Family Story:
Mom
Story #1 (Biography)- Marriage/Proposal. Larry proposed to Lisa at dinner but instead of pulling out the ring case he pulled out a can of chewing tabacco. They got married on March 28. At the wedding, while her dad was walking her down the aisle, her dad tripped on the carpet. Lisa's wore a white, laced, long sleeved dress. At their reception, they first danced to " Brown Eyed Girl." Larry sang this song to Lisa and it turned out that Lisa didn't have brown eyes, they were blue. They went on their honeymoon to Guatemala.
Story # 2 (Biography)- School dances. My mom attended every dance that was put on by the school throughout her years of high school. She wore either an orange or a pink dress to every dance.
Story # 3 (Biography)- A regret. My mom regrets dropping out of college. When she found of she was pregnant with my oldest brother, Jonathan, she dropped out of college. She wish she would've stuck it out so she could have a career now.
Story # 4 (Autobiography)- My mom and I went to New York City in November of 2008. This is are favorite place to go for a long weekend. We walk around, shop, eat at different restuarants, and just have a good time. This time we went and it rained and rained the whole time. We had to make the weekend as best as possible, even with the storm.
Research: Goal is to research and present information that supports a thesis statement.
Works Cited
Beswick, Richard. “Racism in America’s Schools.” ERIC Digest. 1990. 24 Mar. 2009 <http://
www.ericdigests.org/pre-9215/racism.htm>.
Curtis, Polly. “Education: Black Caribbean Children Held Back by Institutional Racism in
Schools, Says Study.” Guardian News and Media Limited. 2009. 24 Mar. 2009
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/05/raceineducation.raceinschools>.
Murray, Sheila. “Tackling Racism in Schools.” 24 Dash. 2009. 24 Mar. 2009 <http://www.
24dash.com/ news/Communities/2008-01-17-Tackling-racism-in-schools>.
Trotter, Gregory. “Schoolgirl Arrested for Refusing to Study with Non-English Pupils.” Mail
Online. 2006. Associated News Paper Ltd. 24 Mar. 2009 <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
news/article-410150/Schoolgirl-arrested-refusing-study-non-English-pupils.html>.
“Racism in Schools.” Writing Matters. 2009. Teaching Matters, Inc. 24 Mar. 2009 <http://
www.writingmatters.org/node/2290>.
Thesis Statement: Not too long ago, blacks were always treated differently in schools and seperated from the whites just because the color of their skin.
Specific Research found:
Questions: How was racism involved in schools? How do racial attitudes form? How can teachers prevent racism in the schools?
Problems: We are researcing two things at once and it is a little bit confusing. It is easier when you are focused on just one subject.
Journal Entry #11-March 3, 2009
Topic:Racism
Key Questions: How was racism involved in schools? How could have teachers prevented racism in the schools? How do racial attitudes form? What roles can schools play in fighting racism? How do the kids feel about racism?
Possible Resources to Research:
- Article "Schoolgirl arrested for refusing to study with non-English pupils"
- Article "Racism in America's Schools. ERIC Digest Series, Number EA 49."
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9215/racism.htm
- Wikipedia/Racism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism
- Film "The Great Debaters"
http://www.liceogrigoletti.it/docenti/doc16/files/Quiz%20racism.pdf
- Short Story "Racism Doesn't Exist?"
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Short_Stories__Review_5580078
Journal Entry #10- February 24, 2009
Journal Entry #9- February 19, 2009
Love Thesis: Love is not something that just happens, it takes time and patience to find the one you really love and want to spend your life with.
To Do List:
-find more pictures that show the purpose of the thesis.
-find music that relates to love.
-begin to put everything on my Glogster.
-find hyperlinks that are appropriate for my Glogster.
-put more animated graphics on my page.
Journal Entry #8- February 5, 2009
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay
Love is a feeling of warm, personal attachment to someone. Infatuation is being obsessed with someone or something. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare is saying that it is possible to love someone without being infatuated by them, but being infatuated with someone could mean you actually love that person and have a close connection with them. Also, being infatuated with someone could just be meant in a foolish manner. In this novel, there are several different relationships going on. Some are confusing and some actually show the love between all the different people throughout the novel.
Love is not a feeling that you automatically have for someone once you meet a person. Love can happen over time and it cannot be forced upon someone. In the novel, Egeus does not want his daughter, Hermia, to be in love with Lysander. Instead, he is forcing her to love Demetrius, but Hermia cannot be pressured to love someone that she doesn’t even have any feelings for or a strong connection with. You should be able to pick the person you love and no one else should influence your decision on who you love and who you want in your life.
In the novel, people are falling into and out of love all the time. It is almost like the person never even mattered as soon as you stop loving them. Love can disappear so fast and some people tend to fall in love just as quickly as they fall out. Love sometimes doesn’t even make sense. When Cupid put the love juice into Lysander’s eyes, he completely forgot about his love for Hermia and started falling in love with Helena. "Content with Hermia? No. I do repent the tedious minutes I with her have spent. Not Hermia but Helena I love," spoke Lysander. She did not change into a different person. In fact, she didn’t change at all or do anything different. A love potion should not change how you feel about someone that you have been in love with forever. Love can also make you do strange things and make a person completely change. In the novel, Puck said that Demetrius and Lysander were being foolish. They both fell in love with Helena when neither of them loved her a few days before. They ended up having a duel to fight for the love of Helena and this was foolish of both of them. Someone is going to end up with heartache.
Infatuation also occurred in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At the beginning of the novel, Helena was completely obsessed with Demetrius. She was so obsessed with Demetrius that she followed him everywhere he went and listened to every word he spoke. She tried and tried to talk to him but he would never listen to anything she had to say to him. "And even for that I do love you the more. I am your spaniel. And, Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you. Use me but as your spaniel- spurn me, strike me, neglect me, lose me. Only give me leave. Unworthy as I am, to follow you," said Helena. Helena would do anything to be with Demetrius, even risk her own health. In this situation, there was love between one person only and not two. Demetrius did not fall in love with Hermia, but was forced by Egeus to love Hermia.
Love and infatuation can do some crazy things to people. Once, in everyone’s life, they will fall in and out of love and probably feel heartache. Love is not an easy thing to deal with, but when you finally find true love, you will know that that person is right for you. You shouldn’t be pressured to love anyone that you don’t care for or have a strong connection with. When you are in love, make sure you do the right things and don’t take advantage of love, like Demetrius and Lysander did.
Journal Entry #7-February 3, 2009
Journal Entry #6-January 27, 2009
I think that Puck was definitely right when he said that Demetrius and Lysander are foolish. They are fighting over someone for no reason at all. They never even liked Helena a few days before and now they are trying to win Helena over. They are being foolish. Demetrius actually used to hate Helena and now he loves her and Lysander loves Helena just because Cupid put the love juice into his eyes which made him fall in love with her. They challenge each other to a dual to see who wins Helena in the end. They don't need to act like this. They are calling each other liars and acting like little children. Helena doesn't think anyone is really in love with her and she thinks that all of this is just a big joke. She does not have any self confidence. But now, Hermia does not know what to do because now Lysander hates her. They used to be in love and now all of that has changed. She is confused and doesn't know what is going on. All of this is just a big mess.
Journal Entry #5-January 22, 2009
DEAR ABBY: My name is Helena and I am so in love with this guy named Demetrius. He does not love me at all, but is in love with another girl, Hermia. Egeus, Hermia's father, does not want Hermia to love Lysander, but wants her to fall in love with Demetrius. I've tried talking to him, but he just ignores me. I watch after him everywhere he goes and if he catches me, he always runs away from me. I cannot get over him and if I try, it just makes my day go bad. I want to be with him forever and I don't think he will even give me a chance at all. What should I do about my situation?
-Heart Broken
DEAR HEART BROKEN: One way to help your situation would be to sit down and tell him how you really feel and why you are so in love with him. He may listen and he may not listen. If he really doesn't care about you or your feelings, he is definitely not worth it at all. If he doesn't listen to you once, he is not going to listen to you any other time. If you don't have the courage to tell Demetrius how you feel, maybe another person, like a close friend, could help you out and tell him for you. An alternative would just to try and forget about him. You will have to get over how you feel and just think about what is best for yourself and what will make you happy in the long run. I hope this advice helps you out.
Journal Entry #4-January 21, 2009
Seeing the clip from A Midsummer Nights Dream really helped me understand the book a lot better than I did before seeing the clip because the novel is confusing and hard to understand at times. I noticed that the set was more upscale at the beginning on the novel but then became very dull and looked like a poor community. The clothes that all of the people were dressed in helped me picture what time period they were in because they were wearing old fashioned clothing. The actors definitely played the role of the characters well. The character that played Bottom did a really good job at being funny and portraying how he acted in the novel. The clip really helped me understand how Bottom really acted and how he was really a pain. I did not know that the play was out in front of a bunch of people outside. Many people crowded around them so they could enjoy the play they were putting on. I thought all people participating in the play were all alone and it was just for them to put on and for no one else. Seeing the clip helped me understand how people looked back then and how all the characters acted towards each other. For example, this clip showed that Hermia and Lysander had a really strong relationship and her father, Egeus, was definitely not happy with her choice to not marry Demetrius.
Journal Entry #3-January 20, 2009
Journal Entry #2-January 9, 2009
In Act 1 Scene 2, there is definitely some funny parts throughout this section of the book. Bottom has the most humor because when they find out what their roles are in the play, he is almost never happy with the part he gets. He is picked to play Pyramus, but he does not want that role. When the next person receives their role, he always wants that role instead. For example, the lion. He would rather play the lion, which is a small part, than play Pyramus, which is one of the main roles in the play. It's funny that he doesn't want to be the lead in the play and he always whines about the part he gets.
Journal Entry #1-January 7, 2009
In the novel A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, I think Egeus (the father) and Hermia (the daughter) have a terrible relationship so far in Act 1 Scene 1. Egeus wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, but Hermia is really in love with Lysander. Egeus refuses to let his daughter marry Lysander instead of Demetrius. Since Hermia lives in Athens, she has to listen to her father unless she escapes from Athens. If she married Lysander when in Athens, she would either have to become a nun or would be put to death. I can't believe Egeus would put his daughter to death just because he doesn't approve of Lysander. Lysander's aunt lives outside of Athens and they want to sneak away to her house and get married without Egeus knowing. If Hermia and her father had a strong relationship, then Hermia would listen to her fathers opionion and marry Demetrius and not run away with Lysander to get married. Obviously she does not care what her father thinks of Lysander if she is willing to run away with him. If she was close to her father, she wouldn't run away because she would probably miss him too much. I think that Egeus is being completely unfair to his daughter. If Lysander treats Hermia better than Demetrius does, Egeus should want his daughter to be with him and he should be happy with her decision. It should be Hermia's choice of who she marries and spends the rest of her life with. If Hermia loves Lysander, she should be with him and
not Demetrius.
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Independent Novel #2: The Five People You Meet in Heaven
By: Mitch Albom
Indie Reading #31 p.185-196, 4-26-09 Sunday
Indie Reading #30 p.179-184, 4-25-09 Saturday
In this chapter, Eddie is finally going to meet the final person in heaven. He is in pain just like he was right before he died. Everything around him is white and silent. All of a sudden, the white, quiet setting disappears and turns into a little river where many children are playing in the water. Here he meets this little girl named Tala. This is the fifth person he met in heaven.At the beginning of the chapter, is shows how much he missed Marguarite after she passed away. Marguarite was the main reason Eddie was happy all of the time. Tala means a lot in this book. After Eddie returned home from war, he had nightmares everynight about how he burned down the camp. On that night, he thought he saw a little girl crawling out fo the fire (Tala). This little girl meaned a lot to him.
Indie Reading #23 p.164-178, 3-29-09 Sunday
In every novel, there is plot structure. In this book, the exposition introduces the characters, the setting, and the tone and also facts that are needed to understand the rest of the story. The rising action are events that build from the climax. The rising action in this book is Eddie vs. his father. Eddie's whole life he is trying to battle with gaining his fathers approval. The climax is the high point of the book when Eddie meets the last person in heaven, Tala. The falling action in the book is when Eddie talks to Tala about some things that happened. And the final consisting of the structure of the book is the resolution. The resolution is when Eddie talks to his father and he finally gains appoval. They resolve all of the conflict they had between the two of them during Eddie's whole life.
Indie Reading #22 p.147-163, 3-28-09 Saturday
When I read this chapter, I was a little confused. In this chapter, he meets the fourth person, Marguerite. When Eddie sees Marguerite, she is standing in an Italian Village as a bridesmaid. Eddie pushes through different doors and sees different wedding receptions with different languages and different cultures. Marguerite speciafically chooses the wedding reception in heaven because she wanted to observe the love between the bride and the groom. I do not get why he would go through different types of wedding receptions and watch people get married. What is the point? Hopefully when I read on, the book will tell me why this is so important and what this means.
Indie Reading #18 p.136-146, 3-14-09 Saturday
So far, I really enjoy this book. This novel is very descriptive and I can picture it in my head when I am reading. I really don't think that Eddie should've died at the beginning of the book. He was an innocent old man and he was just trying to help a little girl. He didn't deserve to die. He should've lived his life since he already didn't have much of his life left since he was so old. This book has a good theme and message. When you die and go to heaven, you'll remember the people that made an influence in your life. You will always remember the people that changed your life or that were important throughout your life. When I die, I would want to remember the people that I loved and the people that made a difference in my life. Eddie had a great life and did great things for others.
Indie Reading #17 p.103-135, 3-8-09 Sunday
Eddie is in Heaven again and has been taken to a mountain range. There is snow on the ground, and he is wondering whether there are no more people to meet. Then he sees an old-fashioned diner with a sign reading "EAT" above it. He sees people in the diner and then someone he knows - his father. On Eddie's birthday, Eddie is in a V.A. hospital, and his family and Marguerite are there. His mother has brought a cake. He is in bed and is deeply hurt because of his father's indifference. Ruby and Eddie discuss his troubled relationship with his father, and she points out that although the last thing he said to Eddie, to get up and get a job, was hurtful, Eddie did pick himself up. His father had been helpful. Now Ruby takes Eddie back to his parents' kitchen, and he witnesses a scene with his mother and Mickey Shea. Mickey tries to assault Eddie's mother, and his father comes home. With a hammer in his hand, he chases Mickey out of the house. Then Eddie sees Mickey at the pier, rolling himself off and into the water. He sees his father, hammer in hand, looking for his friend, who is drowning in the water.
Indie Reading #16 p.77-102, 3-7-09 Saturday
Eddie finds himself in a terrain in a rainstorm, and he comes upon a rifle stuck in the ground topped with a helmet and with his own dog tags hanging from it. Eddie is saving money to go to engineering school, since he likes building things. He enlists in the army over his mother's objections. His father is indifferent. One day after he enlists, he is practicing shooting in one of the arcades on the Pier when Mickey Shea comes up to him and forcefully says to Eddie: "War is not a game. If there's a shot to be made, you make it, you hear? No guilt. No hesitation....You want to come home again, you just fire, you don't think." Now Eddie knows that the spot where they are standing is the captain's burial ground. There was no funeral or coffin. The captainsays that dying is not the end. It is only the beginning. He says that he has been waiting for Eddie all these years.The captain and the Blue Man are part of Eddie's life, and once this encounter is over, the captain will be able to move on. The captain tells Eddie that sacrifice is essential. People don't die for nothing. All the men in the truck might have driven over that landmine, he says, and all would have been lost. Besides, he says, he got to keep his promise to leave no one behind.
Indie Reading #15 p.56-76, 3-1-09 Sunday
In the book so far, there are many different settings. The novel begins at Ruby Pier. Eddie grew up very close to Ruby Pier because his father worked there for a living. Ruby Pier was significant to Eddies childhood and also it was significant to his career. He worked there as a maintenance worker and this is also where he was killed on his birthday. When he meets the first person in heaven, the setting goes right back to Ruby Pier. When he meets the second person in heaven, the scene is set at a war ground in the Philippians where Eddie fought World War 2. This setting is dark because when he was at war he was older and not a child anymore. The darkness of the scene also signifies when Eddie got hurt in the war which leads Eddie to some of his depression during the rest of his life.
Indie Reading #14 p.37-55, 2-28-09, Saturday
Eddie is learning his first lesson since he has been in heaven. He apologed for killing the Blue Man and he feels really bad about it. The Blue Man tells Eddie in life, there are no random encounters and everyone one he meets is connected in someway. Eddie still didn't understand what good came from Blue Man's death. The Blue Man tells Eddie that the good was that Eddie didn't get hit and didn't die as a young child. The Blue Man finished one of his steps in heaven, talking to Eddie, so Blue Mans's skin began to change into a normal color. Everyone Eddie will meet in the novel, has a significance to Eddie's life. He will learn many lessons as he meets new people and maybe they will change his life positely.
Indie Reading #13 p.19-36, 2-27-09 Friday
Eddie has gone to heaven, but he does not feel any pain. He remembers going towards the little girl to help and save her from getting hit by a cart, but he does not know if he actually saved her. Throughout the book so far, there are summaries on what happened on each birthday of his. Since he was born, he wasn't a very caring or giving person. People tried to help him overcome that quality of his, but no one ever suceeded. The first person he meets in heaven is a blue man that he knew from childhood. This blue man almost hit Eddie with his car when Eddie ran into the street. Instead, Blue Man collided with another car and died. Eddie attended his funeral at age 8.
I really want to know why Eddie keeps meeting people in heaven. Do these people mean something in Eddies life? I think that Eddie is meeting the people in heaven that changed his life and made him who he is today. I really like the entries about all of his birthdays because it shows how he was as a child and what heppened in his life as he grew up.
Indie Reading #12 p. 1-18, 2-22-09 Sunday
The first chapter of this book is called The End because he is telling about the end of Eddie's life. Eddie had four more hours to live. He walked around Ruby Pier, where he works, and does his normal business. While daydreaming, he heard someone yelling and saying that one of the carts of a rollercoaster was about to fall off the tracks. He wanted to stop the cart from falling, but it was too late. One of the carts had landed on Eddie. At the end of this chapter, it talks about the beginning of Eddie's life in the 1920's. This is a sad start to the book. I can't believe that one of the carts fell on Eddie and he died. He didn't deserve to die, especially when he was trying to help the carts stay attached. I wonder how the rest of the book will play out since Eddie died at the very beginning of the book.
Independent Novel #1: The Notebook
By: Nicholas Sparks
Indie Reading #11 p. 222-272, 2-21-09 Saturday
Today, I finished the book. The ending was the best part of the whole book. It returns to present day and Noah is reading the notebook to the one he loves. The one he loves is Allie. It turned out that the notebook was all about them and their life. Allie didn't remember any of it. But once Noah finished the notebook, she finally remembers everything. She remembers all the times that she had spent with Noah and is grateful that he has been taking care of her all of her life. I was hoping that the book ended this way. Noah and Allie found true love and have been together for almost fifty years. I'm glad that she actually remembered everything once he finished reading the notebook to her. They have loved each other for a long time and still do after a long period of time. They both found their true love.
Indie Reading #10 p.161-221, 2-20-09 Friday
There are many different themes throughout this book, but especially is this part of the book. One theme in this book is that love conquers all. When Allie and Noah always split apart, their love for each other would always bring them back together. Their love for each other was real. Another theme in this book is to follow your heart. Allie spent fourteen years in fear of hurting her friends and her family. She moved away from the one she loved to be with her family. Allie then realized she wanted to be with Noah, so she followed her heart and went to look for him. The final theme is that you can't live your life in fear of hurting others. Allie learned this when she chose Noah over her family and friends. After reading the notes from Noah, she knew she wanted to be with Noah for the rest of her life and noone could ever change that.
Indie Reading #9 p. 136-160, 2-15-09 Sunday
In chapter 10, Lon is meeting with the defense lawyer and the judge in the judge’s chambers. He has asked the judge for permission to adjourn the trial until Monday. His reason is personal, and the defense attorney agrees, because Lon has agreed to reopen discussion on a matter not covered by that proceeding. The judge doesn’t. In chapter 11, Anne leaves Noah with a goodbye, never looking back. Then, he goes inside, but returns to the porch when he realizes that Allie needs to be alone. Eventually, she comes out, and they begin to talk about what her decision will be. He can see in her eyes that she is not going to tell Lon about them.
Indie Reading #8 p. 127-135 ,2-11-09 Wednesday
In the next two chapters, everything turns into the worst. Noah and Allie are having a great time together making lunch but then there is a knock on the door. Allie's mom, Anne, stood right infront of Noah as he answered the door. Anne knew her daughter was going to see Noah and Lon had called her to see where Allie went. Lon postponed his trial so he could go to New Bern to find Allie. Lon was on his way at that very moment. Allie finally had to choose between Noah and Lon. She needed to decided who she wants to spend the rest of her life with. It was up to her and no one else. I think that she loves both of them, but loves Lon as just a friend. When she is with Noah, she has an amazing time and feels completely different with him than how she feels with Lon. Noah is better for Allie than Lon is. They both care a lot for Allie, but Noah treats her the best and I really think that Allie should choose Noah because I know thats who she really is in love with.
Indie Reading #7 p. 106-126, 2-9-09 Monday
In chapter seven, Noah and Allie finally got to the surprise. They are on the small lake by the waters of Brice Creek. Surrounding the waters are hundreds of swans and Canadian geese. They are unaffected by Noah and Allie until the canoe gently pushes them out of the way. Allie feeds the birds the bread that Noah had brought for them. They stay on the lake until it starts to storm. He paddles quickly to the dock, but Allie doesn't seem to mind the rain at all. Everything feels wonderful to her. Allie thinks about how different she feels since she had come back to Noah. She begins to think she is falling in love with Noah all over again. I think that they are both made for each other. They are completely in love with each other and they should be together forever. She never even thinks about Lon when she is with Noah and that means she is not truely in love with him, but is with Noah. When they are together, they are always smiling and having a good time. They are truely in love.
Indie Reading #6 p. 96-105, 2-8-09 Sunday
Noah is sitting on his rocking chair when Allie's car pulls in. She kisses him on the cheek once she gets out of her car and she wants to know the surprise he promised her. He is worried because it is supposed to rain, but she doesn't care and she insists they go to the canoe anyways. She looks at him and she can't think of anyone who is even closely compared to him. Noah asks her what she is thinking about and she says, "Good things." He knows she is thinking about him and she knows he is thinking about her. Allie asks Noah if he remembers the summer they had spent together and he admits that the entire summer was perfect. Allie thinks that Noah is different from any other guy, including Lon. She knows that the only reason she started painting again was because of Noah and Lon never understood her love for art. Finally, they arrive at the surprise where an old tree had fallen over. Noah tells Allie to close her eyes and he begins to paddle her into the hidden opening.
Indie Reading #5 p. 84-95, 2-7-09 Saturday
Allie wakes up the next morning, very tired. She slept in Noah's shirt that he had given her the night before. He was imagining him in his kayak or canoe and is reminded how he showed her the sun rise from his kayak or canoe years ago. Noah goes to the river every morning and sits in his kayak. It loosens his muscles and clears his mind. He sits there that morning and wonders why Allie has come to see him and questions if Lon is actually a good man for her. Allie is spending the say walking around New Bern and she wonders what she would be doing now if she hadn't seen the article about Noah's home. She would probably be having dinner with Lon. She goes into a local art gallery and buys a painting that reminds her of her own work. Then, she goes into a department store and buys paper, pencils, and drawing chalk to take back to her room. As she is leaving the inn, the manager stops to tell her that they had taken four calls from her fiance the night before. She is shocked and thought something bad had happened. She has to call him back, but she kind of doens't want to and thinks it will ruin her day. She then gets in her car and goes over to Noah's a few minutes later and she is unconcerned about the calls. When she has almost arrived at Noah's, Lon calls her from the courthouse.
Indie Reading #4 p. 78-83, 2-6-09 Friday
In chapter 4, Lon kept trying to call Allie since 7 p.m. and she will not answer. He is in his office working on a trial and is always working late hours by himself. He knows there is something going on with Allie, but can't quite figure it out. Lon is in love with Allie and he loves how Allie always speaks her mind. She had become everything thats he has ever wanted. He promised that when they got married, he would make sure he didn't work too many hours. Lon then figures out what Allie is really doing. He remembers when Allie's mother told him about how she was in love with Noah years ago and this bothered him. He wonders if Allie went to New Bern to go see Noah and questions if she is with him at that very moment.
Indie Reading #3 p. 36-77, 2-1-09 Sunday
Noah and Allie can't look at each other and she feels guilty for just showing up on his porch. She feels she is finally home. She tells Noah how she found the article about his house and that she has to tell him something. She realizes that they feel like strangers because they haven't seen each other in 14 years. The two of them go on a walk and she decides to tell him about her fiance, Lon Hamilton Jr. She tells Noah that he is a very nice man and that he would like him. He takes her to the oak tree and reminds her about all the good memories they have. Allie lied to Lon about leaving to go see Noah and Noah asks her if she really loves Lon and if she is having doubts, then she shouldn't marry him. They walk down to the dock and Allie finds a carved heart with both of their names inside that they carved the night before she left and this makes her shiver. They both go back to Noah's house and Allie looks around. While waiting for dinner to be done, they catch up on everything that has happened over they years. She begins to wonder if she is falling in love with Noah again. During dinner, they talk some more and she begins to think if her and Lon have ever talked like this before. After, Allie is going to return to the inn where she is staying and Noah gives her his shirt for her to keep as a memory. Noah wants to see Allie the next day and Allie feels the same way. She drives away and he returns to his rocking chairs and begins to cry.
Indie Reading #2 p. 6-35, 1-31-09 Saturday
In chapter two, it switches to the third person point of view with an introduction to Noah Calhoun in October 1946. Noah is a 31 year old man that lives with his dog, Clem. He is lonely and hasn't dated in a long time and he wonders if he is going to be alone forever. He is sitting on his wrap around porch at his plantation-style home that was built in 1772 in New Bern, North Carolina. He bought it right after the war and spent his time repairing this house. Noah loves the guitar because it reminds him of his father and how much he misses him. Noah dated a lot of girls in high school, but none meant as much as Allie, but they fell out of love. He never met the expectations of Allie's parents because they wanted her to be with someone of their same class. She said she would find a way to be with her, but her parents made her move at the end of the summer. So they could not be together. He wrote her everyday, but the letters were unanswered. So he decided to leave New Bern himself and moved to Norfolk, Virginia. Noah went on a search for Allie in North Carolina and found out Allie's parents moved and left no forwarding address. He sent one final letter and forced himself to accept that the summer they last spent together was their last. He dated a few more women, one he became close to, but he never felt the same way as he did for Allie. Later on, Noah wanted to enlist in the Army and so he went to bootcamp. After that, he bought the plantation he had always wanted. Allie then finds a newspaper that she had kept and is reminds her of Noah and then she begins her journey looking for Noah. She comes upon his house and he is standing on the porch. Allie, a 29 year old and a now engaged woman, just stared at Noah from her car wanted to know answers.
Indie Reading #1 p. 1-5, 1-30-09 Friday
In chapter one, the narrator is an 80 year old man. He explains his life as stable, with more ups than downs. He also says he is nothing special, just a common man with common thoughts. He has loved someone with all of his heart and soul for pretty much his whole life and will do anything for her. Everyday, he reads a notebook to the love of his life, when she actually thinks this man is a complete stranger. He hopes this notebook will create a miracle. This women is suffering from Alzheimer's and he hopes one day that she will recognize and remember him after reading the notebook to her everyday in the hospital.