Paris France

As I walk through the streets of Paris the aroma of fresh baked bread fills the air, There is an old lady sitting by the park making lace. The pigeons crown around her begging for bread crumbs. I look to my left and see the wonderful Eiffel Tower, our homes main attraction. The city of lights has been my home for the past 3 years, ever since my mother was transferred here to teach at a culinary arts school in the middle of Paris and our aunt had traveled with us to France, something about being a life long dream of hers. Our father works in the government, our aunt had traveled with us to France, something about being a life long dream of hers now she works as a historian. I, being the age of 19, attend an architecture school, learning the history of architecture and famous buildings in France. We each have a story about the beautiful city of Paris, and now we are going to tell them.

My mother, being a culinary artist knows everything there is to know about the history and evolution of the food in Paris. The first recorded food history started in the middle ages. Back then they used a type of serving called "service en confusion" this is where all of the food was placed on the table at the same time, resulting in an all out brawl for food. The name most likely from the fact that it was very confusing for the diners and waitresses. This is a technique used in America as well. The Middle ages culinary ways resemble the ways of American eating more than you may think. Did you know that in France they jarred many meats, fruits and vegetables in the spring so that the people could enjoy their favorite foods in the winter? If you went to a restaurant in the present time, you would see that the waiters bring small courses, at very expensive prices.

Being part of the historian community is a special opportunity for my aunt. She gets to learn all about the history of Paris, and share her discoveries with people who probably already know it. She was telling me that the founding fathers as you might call them were a group of Celtic fishermen called the Parisii tribe. They settled on the natural island of L'Ile de la Cité on the river which is now known as the Seine river in the third century. The Parisii's named the territory Lutetia. This is how Paris began, leading to the attack of the roman empire being lead by Julius Caesar takes over a domain in Paris called Gaul. After this happened, Christianity hit the city of Lutetia and the first churches were starting to be built, this occurred around 250 A.D. Finally in during the 4th through 9th centuries Gaul was invaded by the Frankish and the Normans. After the defeat, the city was finally renamed Paris.

After the invasion of the Frankish and the Norman's and the city of Lutetia was renamed Paris that is when the architectural fad began. This is my expertise, the first landmark built was the Notre Dame Cathedral. This was a master piece of early gothic architecture, taking almost two centuries to complete starting in 1163. After various plaques and famines France was ruled by Francis the first, a true lover of the arts. He was so fond of art he had invited Leonardo DaVincci to come to Paris along with other Italian architects to come and renovate the Louvre. Paris thrived with new buildings and sculptures that when Francis died the city erupted with chaos.

Like most countries in Europe, France started out in a Monarchy government. The first king of France was Clovis the first, and he wasn't the king of France necessarily, he was the king of the Franks who invaded Lutetia. The last king of France was Napoleon the third, he was also the first President of France. Now the government has evolved into a Republic government. Unlike our president the first president of France was not elected he, like the other monarchies before him had been born into the job. Now the President is elected by voting of the citizens.

Again, living in Paris France is a blessing, with the rich historical background . Every morning waking up having fresh cheese and bread made in my home town is better than you could ever imagine. The fact that the French are so deep in culture and sticking to their roots yet being modern and practical at the same time makes me truly glad that we moved to Paris. Learning about the history of a country and how it came to be, discovering the kings and rulers of France and especially tasting the exquisite food, have all been breathtaking adventures. The wonderful memories that I have created over the last few years, amaze me and I am excited to make new ones. Paris, France never fails to amaze me.

Love and hate

Authors note: Here is another diamante, again working on word choice but this time also format. I would like to dedicate this essay to Mrs. Giese, because all through seventh grade when ever she would see students arguing she would always say"love over hate guys, love over hate" and while I was composing this it made me think of her.

My essay

Headlines all around the nations read                                               

   “ Tigers, lions and bears, Oh my! Private zoo owner in Ohio lets loose ferocious animals ending in a gigantic animal massacre. 52 animals killed”         

This tragic incident was yet another result of a fatal attraction. There should be a law that in all states prohibiting the attempt at domesticating wild animals.

There are approximately 78.2 million dogs as pets in America, 86.4 million cats and 15,000 big cats kept as companions. I can understand why people are attracted to the grace and beauty of these gorgeous animals, but in an instant the animal you thought loved will kill you.

A great example of an event like this would be on October 16 2011, in Odessa Texas, a four year old boy was mauled by his aunt’s pet mountain lion. The poor little boy suffered from bite marks on the left side of his face, lacerations on his head from the mountain lions claws and wounds on his sides from the mountain lion grabbing him with his claws. The only conscience was a citation from the police on the owner because of not keeping up with the big cat’s vaccinations. In Ohio it is legal to keep wild animals as pets, if it was against the law this little boy wouldn’t have been severely injured.

These deadly animals can’t only harm you but they can harm your other pets as well, take this story into consideration. An African Several escaped from its owner’s home in Cincinnati Ohio on October 4^th 2010 and was found in a barn hovering over a domestic cat it had just killed nine days after it had escaped, who knows what else this animal could have killed. A “pet” panther was found in someone’s backyard attacking a dog in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 24^th 2008. What if the panther had wandered into the crowed city, what would happen then?

People who keep these big cats feel as though they are doing the right thing. This isn’t like adopting a stray dog from the humane society. This is wrong, the animal will not live very long, and they may seem loving but their bite is worse then their bark. Remember this old saying? “You can take the animal out of the wild, but you can’t take the wild out of the animal”. The big cat wouldn’t be able to live itself a full life. In most cases, either the owner is mauled or eaten then the tiger or lion has to be killed. Going back t the first story, 52 innocent tigers, lions, wolves, bears and other wild animals were killed because of one deadly act taken by their owner with a criminal record. After letting the animals loose the man shot himself. If these animals hadn’t been in the hands of someone who tried to keep them as pets these lions and tigers, wolves and bears wouldn’t have to be hunted down and killed. When I was a little girl I would discover little slimy creatures such as frogs or worms, wanted so badly to keep them and “add them to our family”. As much as I didn’t want to hear it my mother always told me ‘if you love something let it go” If the people who try to domesticate these animals really love them that much they should leave them in their natural homes. Let them be what God intended them to be, Wild animals.  

Sun and moon

Authors Note: Here is my first time writing a Diamante. I tried to focus on word choice. 



        Sun
   Bright, Blistering 
Radiant, Burning, Glowing, Beaming
   Dulled, Glazing
       Moon

Halloween essay

Halloween

I love Halloween! I think that this is the best holiday of the entire year. Why? Because you are able to be creative and design your own costume, you also get go to your neighbors house's and ask for candy. But my most favorite thing about Halloween is the thought of making jack'o'lanters.  Plus it's way better than lovey, dovey Valentine's day or Thanksgiving when everyone sits around and acts like pigs!

Costumes are, I think the best part about Halloween. When it's almost Halloween I love walking through the costume isle at Wal-mart admiring all of the costumes. Some of the best costumes I have seen there are, a banana, a whoopee cushion and stick figure that glows! I also really enjoy going to costume parties near Halloween because seeing a mix of funny and scary, sometimes even adorable costumes just really gets me in the mood for some candy and pumpkins.

Making jack'o'lanters is a huge tradition in my family (and pretty much every other family in America). It's really cool because we all go over to my grandparents house with our pumpkins and carve them. It's awesome to see all of the different faces that me and my cousins created. The best part about carving pumpkins at my grandparent's house is that my grandpa makes the best pumpkin pie ever! My grandma also roasts the seeds to perfection! Delicious.

Trick or Treating, the best time in a child's life is what I think about the topic. Running from house to house with that dash of adrenaline, being handed fist full's of candy is purely wonderful. Especially when you trick or treat in a rich subdivision, that's where the loot is, full size candy bars and everything! But honestly I think the best part is the fact that you can only do this in one night, and one night only. Why? Well because it would be weird, I mean knocking on your neighbor's door and saying " trick or treat" to them in a crazy costume. Awkward.

So I don't know about you but I think I would be pretty convinced about LOVING Halloween as much as I do after reading this, but that's up to you. Re stating my message, I think Halloween is the best holiday ever! Just one more thing, I will be trick or treating until I'm 15! Just kidding (maybe)

Sock Monolauge

Authors Note: Here is a monologue that I was assigned to write for Drama. It is about a sock who belongs to an 8 year old boy. The sock is talking about how he is jealous of other socks who are kept clean and in an organized drawer. He also talks about his feelings. I hope you like it!

Being a sock is one of the most terrible horrible and smelly jobs a guy can get. All you do your whole life  is cover some smelly foot and get stepped on wherever the person goes! It stinks LITERALLY!  Plus if they  never wash you turn dirty and stinky and eventually you get moist and the filthy toes start to pop out of  you and you rip and then you are trash, left to live out your days in a landfill rotting away next to banana  peels and paper plates.

But some of the lucky socks go to good homes like an elderly couple with a wife who is organized and  loves laundry. Those socks are the lucky ones, the ones who get ironed and folded and gracefully place  in an organized drawer. Unlike me I belong to some 12 year old boy who after wearing me for about a  month straight then throws me on the floor of his filthy room just waiting for the laundry lady to pick  me up and wash me. Ahh sweet relief! My favorite thing in this big blue world is relaxing in the rinse

cycle. The dryer feels like a nap on the beach, the warm air running through my cotton threads, pure joy. 

The terrible cycle starts again, this time I see my buddies from the drawer being sent down to the boy's  foul feet. That my friends is true terror, watching your chums being sent down to those feet, this time I  am watching safe up in the dra……..(giant hand grabs sock) AHHHHHHHH!

(fading voice) Being a sock rrrrreeeeaaaakkkkssss