her, he tried to tell her that Marcus would just hurt her if she dated him.
Ronnie eventually found out that Will was right about Marcus. She and Will started dating after that. All throughout their relationship, Marcus tried to make Ronnie turn against Will. He digs up all the bad things that Will has ever done and tells Ronnie about them. He wants Ronnie to date him instead of Will. At the end of the summer, Ronnie and Will have to decide where they are going once the summer is over. They agree that where ever they go, they will always keep in touch and he would come back to visit her as much as he could.
Ronnie is also faced with playing the piano again after quitting so many years ago. She had quit because she was mad at her dad for leaving them. She said that she would never play again. Her dad was the one who had taught her how to play so when he left, she wanted to get rid of everything that reminded her of him. Every day at her dad’s house, she would hear him play until one day she got so mad and told her dad she never wanted to see or hear the piano for as long as she lived. Steve, her dad, honors her wishes and puts up plywood around the piano so she couldn’t see it and so he couldn’t play it.
Toward the end of the story, Ronnie finds out that her dad is sick and might die. When she heard that, she knew she had to play the piano again. Her father had been working on a song and Ronnie would sometimes go in and help him on it. She had always been the song writer.
Steve had also been working on a stained glass window for the church down the road. A couple of years ago, some boys had started the church on fire. In the fire, the previous window had gotten broken. Steve had taken on the task on making a new one. Ronnie, her little brother, Jonah, and Will all started working on it for him even when he couldn’t help.
On the last page of the book, Ronnie is sitting in the church after they put in the new stained glass window and she thinks about what was happened during the summer. As she is sitting there, the sun comes through the window and she hopes that someone would sit right where she is now and see the beauty in the window. She wonders if anyone will wonder about the window and ask who made it.
I really liked the setting of the story. Sparks describes it perfectly. There were so many good details in the story that made it come to life. It felt like I was really there, like I was experiencing everything Ronnie and her friends were. I could almost feel the wind in my hair as I was reading the book. I felt like I was happy when she was happy, and sad when she was sad. I felt all of her emotions. Whenever she would break up with Will, I wanted to tell her she should stay. I wanted to be right where she was and do whatever she was doing. Ronnie really changed through out the story. In the beginning, she couldn’t even stand being around her dad but as the story went on, Ronnie discovered that her dad wasn’t that bad. She also changed throughout her relationships. She learned to have better judgment on boys she dated. She learned to have better friends and not to listen to everything she hears. In the beginning of the book, she was kind of naive about a lot different things like her father, but eventually learned more about her dad and about herself.
If you like romantic books, then you will definitely love The Last Song. It has a lot of twists in it that will keep you guessing. There is a lot of breaking hearts, finding love, and second chances. Even if you don’t like books that are full of drama, you will love The Last Song. It will keep you intrigued until the very last page.
In the story, when Ronnie arrives at her father’s place, on the beach, she finds a turtle nest and wants to protect it. She sleeps out there for a couple of nights just to make sure nothing comes to eat the eggs. One night while she was sitting there, Will, a boy she had met earlier, comes and sits by her. They start to talk and get to know each other. She finds out that Will recently broke up with his girlfriend. At first, Ronnie doesn’t really like him but when she found out that he works at the aquarium in town, she wants to know what to do for the turtle eggs.
On the first day there, Ronnie also met a guy named Marcus. Marcus and his friends let her come along with them. As Ronnie hangs out with them more and more, Marcus begins to like her. He and his friends weren’t the nicest people. They partied almost every night and regularly got in trouble with the authorities. Ronnie didn’t do those things and didn’t really like Marcus and his group but they were the only people she knew. As soon as Will found out that Marcus liked her, he tried to tell her that Marcus would just hurt her if she dated him.
Ronnie eventually found out that Will was right about Marcus. She and Will started dating after that. All throughout their relationship, Marcus tried to make Ronnie turn against Will. He digs up all the bad things that Will has ever done and tells Ronnie about them. He wants Ronnie to date him instead of Will. At the end of the summer, Ronnie and Will have to decide where they are going once the summer is over. They agree that where ever they go, they will always keep in touch and he would come back to visit her as much as he could.
Ronnie is also faced with playing the piano again after quitting so many years ago. She had quit because she was mad at her dad for leaving them. She said that she would never play again. Her dad was the one who had taught her how to play so when he left, she wanted to get rid of everything that reminded her of him. Every day at her dad’s house, she would hear him play until one day she got so mad and told her dad she never wanted to see or hear the piano for as long as she lived. Steve, her dad, honors her wishes and puts up plywood around the piano so she couldn’t see it and so he couldn’t play it.
Toward the end of the story, Ronnie finds out that her dad is sick and might die. When she heard that, she knew she had to play the piano again. Her father had been working on a song and Ronnie would sometimes go in and help him on it. She had always been the song writer.
Steve had also been working on a stained glass window for the church down the road. A couple of years ago, some boys had started the church on fire. In the fire, the previous window had gotten broken. Steve had taken on the task on making a new one. Ronnie, her little brother, Jonah, and Will all started working on it for him even when he couldn’t help.
On the last page of the book, Ronnie is sitting in the church after they put in the new stained glass window and she thinks about what was happened during the summer. As she is sitting there, the sun comes through the window and she hopes that someone would sit right where she is now and see the beauty in the window. She wonders if anyone will wonder about the window and ask who made it.
I really liked the setting of the story. Sparks describes it perfectly. There were so many good details in the story that made it come to life. It felt like I was really there, like I was experiencing everything Ronnie and her friends were. I could almost feel the wind in my hair as I was reading the book. I felt like I was happy when she was happy, and sad when she was sad. I felt all of her emotions. Whenever she would break up with Will, I wanted to tell her she should stay. I wanted to be right where she was and do whatever she was doing. Ronnie really changed through out the story. In the beginning, she couldn’t even stand being around her dad but as the story went on, Ronnie discovered that her dad wasn’t that bad. She also changed throughout her relationships. She learned to have better judgment on boys she dated. She learned to have better friends and not to listen to everything she hears. In the beginning of the book, she was kind of naive about a lot different things like her father, but eventually learned more about her dad and about herself.
If you like romantic books, then you will definitely love The Last Song. It has a lot of twists in it that will keep you guessing. There is a lot of breaking hearts, finding love, and second chances. Even if you don’t like books that are full of drama, you will love The Last Song. It will keep you intrigued until the very last page.
Monday, March 14, 2011
book review on The Last Song
Ronnie is faced with a lot of hard decisions to make in The Last Song, written by Nicholas Sparks. This fictional book shows you how Ronnie delt with divorce and seeing her father again after a long time. She has to deal with having her heart broken many different times and trying to trust her father again.
In the story, when Ronnie arrives at her father’s place, on the beach, she finds a turtle nest and wants to protect it. She sleeps out there for a couple of nights just to make sure nothing comes to eat the eggs. One night while she was sitting there, Will, a boy she had met earlier, comes and sits by her. The start to talk and get to know each other. She finds out that Will recently broke up with his girlfriend. At first, Ronnie doesn’t really like him but when she found out that he works at the aquarium in town, she wants to know what to do for the turtle eggs.
On the first day there, Ronnie also met a guy named Marcus. Marcus and his friends let her come along with them. As Ronnie hangs out with them more and more, Marcus begins to like her. He and his friends weren’t the nicest people. They partied almost every night and regularly got in trouble with the authorities. Ronnie didn’t do those things and didn’t really like Marcus and his group but they were the only people she knew. As soon as Will found out that Marcus liked her, he tried to tell her that Marcus would just hurt her if she dated him.
Ronnie eventually found out that Will was right about Marcus. She and Will started dating after that. All through out their relationship, Marcus tried to make Ronnie turn against Will. He digs up all the bad things that Will has ever done and tells Ronnie about them. He wants Ronnie to date him instead of Will. At the end of the summer, Ronnie and Will have to decide where they are going once the summer is over. They agree that where ever they go, they will always keep in touch and he would come back to visit her as much as he could.
Ronnie is also faced with playing the piano again after quitting so many years ago. She had quit because she was mad at her dad for leaving them. She said that she would never play again. Her dad was the one who had taught her how to play so when he left, she wanted to get rid of everything that reminded her of him. Every day at her dad’s house, she would hear him play until one day she got so mad and told her dad she never wanted to see or hear the piano for as long as she lived. Steve, her dad, honors her wishes and puts up plywood around the piano so she couldn’t see it and so he couldn’t play it. Toward the end of the story, Ronnie finds out that her dad is sick and might die. When she heard that, she knew she had to play the piano again. Her father had been working on a song and Ronnie would sometimes go in and help him on it. She had always been the song writer. Steve had also been working on a stained glass window for the church down the road. A couple of years ago, some boys had started the church on fire. In the fire, the previous window had gotten broken. Steve had taken on the task on making a new one. Ronnie, her little brother, Jonah, and Will all started working on it for him even when he couldn’t help. On the last page of the book, Ronnie is sitting in the church after they put in the new stained glass window and she thinks about what was happened during the summer. As she is sitting there, the sun comes through the window and she hopes that someone would sit right where she is now and see the beauty in the window. She wonders if anyone will wonder about the window and ask who made it.
I really liked the setting of the story. Sparks describes it perfectly. There were so many good details in the story that made it come to life. It felt like I was really there, like I was experiencing everything Ronnie and her friends were. I could almost feel the wind in my hair as I was reading the book. I felt like I was happy when she was happy, and sad when she was sad. I felt all of her emotions. When ever she would break up with Will, I wanted to tell her she should stay. I wanted to be right where she was and do whatever she was doing.
If you like romantic books, then you will defiantly love The Last Song. It has a lot of twists in it that will keep you guessing. There is a lot of breaking hearts, finding love, and second chances. Even if you don’t like books that are full of drama, you will love The Last Song. It will keep intrigued until the very last page.
In the story, when Ronnie arrives at her father’s place, on the beach, she finds a turtle nest and wants to protect it. She sleeps out there for a couple of nights just to make sure nothing comes to eat the eggs. One night while she was sitting there, Will, a boy she had met earlier, comes and sits by her. The start to talk and get to know each other. She finds out that Will recently broke up with his girlfriend. At first, Ronnie doesn’t really like him but when she found out that he works at the aquarium in town, she wants to know what to do for the turtle eggs.
On the first day there, Ronnie also met a guy named Marcus. Marcus and his friends let her come along with them. As Ronnie hangs out with them more and more, Marcus begins to like her. He and his friends weren’t the nicest people. They partied almost every night and regularly got in trouble with the authorities. Ronnie didn’t do those things and didn’t really like Marcus and his group but they were the only people she knew. As soon as Will found out that Marcus liked her, he tried to tell her that Marcus would just hurt her if she dated him.
Ronnie eventually found out that Will was right about Marcus. She and Will started dating after that. All through out their relationship, Marcus tried to make Ronnie turn against Will. He digs up all the bad things that Will has ever done and tells Ronnie about them. He wants Ronnie to date him instead of Will. At the end of the summer, Ronnie and Will have to decide where they are going once the summer is over. They agree that where ever they go, they will always keep in touch and he would come back to visit her as much as he could.
Ronnie is also faced with playing the piano again after quitting so many years ago. She had quit because she was mad at her dad for leaving them. She said that she would never play again. Her dad was the one who had taught her how to play so when he left, she wanted to get rid of everything that reminded her of him. Every day at her dad’s house, she would hear him play until one day she got so mad and told her dad she never wanted to see or hear the piano for as long as she lived. Steve, her dad, honors her wishes and puts up plywood around the piano so she couldn’t see it and so he couldn’t play it. Toward the end of the story, Ronnie finds out that her dad is sick and might die. When she heard that, she knew she had to play the piano again. Her father had been working on a song and Ronnie would sometimes go in and help him on it. She had always been the song writer. Steve had also been working on a stained glass window for the church down the road. A couple of years ago, some boys had started the church on fire. In the fire, the previous window had gotten broken. Steve had taken on the task on making a new one. Ronnie, her little brother, Jonah, and Will all started working on it for him even when he couldn’t help. On the last page of the book, Ronnie is sitting in the church after they put in the new stained glass window and she thinks about what was happened during the summer. As she is sitting there, the sun comes through the window and she hopes that someone would sit right where she is now and see the beauty in the window. She wonders if anyone will wonder about the window and ask who made it.
I really liked the setting of the story. Sparks describes it perfectly. There were so many good details in the story that made it come to life. It felt like I was really there, like I was experiencing everything Ronnie and her friends were. I could almost feel the wind in my hair as I was reading the book. I felt like I was happy when she was happy, and sad when she was sad. I felt all of her emotions. When ever she would break up with Will, I wanted to tell her she should stay. I wanted to be right where she was and do whatever she was doing.
If you like romantic books, then you will defiantly love The Last Song. It has a lot of twists in it that will keep you guessing. There is a lot of breaking hearts, finding love, and second chances. Even if you don’t like books that are full of drama, you will love The Last Song. It will keep intrigued until the very last page.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
SECRETS
Secrets
By Dani Wubben
Have you ever had the feeling that something bad was about to happen, but you don’t know what or when? Well, that feeling started July 10, 2009.
The day began like most summer days went. I would sleep in late, hang out with friends at the pool or shopping, then staying out late at a friend’s house. I woke up on that bright and sunny day at 11:00. I had plans to go to the pool then go shopping. On the way to the pool, I had the weird sensation that someone was following me, but every time I turned around, no one was there. When I got to the pool, I told my best friend, Jenny. You have to understand that Jenny is no ordinary girl. Sure she likes to shop and be with friends, but she has a little quirk. If you ever have a problem, Jenny is the one you tell. She will help solve any problem you might have. She always has answers. If you have a problem with people hanging around you that you don’t like, Jenny can get them to leave. No one ever knows what she does or how she does it, but she can always find a way. She is also extremely smart. She knows almost everything about anything.
As I was telling her, she got a very weird look in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
“I felt the exact same way when I was walking down here, ” she answered.
Well, we forgot about it for the rest of the day until I had to walk home again. I had that same feeling that someone was watching me. I turned around quickly and saw something move out of the corner of my eye. As I walked over to investigate, I found a letter lying on the ground with my name on it. Curiously, I opened the letter and read what was inside. I was to come back to the ally where I had found the letter at 4:00 PM the next day.
I walked home not knowing what I should do. I finally decided that I would tell Jenny tomorrow and ask her what I should do because she is so smart and she could figure it out.
The next day, just as I got out of bed, I heard someone knocking on the door. My parents weren’t home, they were away on a business trip, so I had to get the door. It was Jenny.
“Maxine, are you ready to go? Remember, we were going to get to the mall early so we can get all the good deals. You were the one to suggest it yesterday. You better be ready.” I had totally forgotten about going shopping.
“Can you wait like two minutes for me to get ready?” As I was getting ready, I told her about the letter that I had gotten. When I told her that I was to go to the ally at 4:00 tonight, her face went white.
“You can’t go. You never know what will happen to you do. I would advise you to stay home. Especially if your parents aren’t home.” That was just like Jenny to act over protective. But it wasn’t like her to go all white. What was wrong with her I wondered. “Jenny, I’m going tonight whether you want me to or not. I have to find out.” I was always like this, being adventurous. I never thought ahead about consequences. “Never mind, don’t even try to make me change my mind. Just drop it. Let’s have a fun day shopping and not think about it. OK,” I exclaimed. The rest of the day, we shopped and and had a good day and didn’t think about it.
When I got home at 3:00 that afternoon, I took a shower and put on some jeans and a T-shirt. I didn’t think I would have to get so dressed up to go to an ally.
I got to the ally way just before 4:00 that afternoon. I was starting to get a little nervous and wished I had brought something to defend myself just in case I needed to. I was hoping that I didn’t need to. But it was too late to go home now because it was 4:00. I waited for another 10 minutes for something to happen but nothing did. I was just about to leave when I heard someone call my name. I spun around and right in front of me was a boy, dressed in all black and was wearing a hood over his head. I started to scream but the boy put his hand over my mouth to stop me. He picked me up and threw me into a car that had just pulled up next to the curb. I couldn’t believe it. I kept thinking that I would never see my family again, and I was wondering what they would do to me.
No one in the car said anything for a long time. We just kept driving and driving. I looked out the window and noticed that we were headed east out of the city. I wasn’t going to ask where we were going so I just sat back and looked out the window.
After about a half hour of driving, the boy turned to me and exclaimed that he thought I would be talking more because he knew me and I talked a lot. That creaped me out. Someone I knew was kidnapping me. If that was supposed to make me feel better, it didn’t.
“Who are you, and how do you know me?” I questioned him. “Do you stalk me or something? How do you know so much about me?” I was so scared. Who was this guy anyway?
Instead of answering me, he turned away and took off his hood then turned back. “Do you know who I am now?”
“Barrett,” I exclaimed. Barrett went to my school and was one year older then I was. I had a major crush on him and I didn’t think he even knew my name. I didn’t think he even knew who I was. “Barrett, what’s going on. Why did you take me away and not even tell me who you were?” I asked confused.
“I didn’t tell you because I can’t trust anyone with the information I have except you because you are directly involved. This is going to be a lot of information to take it in but try to stay with be.
When you were a baby, you’re parents thought that you were just an ordinary baby, but you were very special. You were born with a special chip behind your ear that allows you to hear almost everything. There are five people in the world that have a chip in their bodies, one for every one of the five senses. There are evil people out there that want to take you to use for their own good. We have to protect those five people. We currently have three now four counting you. We need that last person, the one with the chip by their eye. That person is the most important person. They have the ability to see through almost any obstacle. You are able to hear almost everything in a half mile radius. You can also tune out things that you don’t want to hear and focus in on only one thing. That is probably what you have been doing the whole time without noticing it.”
I really didn’t get anything that he said but went along with it anyway. “So why are you involved in protecting us? Are you one of the five?”
“No, I’m not one of the five but my little brother is. He has the chip in his hands. Because of him, I am helping protect others like him.”
By the time he had finished talking, we had pulled up to an abandoned gas station. At least I thought it was abandoned. When we walked inside, there were computers and other gadgets sitting around. “What is this place?” I asked when we walked into it.
“This is our headquarters. All of our information is here. We have people working around the clock trying to find the last person. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that your parents know all about this and that is why they went away on business. They knew that I would come get you. They had to go to Washington D.C. to meet with others that are looking for the last person. We have to keep you hidden so that no one will find you. Have you told anyone about getting the letter?”
“Yes, why-”
“Who did you tell. This is very important. We have to know,” he cut in .
I only told my best friend Jenny Johnson. She’s my best friend, why wouldn’t I tell her? We tell each other everything.”
“Well, there are a lot of things she didn’t tell you about her. Her family is part of the evil team. They want to catch you and destroy you like they almost did to my brother.”
“Why wouldn’t she tell me that, I am her best friend, we tell everything.”
“There are a lot of things you don’t know and may never know. In this company there are so many secrets. You might learn something new about yourself every day, but for now, you just have to trust me to protect you. Do you trust me?”
“Yes Barrett, I trust you even thought I have no clue really what you are talking about I will trust you to keep me safe. But I want to do something to help. What can I do to help?
“I have some things you can help me with. Come on, there is a lot of work to do.”
By Dani Wubben
Have you ever had the feeling that something bad was about to happen, but you don’t know what or when? Well, that feeling started July 10, 2009.
The day began like most summer days went. I would sleep in late, hang out with friends at the pool or shopping, then staying out late at a friend’s house. I woke up on that bright and sunny day at 11:00. I had plans to go to the pool then go shopping. On the way to the pool, I had the weird sensation that someone was following me, but every time I turned around, no one was there. When I got to the pool, I told my best friend, Jenny. You have to understand that Jenny is no ordinary girl. Sure she likes to shop and be with friends, but she has a little quirk. If you ever have a problem, Jenny is the one you tell. She will help solve any problem you might have. She always has answers. If you have a problem with people hanging around you that you don’t like, Jenny can get them to leave. No one ever knows what she does or how she does it, but she can always find a way. She is also extremely smart. She knows almost everything about anything.
As I was telling her, she got a very weird look in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
“I felt the exact same way when I was walking down here, ” she answered.
Well, we forgot about it for the rest of the day until I had to walk home again. I had that same feeling that someone was watching me. I turned around quickly and saw something move out of the corner of my eye. As I walked over to investigate, I found a letter lying on the ground with my name on it. Curiously, I opened the letter and read what was inside. I was to come back to the ally where I had found the letter at 4:00 PM the next day.
I walked home not knowing what I should do. I finally decided that I would tell Jenny tomorrow and ask her what I should do because she is so smart and she could figure it out.
The next day, just as I got out of bed, I heard someone knocking on the door. My parents weren’t home, they were away on a business trip, so I had to get the door. It was Jenny.
“Maxine, are you ready to go? Remember, we were going to get to the mall early so we can get all the good deals. You were the one to suggest it yesterday. You better be ready.” I had totally forgotten about going shopping.
“Can you wait like two minutes for me to get ready?” As I was getting ready, I told her about the letter that I had gotten. When I told her that I was to go to the ally at 4:00 tonight, her face went white.
“You can’t go. You never know what will happen to you do. I would advise you to stay home. Especially if your parents aren’t home.” That was just like Jenny to act over protective. But it wasn’t like her to go all white. What was wrong with her I wondered. “Jenny, I’m going tonight whether you want me to or not. I have to find out.” I was always like this, being adventurous. I never thought ahead about consequences. “Never mind, don’t even try to make me change my mind. Just drop it. Let’s have a fun day shopping and not think about it. OK,” I exclaimed. The rest of the day, we shopped and and had a good day and didn’t think about it.
When I got home at 3:00 that afternoon, I took a shower and put on some jeans and a T-shirt. I didn’t think I would have to get so dressed up to go to an ally.
I got to the ally way just before 4:00 that afternoon. I was starting to get a little nervous and wished I had brought something to defend myself just in case I needed to. I was hoping that I didn’t need to. But it was too late to go home now because it was 4:00. I waited for another 10 minutes for something to happen but nothing did. I was just about to leave when I heard someone call my name. I spun around and right in front of me was a boy, dressed in all black and was wearing a hood over his head. I started to scream but the boy put his hand over my mouth to stop me. He picked me up and threw me into a car that had just pulled up next to the curb. I couldn’t believe it. I kept thinking that I would never see my family again, and I was wondering what they would do to me.
No one in the car said anything for a long time. We just kept driving and driving. I looked out the window and noticed that we were headed east out of the city. I wasn’t going to ask where we were going so I just sat back and looked out the window.
After about a half hour of driving, the boy turned to me and exclaimed that he thought I would be talking more because he knew me and I talked a lot. That creaped me out. Someone I knew was kidnapping me. If that was supposed to make me feel better, it didn’t.
“Who are you, and how do you know me?” I questioned him. “Do you stalk me or something? How do you know so much about me?” I was so scared. Who was this guy anyway?
Instead of answering me, he turned away and took off his hood then turned back. “Do you know who I am now?”
“Barrett,” I exclaimed. Barrett went to my school and was one year older then I was. I had a major crush on him and I didn’t think he even knew my name. I didn’t think he even knew who I was. “Barrett, what’s going on. Why did you take me away and not even tell me who you were?” I asked confused.
“I didn’t tell you because I can’t trust anyone with the information I have except you because you are directly involved. This is going to be a lot of information to take it in but try to stay with be.
When you were a baby, you’re parents thought that you were just an ordinary baby, but you were very special. You were born with a special chip behind your ear that allows you to hear almost everything. There are five people in the world that have a chip in their bodies, one for every one of the five senses. There are evil people out there that want to take you to use for their own good. We have to protect those five people. We currently have three now four counting you. We need that last person, the one with the chip by their eye. That person is the most important person. They have the ability to see through almost any obstacle. You are able to hear almost everything in a half mile radius. You can also tune out things that you don’t want to hear and focus in on only one thing. That is probably what you have been doing the whole time without noticing it.”
I really didn’t get anything that he said but went along with it anyway. “So why are you involved in protecting us? Are you one of the five?”
“No, I’m not one of the five but my little brother is. He has the chip in his hands. Because of him, I am helping protect others like him.”
By the time he had finished talking, we had pulled up to an abandoned gas station. At least I thought it was abandoned. When we walked inside, there were computers and other gadgets sitting around. “What is this place?” I asked when we walked into it.
“This is our headquarters. All of our information is here. We have people working around the clock trying to find the last person. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that your parents know all about this and that is why they went away on business. They knew that I would come get you. They had to go to Washington D.C. to meet with others that are looking for the last person. We have to keep you hidden so that no one will find you. Have you told anyone about getting the letter?”
“Yes, why-”
“Who did you tell. This is very important. We have to know,” he cut in .
I only told my best friend Jenny Johnson. She’s my best friend, why wouldn’t I tell her? We tell each other everything.”
“Well, there are a lot of things she didn’t tell you about her. Her family is part of the evil team. They want to catch you and destroy you like they almost did to my brother.”
“Why wouldn’t she tell me that, I am her best friend, we tell everything.”
“There are a lot of things you don’t know and may never know. In this company there are so many secrets. You might learn something new about yourself every day, but for now, you just have to trust me to protect you. Do you trust me?”
“Yes Barrett, I trust you even thought I have no clue really what you are talking about I will trust you to keep me safe. But I want to do something to help. What can I do to help?
“I have some things you can help me with. Come on, there is a lot of work to do.”
Monday, January 24, 2011
The Storm
Sitting by my window,
watching rain crash down.
Listening to the wind
whip the trees around
Lightning streaks quietly
across the sky.
While thunder rumbles after,
shaking the ground
watching rain crash down.
Listening to the wind
whip the trees around
Lightning streaks quietly
across the sky.
While thunder rumbles after,
shaking the ground
Memories
I remember hide and seek in the dark,
with people jumping out and scaring me.
I remember cops and robbers at school,
and fighting about a new rule.
I remember the swing at Grandma's and Grandpa's,
making it go as high as it could go with the dog on it.
I remember the stuffed cat
carried everywhere and breaking
I remember choosing which stuffed animal to bring
because one might get jealous.
with people jumping out and scaring me.
I remember cops and robbers at school,
and fighting about a new rule.
I remember the swing at Grandma's and Grandpa's,
making it go as high as it could go with the dog on it.
I remember the stuffed cat
carried everywhere and breaking
I remember choosing which stuffed animal to bring
because one might get jealous.
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