Highlights of the 2016-2017 Schoolyear

Academic

Straight A+s 

Learned a lot

Read good books

Went on educational trips 

Bonus points!

Last year of middle school 

Algebra isn't completely horrible 

Art class

Leaves of Learning News 

Social

Lots of new friends

Reconnected or grew closer to old friends

Ballet 

No more braces 

Went to amazing places with amazing people 

Eduardo 

Performing with friends in The Nutcracker

Performing en pointe

Talking about musicals with Gillian and Shalu 

Crutchie 

Talking with Annalyse each week in art 

Angela's Ashes: Book vs. Movie

Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt, is a memoir about the life of a poor Irish family, and the various challenges they face.
The adaption released in 2000 is pretty accurate to the novel, compared to many other examples. The dialogue often uses direct quotes from the book, which is extremely satisfying after reading the same scene.
For the most part, the cast are okay, but it's not too accurate. I, personally, didn't imagine young Frank's face to be so filled out. The children are described as skin and bones, and the first actor doesn't match that description. Also, his hair is described as always being very messy-- which I found untrue in the movie.
Another thing about the story that's changed, age wise, is the overly rapid progression of Frank's age. At the point where he is supposed to be about thirteen, the actor chosen for the role must be, at the youngest, sixteen.

The Glass Castle Movie Trailer vs. Book

Upon first hearing the news that The Glass Castle, a memoir by Jeanette Walls, was being adapted into a movie, I highly doubted that it would be accurate to the movie.

And, after watching it, the suspicion I had just solidified even further. The way they portrayed the dad, Rex Walls, as a very inspiring person, is extremely inaccurate. Rex loved his kids, sure, but he was an alcoholic who wound spend all of their money on prostitutes and, obviously, alcohol. In the trailer, they only showed one part where Jeannette got angry at her dad, but that mostly made him seem like the victim. 

The story also appears to go back and forth between Jeannette's current life, and her memories of childhood- which I think won't be as beneficial as the novel. After her introduction, Jeannette dives right into the story, and keeps you enraptured until the very last breath.

But in the style that they've apparently chosen to use, flashbacks back and forth, breaks the enchanting spell that her story casts. 

"Him" Poem Review

"Him," a haiku by Taylor Woodruff, is a short yet powerful poem.

The way the author speaks about himself is rather frighting, yet, at the same time, relatable. 

When he looks in the mirror, he thinks his own image staring back at him is the devil-- until he realizes it's actually him. 

The reason I view this image to be so powerful is that the author didn't even realize that he'd changed- who he'd become- until he viewed himself. People can often be like this. They become someone they're not, and don't stop to look back on themselves until it's too late-- and when they finally do, they see something almost unrecognizable staring back at them. 

When I make conversation, decisions, or even when I'm just going about my life, I often worry if I'm turning into something or someone I'm not, but then I do what I think is the key to staying true to yourself.

I view myself from an outside perspective. 

Mi manos

My hands are small, fragile. 

They type lightly, fingertips barely grazing across the keyboard.

They stop for a moment, waiting for another idea to come to mind.

They tap, tap, tap, trying to think of the best way to convey my message.

They aren't the most graceful, no- they can't float gently, as my dance teachers would like.

They aren't the most pretty- they have cuts and scars, from childhood accidents.

They aren't the most pleasing to the eye, but my hands create worlds. 

They hold my pencil as I doodle in my sketchbook.

They express my emotions as I debate my opinions passionately. 

They type furiously on a keyboard, writing on a blog. 

(All Thanks To You.)

Roses are sweet

When they bloom

They bedazzle all

(Much like you.)

Beautiful and bright

Colorful and lovely

They always steal

The spotlight

(And so do you.)

But hidden under

The vivid petals

That guard them

So well

(Oh, so well.)

There are thorns

That long

To do harm

To leave scars

(As you do.)

But these thorns

Are hidden so well

It’s not until

It’s too late

That we see

the truth

(As I now know

All thanks

To you.)

Carpe diem

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying."
-Robert Herrick

Seize the day
And make it last
Since you never know
How long your joy will last

Seize the day
And hold it close
Because faster and faster
The time goes

Seize the day
And take your time
Because you don't know
what tomorrow brings
What hills you'll have to climb

Seize the day
And remember to
stop and smile
Because tomorrow
May bring
More trials

Don't Give Up

Don't give up hope yet
The world's still spinning around
The day isn't done
The sun's still shining
The seasons are changing
The world's not over
Every day, new life
Babies born, flowers blooming
Don't give up hope yet.

Many Things

Many Things

There are many things I have lost
My phone, my keys, sometimes my mind
But there's nothing worse, of course
Than losing a loved one–
 leaving someone behind.

There are many things that I have lost
Some mine, some borrowed
Some old, some new
But the most important thing that I’ve lost
Would most surely have to be you.

There are many things that I have lost
Some are still in sight
But just because you can see someone
Doesn't make things right.

There are many things that I have lost
And, try as I might
I just can't go back and change it
Hit a button and rewrite.

There are many things that I have lost
But I’ve decided to take another chance
Because if I keep on looking, eventually
Perhaps I’ll at last find acceptance.

Message In A Bottle

Dear recipient
I do hope this message
Finds you safely
Whether it be found
In it's starting location,
Cincinnati,
Or all the way down
In Tallahassee
(No, I don't know how
It would travel across land
But sometimes fate
lends a mysterious hand)
Dear recipient
This is written
In April 2017
When the flowers are blooming
And the grass is green
I wonder when
this message will be found
Will it be warm
Or will there be snow on the ground?
Dear recipient
I hope this message
Brings a smile to your face
Reminds you to stop
And slow down your pace
Enjoy the day
No matter what it may bring
Because it's always around the corner-
Spring.

The Beauties Of Nature

 A sky on fire
Hues of red, blue, gold, and pink
Its warmth comforts me

The sun, an artist
Painting with golden colors
The sky, its canvas

Hearing the birds chirp
Resting under a tree's shade
The beauty of spring

As The Sun Goes Down

Watching

From the hilltop 

Waving goodbye

As the sun

Goes down

It darkens

The sky 

We sit

Beneath

The old tree

And wait

And listen

To the sounds

Of busy bees 

The sounds

Of birds

Chirping

Together

All of nature

We watch

And listen

We are

United

All as one

Mother Nature's

Gifts

As we sit

And watch

The sun

Go down

The Glass Castle Two-voice Poem

Dad: When have I ever let you down?

Jeannette: I'm starting to hear that a lot.

Dad: Whaddya mean? Your old man works.

Jeannette: You spend money on beer, and leave us to rot. 

Dad: Watch your mouth, or I'll go fetch my belt.

Jeannette shivered-- she still had some welts. 

Dad: Anyways, you don't mean that, do ya, Mountain Goat?

Dad: You and me are gonna build the Glass Castle

Dad: Complete with a moat!

Jeannette: Dad, you'll never get it done.

Jeannette: I'm leaving soon, for New York.

Dad: No you're not, you can't leave me.

Jeannette: Really? Just you wait and see. 

Gateway to Adventure

Looking out my window
I imagine
Where will I go?
What will I do?
Every plane trip I take
brings something new.

As we ascend,
I view the fluffy clouds.
I want to reach out and touch them-
What an adventure that would be!
Like a bird, flying high in the sky
Free.

Looking down on oceans so blue
I dream of taking a dive
In waters bright of hue.
They remind me of beaches
Long in my past.
Places I had loved
Trips that would never last.

My Spring Break 2017

My spring break this year wasn't too eventful.

We decided that, instead of going on a road trip like we usually do, my family was going to stay in Cincinnati and explore local places. We spent the week visiting the zoo, scouting locations in and around the city to take pictures at, and just enjoying our rare and precious free time. Along the way, we also found a few great restaurants. 

  One thing that I did, though, was spend a day with my friends. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant for lunch, where I tried Pho for the first time, and spent an hour talking, laughing and eating. 

After everyone was finished with their meals, we went back to my friend's house and spent a few hours taking pictures. We tried out fun techniques, like throwing flour in the air to make a cloudy effect, or using a hose and a ladder to make it look like it was raining. 

Even though I didn't do anything out of the ordinary over break, I had an amazing time with some amazing friends, and wouldn't trade that week for anything in the world. 

A Dog's Life

A dog’s life must be easy

Sleeping around all day.

A dog’s life must be easy

Only waking to play.

A dog’s life must be easy

No need to learn math.

A dog’s life must be easy

Their only problem is a bath.

A dog’s life must be easy

Little joys bring such blithe.

A dog’s life must be easy

Going on walks is their life.

A dog’s life must be easy

Never having to leave the house.

A dog’s life must be easy

The tiniest of apartments is their equivalent of a penthouse.

A dog’s life must be easy

But, I would say

While a dog’s life may be easy,

I’d rather be a human any day.

Dear Future President

This was written a month before the 2016 Presidential election. Enjoy!

 Dear Mr. or Madam President,

 

 Congratulations on winning this (very intense) election! I applaud you on your determination to attempt at making our country and world a better place. While there are many important issues that are being left out of the national spotlight, I believe three crucial matters are drug overdosage, immigration, and abortion rights.

 According to www.drugabuse.gov, over 25,000 people in the United Statements passed away from prescription drugs alone! That doesn’t even include the thousands of lives lost from cocaine or from the heroin epidemic. In all, www.teens.drugabuse.gov reports that in 2013, about 570,000 American lives were lost to these tempting yet horrible substances. I know that there are not many things you can do to prevent usage of these drugs- even with so many laws passed, there’s no way to completely get rid of this problem while people are still willing to use them, but there must be some way to prevent children from starting in the first place.

 I propose a mandatory week in all schools (Elementary, Middle and High schools alike) where health classes teach about the dangers of drugs and what the effects are.

  Immigration is just as big a problem as drugs. Innocent families are torn apart and people just looking for a better life are denied that privilege just because they weren’t born in, say, the next city over.

 Even though people are very against illegal immigrates, building a wall will not solve any problems. So please- make it easier to immigrate into our country, so deserving, innocent people don't get treated like dirt just because they didn't have the luck to be born somewhere else.

 The final thing I’d like to address is abortion rights. Please, for the love of all things equal and free, let women have the right to safe and accessible abortions. I should have the right to control my own body and make my own decisions- and not have ridiculous laws forced upon me by Congress members who most likely haven't or will not ever be able to have an abortion, due to the fact that 362 seats out of 438 are currently filled by men; as opposed to the 72 filled by women, the only gender that would actually be affected here. Even if it is banned, people will still find a way around it, and it most likely will not be a safe one. If people are going to have abortions, we want to make sure it's done safely and properly.

In parting, there is one final thing I’d like to say: please listen to the people of this country, and hear what we are saying.

Sincerely,

Ruby Sanchez

The Best (And Worst) Parts of Summer 2016

   (This piece was originally written in September 2016. Enjoy!)

    The worst part of this summer had to be that I had to take a break from dance. Last November I started taking ballet lessons every Wednesday; But during the summer I do swim team and, unfortunately, meets are on the exact same days and time as class.
  Getting up early to swim twenty plus laps a morning in not the most enjoyable, but it is satisfying. While I thoroughly enjoyed butterflying and freestyling up and down the pool lanes, I was eager to get back to working on my pirouettes and grande jetes.

   One of the best parts of summer was definitely my family's trip to California. We flew out to a cabin at Lake Tahoe to celebrate my thirteenth birthday, my sister’s ninth birthday and my Aunt and Uncle’s twentieth wedding anniversary. All of my Tias and Tios came, along with my Abulita and Abulito.

  Our family originally is from California, but since we moved out to Kentucky six years ago we only get to see our relatives a few special times a year. Whenever we get the chance to fly out to the East Coast we always have to do a few certain things, which include going to the beach and seeing the ocean. We also got to go to the county fair, which is something that I haven’t been able to do since I was six.

  Another thing that I enjoyed doing this summer vacation was going to camp. For the last four years I’ve attended my county’s 4-H camp, and have always made great memories and friends. This year I got to go rock climbing, ziplining and swimming, among other things. I also got to do some archery. For target practice, our instructor would tape different playing cards to our targets to give us something smaller and more difficult to aim for. I ended up getting a bullseye and two cards in a row!

   This summer had a few ups and downs, but in all was a lot of fun- I wouldn't change it for anything

My Ballet Journey

(Quick note- this piece was originally written 9/22/16. Thanks for reading!)

Yesterday I got my pointe shoes!

  Pointe shoes are a stiff type of ballet shoe that allow you to actually walk- and dance, obviously- on the tip of your foot. Being able to wear them is a big step in dance, so it meant a lot to me when my teacher told me that I was ready.

  I only started ballet in November of 2015, and when I was telling my friends about this new endeavor they mostly replied with, “You’re doing dance? You don’t seem like that kind of person...” But I proved them all wrong: I started, and now I’m never going back.

 Anyways, back to the subject on hand. Yesterday before class, I went to the local dance store, Fabulous Feet Dancewear, to get fitted. Fittings can last anywhere from thirty minutes to a few hours! It just depends on how many shoes you have to try on before you find the perfect match.

   I sat down and, after measuring my feet, the owner of the store brought out multiple pairs of shoes. The first pair was too short, the second too skinny, and the third too tight. Two hours passed this way, putting on and taking off over twenty pairs, until we finally narrowed it down to two pairs. One, a light, soft coral; the other, a skin-tone white. I went back and forth between the two, finally deciding on the better fitting pink.

  Now that I’ve picked them out, I still have a lot more work to do. Since everyone is built differently, pointe shoes don’t come with ribbons already on- you have to cut and hand sew them to the shoe, to match your needs specifically. The same has to be done to the elastic, to make sure that it isn't so tight as to cut off the circulation to your foot, or so loose that it falls right off your foot.

  Even though it will take a lot of hard work and determination to learn to dance en pointe, I am very excited to get started!

If My Life Were A Movie

If my life were a movie
Many places I would go.
California to Kentucky,
Union and San Francisco.

If my life were a movie
I would travel all around.
France and Thailand,
Adventures abound.

If my life were a movie
Many friends I would meet.
Autumn, Rachael and Jacqueline
With whom no one could compete.

If my life were a movie
Problems, there’d be a few.
Leaving home and missing friends
But happiness would ensue.

If my life were a movie
I’d dance the days away.
Pirouettes on pointe
Arabesques and grand jetes.

If my life were a movie
Great art I would make.
My sketchbook and pens in hand,
It’d be a piece of cake.

If my life were a movie
It wouldn’t be complete
Without the people in it,
Who make my days so sweet.




                                                           

Just Outside The Window

Just outside the window,
a strange thing lurks.
No, not there- not near or far.
It's hiding in plain sight, out in the murk.
It's off in the distance, yet ever so close.
The creature itself is more unusual than most.
Shrouded in shadows,
Followed by mystery
Ah, yes, it has quite a strange history.
You may know it
As the thing that lives under your bed,
The boogeyman, a scary ghost
That you thought lived only in your head.
That may be what your parents told you, yes-
To reassure you at night.
But you’re all alone now,
Just you and your fright.
So run, while you still can
Away from your nightmares
And hope to see another day.

Dreams

Dreams.

They flow from my mind,
Like a boat down a stream.

On and on they go,
Almost continuous, it seems.

Gentle but vivid,
Leaving me livid.
That they are just that- dreams.

No matter how bad the world
They’re always here
In my heart, near and dear.

I hold them tight
To rid me of my fright

But when I open my eyes
With no surprise, I realize

Dreams can't rid you
Of the nightmares that continue.

Dreams.

Why must such things
All be pretend?

All the good in the world,
Seems to live only in my head.

If I Were President

If I were President
There’d be a lot of change.
Rules would be made
Up with the minimum wage!

If I were President
There’d be no more wage gap.
Women paid equally
With time leftover for a catnap.

If I were President
I’d make a lot of laws.
Abortion would be legal
Without even a pause.

If I were President
Global Warming would be solved.
I would make the public aware
Everyone would be involved.

If I were President
The rich would pay more tax.
 The middle class shouldn't pay more when they can't afford it-
And that's a fact.

If I were President
Well, that’d be hard.
But I’d do what's right
No matter how I’d be scarred.

If You Could Go Anywhere, Where Would You Go?

Where would I go, if I had a free ticket to anywhere? 

Well, it's hard to answer that question. 

There are many places I've been,

 and many others that I want to go. 

There's my home, California

the Golden Gate, San Francisco. 

Then there's foreign cities

That I'd like to see again.

Paris, Bangkok

I wish those trips had no end. 

What's Your Favorite Season?

Spring
Buttercups, daisies, lilies
Spring’s gifts to the worldIrises, roses

Summer

Yay! Summer is here.

Warm sun, playing at the pool.

Isn't it so great?

Autumn
Now leaves are changing 

Colors red, orange and yellow
Bright and welcoming

Snow

Snow means a fresh start.

Blanketed in white, all’s new.

Calm, peaceful and clean.

Breakfast With A Side of Optimism

Orange juice, bacon, eggs
This is how to start your day
The breakfast of champs

A mug of coffee
Creamer, sugar, milk- just right
Ah, just what I need.

My ideal breakfast?
A side of optimism
Served with a smile

Introduction

Hello! Welcome to my blog.

My name is Ruby, and this is where I'll be sharing different pieces I've written for my Literature and Writing class. Genres range from prose to poetry, fiction to nonfiction. 
My interests include art, photography, music and dance. 
My favorite artistic media form, besides from photography, is colored or regular lead pencils.
My musical interests include 70's/80's pop/rock, some modern pop, and the musical Hamilton. 
I only started ballet in November of 2015, but have thrown myself into it wholeheartedly and just started dancing en pointe in October of 2016.
I thoroughly enjoy school and learning, but my favorite subject would have to be English- which is why I am very excited to be sharing my thoughts and ideas on here.
I hope you enjoy!