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It was a spark, and we both felt it.

You reached my hand for the first time, and it was different.

There weren’t many who’d come before you, but I wasn’t one to waste my time.

My dad said I needed to give more grace and take more chances.

I knew I was taking a chance with you.

I went in believing it would never work.

You were such a contrast from what I’d always envisioned.

The moment when you said we were on a precipice, God showed me You and I were never turning back.

You never try to be someone you’re not. You aren’t out to impress anyone.

You are uniquely and completely you, and each day has made us better.

We continue to build this life together.

Our dreams have molded into one united vision.

Two children and 9 years of happiness have made me feel so blessed.

Thank you for all the love, laughter, safety, and security you bring each day.

I wouldn’t trade our memories for anything.

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We opened the door, and there you were:

A sea of gray grass with flecks of caramel and taupe

You were an upgrade, one of the few we paid for,

And we’d agreed you were worth every penny.

You were going to hide little mishaps if there was a spill or two,

But we were going to take care of you, mop up any spill.

So soft on the bottoms of our feet, like walking on cloud.

You were an upgrade, one of the few we paid for,

And we’d agreed you were worth every penny.

The cats went right for you on night number one.

We found shreds of your beautiful strands in corners throughout the house.

As the years rolled by, you became their favorite place to throw up their hairballs.

You were an upgrade, one of the few we paid for,

And we’d agreed you were worth every penny.

It’s been so long since you’ve been cleaned,

The pandemic certainly slowed things down.

Now you camouflage tiny Lego pieces and Barbie shoes so easily.

You were an upgrade, one of the few we paid for,

And we’d agreed you were worth every penny.

I’m so sorry we haven’t held up our end of the bargain,

I know you’re matted down, and your flecks of caramel and taupe have all woven in with the gray,

But with all the crumbs, and fallen pine needles from Christmas trees past buried into your tired tufts,

You were an upgrade, one of the few we paid for,

And we agree you have been worth every penny.

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Autobiographical Poem: (Where I Am From)

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Autobiographical Poem: (Where I Am From)

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“I AM”

I am a daughter and a sister

I am from the gymnasium, from the bleachers, and everyone wearing sneakers

I am from the Central Valley

I am from a land that is so fertile and diverse, and I wish we could all celebrate and embrace it

I am from the ocean, lakes, and rivers; they taught me resilience and joy

I am a daughter and a sister

I am from the Read Family of loyalty; from Tom, Brenda, and TJ

I am from the family that is never still

I am from family whose common competitive spirit surges through our veins no matter what task is at hand

I am from “Early is on time, and on time is late” and “Leave it better than you found it”

I am a daughter and a sister

I am from a long spiritual road that has lead me to happiness and fulfillment

I am from Western Europe, meat and potatoes

I am from the family of travelers; we embrace adventure and appreciate every opportunity with which we’ve been blessed

I am from a world that has been so good to me

I am a daughter and a sister, and I can’t wait to show my own little girl how great this world can be

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Find a poem that you like from our textbook

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Find a poem that you like from our textbook

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Title | Because I could not stop for Death

Page # | 201

Explain why you like it | I am a fan of Emily Dickinson’s poems because I know she was a somewhat mysterious figure in American literature. She has a unique style that I enjoy interpreting, and I like how she personifies Death in a unique way. It’s not that I enjoy the thought of death; I just thought her poem brings about an interesting way of coming to terms with our own immortality.

Identify two words or phrases that are particularly cool: | Because I could not stop for Death—He kindly stopped for me—
We passed the School, where Children stroveAt Recess—in the Ring—We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain—We passed the Setting Sun—

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1.  Glisten- v. (of something wet or greasy) shine; glitter.

2.   Shimmer- v. shine with a soft tremulous light.

3.   Ricochet- v. (of a bullet, shell, or other projectile) rebound one or more times off a surface.

4.   Congeal- v. solidify or coagulate, especially by cooling.

5.   Scintillate- v. emit flashes of light; sparkle.

6.   Serendipitous- adj. occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

7.   Blissfully- adv. in a manner characterized by extreme happiness or joy.

8.   Incandescent- adj. emitting light as a result of being heated.; full of strong emotion; passionate.

9.   Tranquil- adj. free from disturbance; calm.

10.   Reverie- n. a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream.

11.   Transcend- v. be or go beyond the range or limits of (something abstract, typically a conceptual field or division).

12.   Benevolent- adj. well meaning and kindly.

13.   Inertia- noun a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force

14.   Bedevil- verb (of something bad) cause great and continual trouble to.

15.   Stellar- adj. exceptionally good; outstanding.

16.   Libertine- n. a person, especially a man, who behaves without moral principles or a sense of responsibility, especially in sexual matters.

17.   Flusterations- n. The state of being flustered; agitation.

18.   Impertinence- n. lack of respect; rudeness.

19.   Jubilance- n.  is what you feel when you're happy, joyful, or triumphant.

20.   Pernicious- adj. having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.

21.   Cruciferous- adj. relating to or denoting plants of the cabbage family

22.   Magnificent- adj. impressively beautiful, elaborate, or extravagant; striking

23.   Decrepit- adj. worn out or ruined because of age or neglect.

24.   Transiently- adv. for a very short time

25.   Affrighted- v. frighten (someone).

26.   Tete-a-tete- n. a private conversation between two people.

27.   Expostulations- n. is an expression of protest, not a rant exactly, but often lengthy

28.   Thrice- adv. three times.

29.   Countenance- n. a person's face or facial expression.

30.   Manacled- v. fetter (a person or a part of the body) with manacles.

31.   Deliquescence- n. The act of becoming liquid, or having a tendency to become liquid.

32.   Precipice- n. a very steep rock face or cliff, especially a tall one.

33.   Precocious- adj. (of a child) having developed certain abilities or proclivities at an earlier age than usual.

34.   Illuminated- adj. lit with bright lights.

35.   Assiduous- ady. showing great care and perseverance.

36.   Malicious- adj. characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm.

37.   Brink- n. an extreme edge of land before a steep or vertical slope.

38.   Sibilance- n. a hissing quality of sound, or the hissing sound itself:

39.   Genuine- adj. truly what something is said to be; authentic.

40.   Luminescence-n. the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated, as in fluorescence and phosphorescence

41.   Glinted- v. give out or reflect small flashes of light.

42.     Phosphorescence- n. light emitted by a substance without combustion or perceptible heat

43.   Effervescence- n. bubbles in a liquid; fizz; vivacity and enthusiasm

44.   Sparkle- v/n. shine brightly with flashes of light

45.   Twinkle- v/n a sparkle or gleam in a person's eyes; a light which appears continually to grow brighter and fainter.

46.   Glimmer- v/n shine faintly with a wavering light.

47.   Radiate- v. emit (energy, especially light or heat) in the form of rays or waves

48.   Tenacity- n. the quality or fact of being very determined; determination.

49.   Vivacious- adj. attractively lively and animated (typically used of a woman).

50. Quintessential- adj. representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.

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My Saddest Moment: When I thought I was having a miscarriage

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My Saddest Moment: When I thought I was having a miscarriage

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What did you feel? | I felt like I failed as a mother. I felt like I was going to let my husband down. Impatience as we had to sit in the hospital emergency room for hours before they took me back to be examined. The cold waiting room of the Clovis Community Hospital waiting room

Smell? | I can still smell the antiseptic scent of the hospital emergency room. My 18-month-old daughter’s Johnson & Johnson shampooed hair as I held her for comfort.

Hear? | The sound of the wailing patients in pain in the emergency room. My husband playing The Jungle Book for my daughter on his phone. The automatic hospital doors opening and closing. The sound of the beeping hospital monitors

Taste? | My salty tears

See? | The patients in pain in the emergency room. My daughter’s smile

Describe: | I’d woken up in the middle of the night with signs that I needed to go to the hospital. I was very early in my pregnancy, and we didn’t have anyone to watch our daughter, so we had to take her with us to the emergency room. We sat in agony for hours waiting to be seen thinking that we were going to lose the baby. Luckily, he survived, but it was the worst feeling I’d ever experienced.

List 5 things that make you sad: | Thinking of my relatives and animals who’ve passed away When my children lie to me When people don’t treat others with respect  Movies where characters are separated from their families-especially when children are separated from their mothers  Knowing there are children who are neglected

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My Happiest Moment: Christmas Break 2019

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My Happiest Moment: Christmas Break 2019

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What did you feel? | Complete content Warmth-cozy blankets, fire, Christmas lights + tree Love of my husband and children Security

Smell? | Freshly baked cookies Christmas candles

Hear? | Children’s giggling Children’s breath Husband’s laughter

Taste? | Hot chocolate Cookies

See? | Children smiling Husband smiling All lights out except for the Christmas lights and the roaring fireplace Whole family on the couch snuggled under blankets Christmas movie playing Stockings hanging by the fire Christmas lights reflecting off the bay windows

Describe: | I remember sitting and watching a Christmas movie with my husband and my kids during Christmas break and feeling complete joy. We’d decorated gingerbread houses and enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies before settling down to watch a Christmas movie-Frosty the Snowman I think. I recall looking over at my family and breathing a sigh of thankfulness for all the blessings I’d been given and feeling so at peace with my life and grateful for a happy healthy family. As we sat snuggled under the blankets, I watched my children smile and sing along with the Christmas music, and soaked in the memory of how much they were enjoying the holiday season. Our Christmas lights on our mantle bounced off our bay windows so it felt like we were in a kind of fairyland, and I remember feeling like time sort of stood still.

List 5 things that make you happy: |  Being at the beach Being squeezed in between my kids on the couch even when there is tons of room for them to sit somewhere else Holding my husbands hand My husband making me laugh   Disneyland