Ode to a Furry Friend (My Eulogy)

Lucy Belle Cartwright -
There are far too many nicknames I could use in place of your official name to even begin to list, so I guess I'll just keep things formal here.  You were that pet whose upbringing I actually remember every second of, from puppy to adult dog, because I went through that same journey along with you.  As you were learning new tricks to glean every possible scrap of food off each person at the dinner table, I was learning arithmetic.  Crazy to think that a dog's life reaches its end before a human's even fully begins.  I will always remember you as the sweet brown eyes that wake me up in the morning with your lovably disgusting fish breath.  I will remember you as the protective guard dog, always watching over us even though you were scarcely ten pounds.  You exemplified the saying, "It's not about the fight in the dog; it's about the dog in the fight" in that way, which was always admirable at your own small scale, but it did not go unrecognized.  You were the sweetest and yet most inconsiderate dog - stealing food from your brother at every possible opportunity.  I will never forget the moment I met you at the breeders house - you were the runt of the litter, but I guarantee you ate enough to make up for that over the course of your lifetime - and you scrambled right on up to me and curled up in my lap, fast asleep.  This, along with countless other memories, is how I choose to remember you, forever and always.  I love you.

To Disneyland and Beyond!

My spring break was nothing if not eventful!  The big show choir trip, for which we had been preparing for the last semester, finally took place last week, and it was something to be remembered.  The first day brought us to LA Youth Day at the Anaheim Convention Center, where we sang our hearts out as part of the choir in Mass twice, and we partook in all the events that the convention had to offer, which was an incredible and empowering experience.  The following day, our whole choir went to one of my favorite places on this Earth: Disneyland.  Not only did I get to spend the day with some incredible friends at the parks, but our choir also had the privilege of working with a Disney cast member and fine arts clinician, learning choreography and music for a song that Disney actually uses in one of its parades.  We learned the odds and ends of being in the show business and what it takes to really be able to make it and actually get something out of each and every performance we put on, which was magical.  Finally, day three brought us - at 4 in the morning, might I add - to the big day: competition.  We traveled to Burbank and have our all on the stage, earning fourth place and learning ever more about what it means to put on a show.  Overall, I found my break to be enlightening and exhausting, and I am so glad I was a part of the group of people that had the privilege of embarking on this journey.
As the school year comes to a close, I hope to finish out strong.  I am excited for what each day will bring and I hope that the rest of the year brings success - and I can't wait to be able to relax in summertime!

Definition Essay: Jayhawk

Here is my definition essay... I made a couple of small changes... enjoy!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8wLBd60FWB7TmdmX3A2M0ZHaFRwNkxmSlYxWVVKZkpoQklj/view?usp=sharing

My blog is called "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for multiple reasons.  Firstly, one of the most common jokes people make about me, second only to height jokes (and those are just so funny, ha ha), is the classic reference to The Wizard of Oz when they find out that I'm from Kansas.  In a way, having my blog title reflect that is a bit of an homage to where I came from, which is part of who I am.  I also tend to relate the song fromThe Wizard of Oz for which my blog is named to when I first started out with what has become an integral aspect of who I am: music.  When I first auditioned for show choir, I was asked to sing that very song, and from the moment I became part of show choir, the rest is history.  I now absolutely love performing and I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had, all stemming from that one song I had to sing at the beginning of my freshman year.  All in all, I think my blog title represents a sort of wistful hope that we all feel at some point in life, looking toward what we hope can be a better tomorrow - it's just that most of us don't get swept away by tornadoes to find it.  We must go and find it ourselves.