Winter Break 2011-12

Winter Break Free Response

Ellen Christensen

Mr. Cheng

Over winter break I did many things. My brother and his Bostonian girlfriend came home for four nights over Christmas, and my sister Jane came home from college in New York. She brought home a lot of luggage too because she is spending her second semester in Paris, France. My sister and I had to do a lot of last minute Christmas shopping two days before Christmas Eve. So we spent our day in uptown and at best buy, buying an iPad for my mom and noise cancelling Bose headphones for my dad. That night I had to sing Christmas Carols at the Galleria with my chamber choir.

The next day, the day before Christmas Eve, my family and I drove to Saint Paul and saw the 1968 exhibit at the History Museum. It was a very interesting exhibit and I learned a lot of new things about that year. My dad had a business meeting after that, so my mom, sister, brother, his girlfriend, and I went to the Saint Paul Grill and ate a hearty lunch. That night my chamber choir and I sang our final gig at the Burwell house in Wayzata. It was sad to be done with our caroling festivities, but I was also happy that I didn’t have to sing “O Christmas Tree” anymore. Whew…what a relief! After our final gig, we all went to a friends house and had a mini Chamber party. It was a fun time to socialize and relax.

The next day was Christmas Eve. I was getting very nervous for the four PM mass. I was that sole cantor, and all of the music was brand new. I was also starting to lose my voice from the many days of caroling. My siblings and I distributed our annual jams around the neighborhood, and then I returned home to fully warm up my voice. We got to the church at three and I started to relax and settle my nerves. I put on my white robe and the children’s choirs began to sing their Christmas melodies. I sang the mass perfectly, and my voice held out for the hour and thirty minute mass. Driving home to a welcoming home full of my extended family was a relief and a blessing. We hosted thirty-four family members at our house. There was a brand new two-week old baby to hold and toddlers scurrying around excited for Santa to come down the chimney that night. It was a fun-filled evening of laughs and tears, joyful with the new additions to the family, and sad remembering the family members that we’ve lost. The biggest surprise of the night was the book made for each member of the family. This book contained the Christensen/Nasby/Fjelstadt family history and the memories of our family’s past. Tears filled my eyes as I turned each page. It was a special night, but once the clock struck midnight, I knew it was time to retire to my bed.

The next morning, we all gathered in our porch as my mother and father prepared the kitchen and living room for present-opening. I could smell the cinnamon buns warming in the oven, and the Christmas tea brewing in the pot. The nutcracker started playing, and we knew that was our cue to join our parents around the Christmas tree full of unopened presents. Our stockings were filled to the brim and we couldn’t wait to see what was inside. After we opened all of our presents, we all hugged and kissed each other, thankful for family and love. We then went to have Christmas breakfast. We laughed around the kitchen table reminiscing the festivities of Christmas Eve. It was a very family orientated Christmas and we made many lasting memories. That afternoon, my brother, his girlfriend, my sister and I watched MacGruber, a silly movie with a lot of violence and crude jokes. That night we went to my aunt’s house for post dinner cocktails and cookies. It was my mother’s side of the family so there were many, many laughs. I was exhausted at that point and all I wanted to do was climb in to bed and sleep for fifteen hours.

The next day I woke up feeling slightly under the weather, so I spent the day sitting on a couch in front of the television watching Elf and other classic Christmas movies.

The next day I spent with a dear friend, Anna. We spent the day lounging around. After hours of sitting on our butts we decided to hang out with our mutual friend Isabel and her cousin, Veronica. We had Panera for dinner and invited some guys to come and hang out with us at Anna’s house. That night was definitely the highlight of my winter break. It was a fun night spent with old and new friends. Unfortunately, I got home two hours past my curfew and my mom got pretty upset with me.

The next day I woke up feeling a little healthier. My mom and I did some dress shopping for my upcoming college auditions, but only found one dress. It is brown lace with short sleeves and looks wonderful with grey tights. It will be perfect for the occasion. I spent the rest of the night prepping for my duet I would be performing on December thirtieth.

The twenty-ninth came around and it was the beginning of the big Prelude Celebration. I had to bring food and beverages to Manon and Thaxter’s party pad. The night was filled with beautiful music and wonderful reconnections with old Prelude friends. I went home that night exhausted but excited to perform my duet the next day with my best friend Mattie Hogg.

The fourteen-hour Prelude Extravaganza was a day for the memory books. I reconnected with many of my old friends who are now seniors in college, and learned some great lessons from theater’s finest such as, Matthew Howe, Sigmund Reed, and Ryan Underbakke. Many tears were shed upon hearing the beautiful music that day. I started feeling my throat close up right before Mattie and I were to perform. I quick took some cough syrup and two advil and I felt brand new. We sang our duet and the crowd erupted with applause. I was so nervous I couldn’t remember the performance after the fact, but it was well received. Hearing a mortuary science student sing an aria from Cosi Fan Tutti was amusing and very impressive. Other original compositions were played and I couldn’t believe how much talent came out of a performing group that I am apart of. I was so proud of every single performer and it put that icing on top of an already satisfying winter break (or shall I say cake?).

Culminating Poem

Sharing feelings is like giving part of yourself;

painful, heart-wrenching, and reflective.

Like a chapter of a book stored on a bookshelf,

giving me a chance to go through it and relive.

I'll admit tears sprung to my eyes sometimes,

it is hard to face the past of death a grieving.

For many, to forget such a thing takes lifetimes.

I retell it my facade of strength slowly unweaving.

Opening my heart to anyone isn't easy.

I like to hear other peoples problems and comfort,

but being the helped only makes me feel queezy.

Coming to terms with death has taken time effort.

I am not fully healed, nor will I ever be,

but knowing I will one day see her reassures me.

I used a somewhat sonnet form to write this poem. It has 14 lines, and I use ABABCDCDEFEFGG rhyme scheme, but there is no specific meter. I wrote about my difficulty actually getting answers down in that forum. Emotionally it was a serious challenge for me, but it has helped me get back in touch with my emotions. I also really enjoyed this exercise because it reminded me of how much I love and admire my grandmother, even when she has passed away. I hope for more activities like this one, despite how emotionally draining it was for me. I hope people find my poem relatable and can sympathize with the emotions I went through.

Activity C

Cabin Bliss
Being at the cabin is wonderful,
in fact, it's a dream.

Driving up the three hours
is an experience within itself.
As we travel the hundreds of miles up north,
the colors of the leaves are bright green,
and full.

Once we reach the famous Pease Road,
we turn right with exuberance.
I am overwhelmed with excitement.

Down the steep gravelly road is the log cabin,
I call it heaven.

Once we park,
I dread carrying all of our groceries,
and luggage up the steps and into the cabin.
It's a treacherously long process,
and I would much rather hop on the boat,
 and go for a dip.

Once my chores are completed,
I put on my swim suit and head toward the dock.
Now begins my vacation; swimming in the deep lake, and jumping off the jet skis.

No cellular communication, no mobile devices.
Just me, my family, and the wilderness.
It's the greatest time of the year.
It is the most beautiful time,
and the most serene.

Activity B

Ignorance of Church "Service" Projects
I was recently reminded about the misconception
that homeless people gather around homeless services. 
I haven't been to church in a long time,
but I went this past Sunday.  

The Sunday School class that morning was discussing
the homeless ministries the church was involved with,
which seemed rather fortuitous to me,
being a subject I am somewhat familiar with.

As often happens in these discussions,
the subject of where the homeless
choose to be homeless, comes up. 
One person brought up San Diego,
 and said that the weather there
certainly must be attracting a lot of homeless people. 
But then another person countered that Seattle
has a large homeless population
and the weather there is less than ideal.  

So then it was mentioned that
Seattle must have good social services for the homeless,
and that must be what is attracting homeless people there.
But then it was brought up that Nashville also
has good services for the homeless,
yet Nashville does not have nearly the homeless population
that Seattle has.

I think it's important to note that
people who comment on the quality of homeless services
really don't know what they are talking about.  
They only know about homeless services as
they are relayed to them from a third party. 
They don't actually take a first hand look at the services
provided for the homeless,
neither do they take the time to determine
if the services described to them are real or exaggerated,
or if they are actually meeting the needs of the homeless.

Most people don't really know
what it is that homeless people
need. So,
their assessment of services,
especially comparing one place to another,
is factually baseless. 

They just don't know what they are talking about.


http://thehomelessguy.blogspot.com/

Activity A

Mr. Cheng's Poem

Is there a tune more happy

than a daughter’s windchime laugh?  

A silence more crushing

than her rolling tear?  

Is there a breeze more cooling

than a son’s slumbered sigh?  

A thought more awesome

than the question that he asks?  

And is there a truer joy

when I am the clown?  Shame

when I accuse

and rage?  Peace

when I pull up the sheet?  Pride

when I strike the flint? 

I made these kids

and I make these kids.  

And they make me.

Emotions Poems

The Night Walker
I walk the dogs at night.
Darkness surrounds me,
except the slight flicker of a street light.
It seems too quiet sometimes,
my imagination runs wild with possibilities.
A wimper in the distance,
is it a baby crying or a mouse squeeling?
I keep walking determined to get home.
My pace quickens, but home seems far.
The leaves rustle in the wind,
they blow past my face, making it hard to see.
The dogs are small, useless I think,
but they are as alert as I am.
Noises surround us as we scurry home.
How many miles left I wonder,
hoping for just one.

10 Ways of Looking at the Sky

1.

The clouds billow like waves,

rolling around like kids in the snow.

But the snow is blue and the kids are white and fluffy.

2.

Sometimes I look up and it is dark,

like someone is unhappy and their

face turns bright red.

3.

Tiny droplets fall from this expansive space

like its crying out in sadness.

Yearning for the bright yellow circle.

4.

When the bright yellow circle is out

in December, it's playing tricks on our eyes.

You walk outside and it feels chilled.

5.

It is endless this blue space up there.

And at dusk it turns from blue to orange,

to purple, then black.

6.

In the city you are less visible.

Glass building reflect your image,

although it is not quite as beautiful.

7.

When the droplets begin to fall,

it is surprising come November,

 when they are in fussy star shapes.

8.

And when blossoms form on trees

in the spring, you turn back to

damp droplets with roaring winds.

9.

Somedays I wake up and fell grey,

so I ask you to be blue

and carry the bright yellow circle.

10.

I am thankful for your blueness,

but somedays,

I wish you could be pink...

my favorite color.

Modernism Poem (based on presentation)

Breaking away from the normal is what we do. Modernism is really cool.
No rhyme, no meter, just fun and games. Expressing yourself will never be the same.
Imagism is fantastic; creating images in the mind with metaphors. No rules, nothing.
Hulme, then Pound. The newfound poetry was spreading like wild fire.
Free of romatic constraints, a new era was born.
Modernism.