Possible Storybook Topics

1. Possible Topic: Sita’s Life. Sita has captured my attention since before I even knew who she was and what story she came from. Most of it came from the pictures I have seen, and now that I am half way through the PDE Ramayana, I understand why I was so fascinated.

Sita and Hanuman

Research so far. Reading the Ramayana has been my largest source of research thus far. I have also browsed the Wikipedia page on her to find out more about her life. I could write about her birth, marriage, and exile as the three parts to the storybook. I had to tread carefully through this page, as I did not want to spoil the end of the Ramayana for myself!  I looked at multiple Storybooks for Sita (she is quite popular) and they gave me more ideas.

2. Possible Topic: Magical Weapons. I think it would make a great storybook to write various stories on the celestial weapons that appear in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Some options include giving some weapons a personality; making some silly, others serious.
Research so far. I have read of some of these weapons appearing to Rama in the Ramayana, but I know there are many “magical” weapons that appear in Hindu storytelling.  I found a really cool Wikipedia article on celestial weapons in the Hindu culture.

3. Possible Topic: Gods of Trimurti. Another possible storytelling option is three of the Gods that are a part of the Trimurti, the name of the three major deities in Hinduism. They are Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. From the Ramayana, Vishnu is the God that Rama came from, Shiva is the God whose bow was broken by Rama, and Brahma was the God who gave Ravana his boon.
Research so far. I have read multiple Wikipedia articles, and gone down a few rabbit holes trying to learn more. I learned that in the Trimurti, Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer. I believe a good storybook could come from these three Gods and three stories emulating their “titles”.

4. Possible Topic: Animal characters. I have truly enjoyed all of the animal characters that have made their way into the stories. I believe three great ones come from the Ramayana, and they are Hanuman, Sugriva, and Sampati. The three have very grand stories, and I believe they could be expanded/changed for the storybook.
Research so far. I have perused articles for all three, and I believe it is possible to make a storybook out of them. I am partial to Hanuman based on his actions in the Ramayana (epic!), but Sampati’s story of losing his wings with Jatayu and Sugriva’s battle with his brother Vali are also other great possibilities.

Week 3 Reading Diary, continued: PDE Ramayana, Part C

These are my notes for sections 41-60 in the PDE Ramayana (Part C). Here I have come up with three options for week 3 Storytelling assignment.

Rama Beats Vali

I do understand why this section is controversial. Rama is in complete hiding watching two equals fight (most likely to the death of one) and he intervenes with no announcement to create a victor. In this possible storytelling option, I would expand on what happened when Rama beat Vali. Due to the controversial nature of this portion of the Ramayana, I believe it would be a good idea to give Rama a reason for why he did what he did. The idea I came up with is to focus on the fact that Rama’s father said he is explicitly not allowed to enter a city during the fourteen years. Vali wouldn’t come out just seeing Sugriva, so Rama had to be stealthy.

Rama beats Vali

Sampati Getting Wings

This option would be to tangent out from the current ending of Sampati’s story. It could be Rama and Sita on their journey home, and Rama sees Sampati and, knowing the story, grants him his wings. It could include Sita and Rama’s gratitude in his aid in finding Rama’s bride.

Hanuman’s Tail

I truly enjoyed this portion of the story. I loved how Sita had empathy for Hanuman, and wanted to save him the pain. I also love his ingenious idea of taking his punishment and punishing Lanka tenfold in return. I feel this portion of the Ramayana was much too short, and has many options to be expanded on or added.

Week 2 Storytelling: The Golden Shoes

“Today, I think they need a good wax,” the chief caretaker told Sami.

“Yes, sir,” he responded, hiding the annoyance in his voice.

"They’re just shoes!!!" he yelled in his head, "They cannot rule a nation, a territory, a kingdom, and they sure can’t rule me!"

Like previous times he was angry about the golden shoes, he knew it would pass when the paycheck came. He knew he had a much easier job than most. Many considered him lucky, for he toiled indoors in a temperate palace with few tasks to even callous his hands. Ayodhya was, after all, one of the top five places to live in “Ramayana, Real Estate.” 

He thought of his wife, Jasmine, and frowned.  How could he ever complain when she was in the mill by the river.  She always came home covered head to toe in flour, and she smelled of manure.  It was so hard on her muscles and joints.  He decided he needed to stop whining about his job.

He grabbed a new cloth, as he always did. The shoes were too precious for a used one, and he would be punished if they saw him using one. He had never met this Rama, but Sami wasn’t sure if he believed all the God-like characteristics he possessed.

He never lied? He walked away when told to go into exile? He broke a God’s bow?! Doubt it. That Sita sure was beautiful though, so he must have done something right.

Sami rubbed the shoes feverishly, but careful not to harm them. After all, they still had thirteen years on the throne, and he wanted to be there for all of it.

“I wish this job were easier,” he muttered quietly under his breath. Suddenly, his arm felt stronger. It was as if something magical had happened while he cleaned; doing the exact same thing became easier when he said so!

"It must be coincidence…" he thought to himself. "There is no way these shoes are magic, is there?"  He pushed the sleeves up on his shirt and began flexing, looking at his reflection in the perfectly polished golden throne behind the shoes.  

"WOW," he thought, "I could get used to this!"

"I wish I would never die!"  he whispered loudly while rubbing the shoes, and then turned his back quickly to make sure no one was behind him.  Coast was clear.  He quickly checked the front and back of hands wide-eyed, then realized he probably wouldn't notice anything from that wish for quite some time. 

"Hmmmmm," he thought, "I should have thought that through a little better."  He decided to try again, but this time he would wish for something that could happen instantly.

“I wish I had more money,” he whispered next. At first, it seemed nothing happened. Then, suddenly, his brother came walking in, with an armed guard following. He had sorrow on his face, and tears in his eyes.

”Your wife…Jasmine... Sami… She…. I… They couldn’t stop it…” Sami’s brother choked out between sobs.

“Brother! Tell me!” Sami screamed.

“She was pulled into the mill, Sami, they couldn't stop it, she is gone,” he said somberly, head down.

The guard walked up in tune with the situation, as if he were going to fix it all.

“Here is wages she would have made for five years. It is the least we can do,” the guard stated.

Sami couldn’t breathe. What must he have done to deserve such a punishing karma?

From that day on, Sami swore to never wish upon the sandals again.

He lived until the end of time, unable to die, or be killed, which was a curse he would never wish on anyone.

Rama, Bharata, and the Golden Sandals

Author's Note. This story is a tangent to Section 24 in the PDE Ramayana where Bharata put sandals on Rama’s feet, and then sent them back to Ayodhya to become the place-holder for Rama when he returns to be king. In this story, a worker in Ayodhya has to tend to the gold shoes.  
The worker is not ever mentioned in any of the Ramayana, but I got the idea when Bharata said they would sit on the throne waiting for Rama.  I immediately pictured them losing their shine and perfection, so it only made sense to put someone over them to tend to them.  The story has no definitive place in the main story, so it gave me a lot of leeway when deciding my characters, their story, and the plot.  This is the main reason I went with this one. 
The image I have selected for "The Golden Shoes" is Bharata when he is putting the golden shoes on Rama before he takes them back to Ayodya.  It gives the perfect symbolism of Bharata putting himself beneath Rama by saving the throne for him, because in the picture he is kneeling at Rama's feet looking up, while Rama is looking down at him.

Bibliography. This is based on Section 24 of the PDE Ramayana.

Week 2 Reading Diary, continued: PDE Ramayana, Part B

These are my notes for the second 20 sections in the PDE Ramayana (Part B, 21-40).  I have made three more options for the Storytelling assignment.

The Golden Sandals

I liked the part where Bharata put sandals on Rama’s feet, then sent them back to Ayodya to become the place-holder for Rama when he returns to be king. One completely tangent story could be a servant in Ayodya that has to tend to the gold shoes. It could involve his thoughts on the idea, as well as his daily duties to the “king”. The shoes could have magical powers that he discovers in secret. Knowing this, it could be a story on what he decided to do with this celestial shoes.

The Death of Viradha

One story I found to be very exciting was the death of Viradha. He was immortal to death by war, so Rama and Lakshmana had to think outside the box to come up with a way to keep him from killing them. This portion of the story was not very long, so I could embellish with dialogue, or more description of the happenings. I might even come up with an alternate form of death for Viradha, since the entire purpose is for him to die then ascend to heaven.

The Saintly Woman

While Rama and Lakshmana were on their way to find Sita, they found a woman, Shabari, there waiting for them. If I were to use this for Storytelling, I could do a sort of prequel. In it, I could have the conversation between her and the saints, and then possibly right up until they arrived. It would be the fast-forward version of all the time she spent alone. There could be silly parts where she goes a little stir-crazy, and serious ones where she longs to die.

Rama and Shabari

Tech Tip: Blogger Template

This week I decided to update my blog beyond the "simple" design.  I tried them all, but in the end I went with the "Picture Window" option that has raindrops in the background and a black backdrop for the words.

I chose this design for both its' personal aesthetic appeal and simplicity.  I did the "preview" option for all blogs, and this one appealed to me the most.

Week 2 Reading Diary: PDE Ramayana, Part A

These are my notes for the first 20 sections in the PDE Ramayana.  Below I have listed three of my favorite parts from part A that I am considering for my Storytelling post.

The Tools that Come Alive

In the morning Vishvamitra chanted powerful mantras, which caused celestial weapons to appear for Rama, and the spirits of the weapons stood before the prince with clasped hands and said, “We are thy servants, O nobly generous one. Good betide thee! Whatever thou dost desire, lo, we shall accomplish for thee!”
Said Rama, “When I have need of you, I will think of you, and then you will wait upon me.”

I really enjoyed this part. I think it would make a great story to embellish on the magical weapons that appear when needed. I could go for serious, and describe each weapon and where they are stored. I could also aim for funny, making them talking, each having their own personalities.

Rama and Lakshmana

Then and For Ever

At that instant, Rama heard the jingle of the bangles on the lady Sita's feet, and he said, "I know of a surety that there comes hither a lady whom I shall love beyond all things else in the world." Lifting his eyes he saw Sita, the king's daughter, and they loved each other then and for ever.

I could write a more in-depth love story between Rama and Sita. It could include what she was thinking, and maybe what her nurses thought of her love at first sight.

The Wedding

The marrying of the four sisters to the four brothers stood out to me. It was clear Sita and Rama loved each other, but nothing was spoken of the other three wedded couples. I think it would be a fun idea to make a story of the women and men arguing separately about who they had to marry.

My Many Learning Challenges

I could not just come up with one or a few of these that most interest me, because I feel they are all crucial to the various aspects of relationships, work ethic, and self-growth.

Happiness/health

Happiness is my number one goal. To me, if you are not trying to be happy, then what more could your purpose be? I will point out though, the adorable movie “Inside Out” showed us you can’t just be happy all the time, or else you wouldn’t understand it (by having no opposite for comparison). In general, the healthier you are, the more life you will have to live.

Empathy

Empathy is most important in relationships. Being married, empathy (or lack of) can make or break your relationship. If you do not ever put yourself in your spouse’s shoes and see how they are feeling, a callous can form in your respect for the other. This same principle can be applied to all relationships, as you should be there for your friends/family when they are both hurting and happy.

Attention
Attention is crucial if you plan to ever get anything done. Personally, attention and time management go hand in hand. If you don’t have the time, you won’t be able to pay attention, and if you don’t focus your attention, then the time you set aside for a task is useless.

Reading

I include reading under both leisure and necessary. I think it’s important to keep up to date with current events. Someone else might find the newest Cosmo article important; either way, leisure reading is just as important as required to attaining a growth mindset.

Time Management

This has been one of my main focuses for the last five years. Without it, I wouldn’t be where I am at. Being a wife, mother, full time student, and working over 20 hours a week, I have no time to waste. This is an area I could always improve on. When I feel like I’m finally there enough for my daughter, my education suffers, or when I am working diligently at work and getting overtime, my marriage suffers. It is all about finding the balance.

(Photo concerning time management, found on the OULBH Blog)

Growth Mindset

I have never heard of Carol Dweck before tonight. In the various aspects of my life, I realize that I am in vastly different places on the growth-fixed mindset spectrum. In school, I am in the fixed mindset, because I often feel there is nothing more I can get out of these classes without live experience. Currently working in the field I am graduating in, I have a full growth mindset. Here, I learn every day, and I always have a plan for how I can improve efficiency, ability, and knowledge. 

(Photo taken from Growth Mindset Memes blog)

While at OU, I learned that my type of learning is hands-on. If I had not figured this out, I do not believe I could have made it this far. My biggest challenges in learning new things is when I become closed-minded. This often occurs because I hear teachers say things I know to be incorrect by personal experience, so I shut down. I need to alter this form of thinking, as I know the men and women hired to teach us were given careful consideration.

I am enjoying what I have seen about the growth mindset thus far. As a mother, I am always looking to improve how I teach and parent, and this seems to be one of the perfect opportunities to attempt that. I am currently worried about my production class, as the teacher is quite monotone, yet expects a great amount of work. I need to apply the growth mindset to this class in order to get out of it the most I can.

Storybook Favorites: Spring 2016

Looking through some of the past storybook’s for this class, I was blown away by the creativity. I know “LOL” is a common phrase, but I actually laughed out loud at some of them!

Post Secret Sanskrit

This storybook was by far my favorite. I am partial to postsecret.com, as I have been visiting the website every Sunday since I was 13. Though the layout and design are quite familiar (just like the post secret website), the characters are completely unfamiliar to me. This post was incredibly well put together, and the introduction had me hooked enough to read almost the whole thing. I now see why pictures are so important for the flow of the story.

(Screenshot of Post Secret Sanskrit page)

Sita: A Song of Valor

I don’t know why, but the snippets of Sita’s story I have seen stand out to me tremendously. This writer made a simple but easy to follow storybook. It is well written and easy to follow. I do wish the layout was more exciting; not busy with crazy colors everywhere, but more involved than just white and orange on everything. The introduction is very well written, and draws the reader in, but the font is so small that my eyes kept wanting to stop reading when I would lose the line I was on.

(Screenshot of Sita: A Song of Valor page)

Epic Women Tell All

The font and layout for this was simple, but pleasing to the eye. I really like the introduction for this one. It consisted of a game show where the three women involved would finally get a chance to tell their side of the story. I thought this to be incredibly creative, funny, and well put together. I really enjoyed the pictures shown with each page of the story. The font was very small, but that would be my only complaint. This was also one of my favorites.

(Screenshot of Epic Women Tell All page)

Reading/perusing these storybook's has given me a much better understanding of what is expected with the Storybook assignment. All of them had the similar gadget of an index, which made going to the desired page very simple. They also all had numerous pictures, which I now see is crucial to getting the reader more involved when imagining the scenes you’ve created.

Overview: The Beginning...

For week 2 and 3 readings, I decided to go with the PDE Ramayana. This was, in fact, not my original choice. When I saw that Narayan’s Ramayana was “modern style” I immediately wanted to choose this option, because I felt it would be easier. As I browsed through the online version, I decided that the best way to truly feel the author’s intentions would be to read the old-fashioned version.

You may be wondering why I included "The Beginning" in the title; well my knowledge of Indian history and culture is just that. I took this class, curious if I would be behind not knowing much of anything about India's culture, or what an epic even is. My initial thought was that it was somewhat of a tall-tale. I took this solely from my understanding of the word epic; greater than life.

I am not a fan of Game of Thrones, but that is because of the violence involved, as I do not know the story line. I took a mythology class about six years ago, and to be frank, I remember very little.

Sita Vanavasa: Sita in exile; Ravi Varma Press.

(L0021787 Credit: Wellcome Library, London)

I did not recognize any photos throughout the images available, so I selected the photo above because it stood out to me.  It is the most realistic looking painting, and emits a raw emotion.  The caption states (I assume she is Sita) "Sita in exile", and she looks lonely.  Bored even.  I am curious to find out her story, if that is an option.

Introduction of Spring 2016: My Last Semester!

Nice to Meet You!

Hello everyone!! My name is Whitney. This is my last semester at OU, and my major is Petroleum Engineering. I currently work as a reservoir engineer intern at an oil company (and I hope to stay there once I graduate).

I have been married for five years this May, and we have a 3-year-old little girl. These two make up my entire world; everything else in my life is just bonus. I decided to go back to school when she was born, and here I am almost done!

(Left: me, Right: my husband.  Photo taken by my niece, Christmas party, December 2015)

We have two dogs: Lily, a wire terrier, and Jewels, a Stafford shire terrier. They are both inside dogs, and are as spoiled as can be. Their butts never touch a cold floor, ever.

My favorite movie of all time is Pitch Perfect. I saw the second one as well, and it is great, but it’s got nothing on the first. My favorite book is “Someone Like You” by Sarah Dessen. My favorite TV show is Grey’s Anatomy by Shonda Rhimes.

I have so many hobbies! Both ones I currently attempt in my little free time, as well as those I want to start again or try for the first time. Currently I like to sew, crochet, and paint. I would like to dip my artistic side into quilting, quilling, pottery, writing short stories, and many more! I love all things arts-and-crafts style, and when I finally get out of school and stop doing homework, I hope to try them all.

My favorite food is Mexican. This is tragic, because my husband’s least favorite food is Mexican (*sigh). I just have to be creative when I go out with friends, and sometimes attempt to con them when it’s my turn to decide on a meal.

If I had to describe one of my favorite days, it would be the day we went to Disneyland last August. I’ve never seen anything as magical as this, and it was truly surreal.

(Left to right, me, my daughter, my husband.  Photo taken by my sister-in-law, Disneyland castle, August 2015)

One of my favorite quote's is

What others think of you is none of your business

-unknown

Once I finally discovered this truth, I was able to live how I wanted to, without trying to please or prove to everyone else who I should be. I answer to many names, but in the end I'm one in the same, and I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.

And now here is a HILARIOUS video.

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum on Lip Sync Battle

Week 1 Storytelling: Young Love

Curly locks! curly locks! wilt thou be mine?

Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine,

But sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam,

And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

RIINNGGGGG!!!

The school bell yelled throughout the room. John stood up and gathered his belongings, anxious to get home to his pig, Rover.  As he passed the last desk, he caught wind of her magical perfume.  He knew.  He knew exactly where it came from: Mary Ann Higgins.  The most beautiful girl in the world. 

She glanced his way and he looked away hastily, as he realized he was staring.  Isn’t she used to it?  Someone as sweet and perfect as her must attract a crowd.

He walked over to her, palms sweating, “H-Hey Mary, I was wondering if you’d like to get an ice cream?” All his after school plans were long gone, because he was looking his future in the eyes.  He wouldn’t have believed the words came out of his own mouth if he hadn’t heard them too.

“Well Johny Boy, I could do that,” she said with a nod and a grin.  Her angelic golden curls bounced with the shake of her head.  He was shocked.  She was a woman of power and leisure, and with a father like Mayor Higgins, John knew he was walking a dangerous line.  He couldn’t picture must past this date, so he’d just have to savor every second.

A boy and girl featured in The Nursery Rhyme Book (1897) found on Project Gutenberg.

To his (and everyone else’s) surprise, they began courting just a few months later.  Mayor Higgins liked John Rollins, but he did NOT want his daughter feeding that infamous pig, or being his little maid, washing his dishes and such.  No, he would have to test him.  If he passed, he could have Mary; if not, he would be sure their courtship was shattered, by his own hand no less. 

One frigid night, Mayor Higgins dressed up as a beggar, roaming the streets of the very town he ran, Hamilton.

Knock! Knock! Knock! The mayor’s plan was in full swing.  John answered swiftly, with a wool blanket wrapped around him to combat the frozen air. 

“Sir, could you spare a crumb? Or a sock?” mayor muttered in his most unfamiliar voice, “it is dreadfully cold, and I don’t believe I’ll make it through the night!”

John stared blankly for a moment.  He remembered how warm he was; how he felt as though he was hugging a polar bear in a blizzard.  Not a moment later, he unwrapped the blanket and put it on the hunched frail man.  He needed it more. 

“Well don’t just stand there! Come in!  I’ve prepared stew for me and Rover, but I do believe split three ways is sparse different from two,” John exclaimed.  Mayor walked inside and let John close the door.  He suddenly threw off the blanket, along with his wig and rags, revealing his true persona: Mayor Higgins.

“Sir! I’m so sorry! I didn’t recognize you! I-I-I.....” —

—“Son, I have never been more impressed than I am right now.  You exhibited exactly what I want to see in the man who marries my precious Mary.  I not only approve of your pending engagement, but I’d like to offer you something extra special.  How would you like to be the Sherriff? It’s the second highest paying job in the town, second only to me, of course.” He said with a chuckle.

John stared at the mayor, in complete shock.  He thought he was just helping an innocent man in need of a helping hand. 

John rode to Mary’s house at first light, ecstatic to tell her the news.

“Mary! Mary! Before you say anything, just listen!  I have loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you.  Your heavenly curls and beautiful heart are all I want to enjoy for the rest of my life.  And I know you’ve been worried about money, and not wanting to live in poverty, but that won’t happen!  I have it all figured out!  You can do your sewing you like so much, and eat all the desserts your heart fancies! What I’m really asking here is, will you be mine?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author's Note. The poem above is very short, and gives no reference to who is speaking or what they are talking about.  This was my favorite part, because it gave me full reigns on where to go with the story.  Also, just like the poem, I left my ending completely open to interpretation.  The story of John and Mary came to mind by picturing a man in the 1800's, and wondering why he would be saying the words in the poem.  I hope you enjoyed!

Bibliography. This story is based on the nursery rhyme "Curly lock! Curly Locks!" in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897).

Favorite Place: Cancun

The Perfect Vacation

One of the most perfect places I have ever been to is Cancun, Mexico.  It's located on the Eastern coast, near the Southern-most part of Mexico.  Below is a picture I found via Wikimedia showing the coastline with all of the resorts.

(Photo taken by Irving Huertas in Cancun, Mexico on February 15th, 2014. Source: Wikimedia Commons.)

We stayed in a villa for 8 days, and the photo below I took off of the balcony.  I still can't believe we were that close to the ocean!  It was paradise.

(Image Information: personal photo of ocean view in Cancun, Mexico; photo from June 2010.) 

Every meal was a buffet, and every day brought a new adventure.  Everything from snorkeling to exploring mountains to viewing ancient ruins!  The resort consisted of 3 large pools, with two outdoor drink stands between each.  The main pool even had a swim-up drink stand!  There was beach or pool volleyball, and we were never short on players (shown below on the left side).

(Image Information: personal photo of resort in Cancun, Mexico; photo from June 2010.) 

It was the perfect vacation, and I hope to be able to return one day.

Comment Wall

Hello all!

Welcome to my page! I look forward to getting to know many of you.

By Eduard von Grützner - Public Domain

This wall is a blank space for you to fill, so here's an appropriate song I like!

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