Other Things

Regretfully, I will not be completing 23 Things this summer. The little prince has settled me comfortably in a flower pot and we are departing soon for earth and other things. There has been a death among those he came to love during his adventure on the planet, and we will be spending much time with others on earth connected to this event. Be comforted that the sheep has still not eaten the flower (me) and that the stars pour out fresh water to drink, which sounds like five hundred million little bells on earth.

Post Haste - Thing #12

I have spent many hours exploring sites, blogs, pages, links, and more. It feels as though I've seen not even a milliliter of the large measure of technology on the World Wide Web. This does not seem to concern the little prince. I overheard him say, "...if I had fifty-three minutes to spend as I liked, I should walk at my leisure toward a spring of fresh water."

With my four thorns walking the computer keyboard, I've found fresh ideas at two writing blogs. They have been the water to nourish my extra-curricular writing life. (Some day, I will write a book about Asteroid B-612.) I made posts expressing appreciation for an interesting poetry idea, and thanking the blogger for a well-expressed writing strategy. I also posted on blogs from 23 Things--commenting on the usefulness of the blog information or the effective way in which it was said.

It has been quite pleasant to be the recipient of posts to this blog, as well.

The LibraryThing, #11

Before visiting Earth, the little prince stopped on a planet where a geographer wrote voluminous books. "Geographies," said the geographer, "are the books...most concerned with matters of consequence...It is very rarely that a mountain changes its positon. It is very rarely that an ocean empties itself of its water. We write of eternal things." On the other hand, the little prince's flower (me) is ephemeral--in danger of speedy disappearance. He later told me he felt a moment of regret over leaving me alone on our asteroid.

Any book is a matter of great consequence. Readers of fiction as well as nonfiction discover eternal things, such as underlying concepts or principles. That is why I have begun an account at LibraryThing, and I have listed 30 of the books that the little prince and I have enjoyed reading. I am very excited about posting a book review on the website at a later date and talking with people who love the inspiring works that I have also loved. LibraryThing would be a useful vehicle for helping students select a good read, and later, publishing a review for the book. Students could also use the site to find reviews of books they have been considering reading.

Sheepish Image Generator - Thing #10

Made with free image tools @ TXT2PIC.com
http://www.txt2pic.com/comic-strip/

Dear Little Prince,

This comic blew out of the sheep's box today. Apparently, you've brought back a very clever sheep who can sketch and make jokes. I hope it is a sheep that prefers to eat something other than roses. Students on Earth would enjoy using the online image programs to get inspiration and understanding linked to spelling words, make a comment on world events, practice sentences with correct spelling and punctuation, discover or deliver inferences, write dialogue, and even more than my little petalled head can think of in these wee morning hours.

Sincerely,
Rose

News Feeds My Sheep - Thing #9

The little prince hurried off to investigate the new green shoots, and I am investigating the RSS Reader on his computer as well as a Rose is able. I find that for ease and usefulness, I prefer Technorati's subject search. I was able to find news stories about the recent death of Clay Felker, the editor of the "New York" magazine, who changed factual news reporting into fascinating non-fiction narratives. When the little prince set off on his travels, I remained on Asteroid B-612 and am now the authority on all the planetary news to report during his absence. Perhaps later, I will look for news about the downed pilot who befriended the prince in the Sahara Desert. I wonder what has become of him since the little prince's departure.

I explored the other suggested sites for feeds and had a little bit of difficulty understanding how to navigate Edublog, although it was quite enjoyable and informative. I read postings by the top-selected and award-winning bloggers, such as SBISD librarian Vaughn Branom and Cool Cat Teacher. It was very exciting to discover the link to Bluebonnet book reviews from the Eagles Read blog. I am a literary loving rose--impressed rather than just pressed by a good book. Next time I am hunting for information in blogs, I would like to try Bloglines.

In a rose's life here; with our frequent sunsets, volcano cleaning, and baobab pulling; there is little idle time to aimlessly explore all the postings and articles on the World Wide Web. I would find it most useful for researching specific topics such as recent discoveries of marine creatures in Earth's oceans, or what to feed the earth sheep that came back with the little prince in the box with the holes. What do you think might happen if the sheep goes wandering about hungrily?

On Matters of Consequence and RSS - Thing #8

"On matters of consequence, the little prince had ideas which were very different from those of the grown-ups." He once told a businessman, "I myself own a flower...which I water every day. I own three volcanoes, which I clean out every week (for I also clean out the one that is extinct; one never knows). It is of some use to my volcanoes, and it is of some use to my flower, that I own them."

It seems that the computer has become a fascination for the little prince, and he discovered how to employ it in matters of consequence. By setting up Really Simple Syndications of web articles, he has been able to peruse and quickly select information that helps him clean his volcanoes faster and better. He also shares his RSS file of Inspiration with the fox back on earth. They keep journals and write letters to each other prompted by articles discussing uniqueness. The fox even suggested that the little prince create an RSS folder about roses (especially searching for articles about my particular variety), and offer it to the library for students to use in their research projects.

Oh! I believe I see several harmless looking green sprouts shooting up where the little prince rested after his return. Perhaps he inadvertently brought good seed (stuck to his shoes or pants?) to grace our planet. As soon as the leaves are recognizable, we will know whether to uproot those sprouts or to attend to them with great care.

Web Notebooks and Picture Albums -- Thing #7

I am not at all afraid of tigers, but I have a horror of computer programs. I asked the Little Prince if he wouldn't have a look at the screen for me. "A flower is a very complex creature..." he mumbled. A long while later, though, I heard him mutter about how very much time it was taking to set up a Google notebook and a Picasa photo album. He missed looking at many sunsets today because there were not clear or easily accessible, step-by-step instructions for each of the tasks. I think he may have also left the inactive volcano uncleaned, as well. After way too many hours (and I will not even whisper the number for fear that the Little Prince may become even more sad over the sunsets), he created a web album of a fishing trip on earth and set up a Google notebook of humorous sayings. This is not to say that he looked confident and satisfied as if he understood exactly what to do. It is only to say that he was able to accomplish those two things after many trials and errors. As for me (sigh), I am forsaking my glass globe and learning to endure the presence of two or three caterpillars in order to become acquainted with the butterflies. Trials teach us how to triumph.

The Sahara Desert -- Thing #6

The Little Prince asked me to share his Sahara Desert trading card with everyone so people could see how very few people he met while on the earth. He says this picture does not show the magnificent sunsets over the desert, although he could only see one each day rather than the forty-four he might see walking straight ahead in one day on our tiny planet. (In my opinion, it is also not nearly as beautiful as Asteroid B-612.) I had much difficulty saving this file for you until I discovered that I must not change the file name. When I kept the original name and saved it into a subject folder, I was able to capture the whole image rather than a half-chopped-off version. So, you can see above why I think the desert would be a very harsh home for a rose and a very unhappy home for a joyful Little Prince.

Photo by Eugene Reshetov

Thing 5, The Thing About Baobabs

photos by Kumasawa from Flicker

Upon the Little Prince's return, he shared with me many of the conversations he had during his travels on earth. In one such conversation with a pilot, he explained about the baobabs that grow on our little planet (Asteroid B-612). He said the pilot made a great mental effort and finally understood that seeds "push a charming little spring inoffensively upward toward the sun. If it is only a sprout of radish or the sprig of a rose-bush, one would let it grow wherever it might wish. But when it is a bad plant, one must destroy it as soon as possible, the very first instant that one recognizes it." This is a very important principle on our planet.

The soil here is infested with the bad seeds of the baobab which can never be gotten rid of if they are attended to at too late a time. As you can see from the photos I have included here (having found them quickly in Flicker and uploaded them with ease* using the Add Image button), baobabs could grow to be as wide as our asteroid, blocking the sun from my leaves and the sunset from the Little Prince's view. Their thirsty roots could bore clear through the ground splitting terra firma into little pieces to float apart in space.

The Little Prince sees to it that he regularly pulls up baobabs at the first moment he has distinguished them from a rosebush (of which there are none others like myself). The pilot on earth realized that the danger is so little understood he has taken it upon himself to say, "Children,...watch out for the baobabs!"

*After four failed tries, I discovered I had not checked the "accept agreement" box at the very bottom of the page. Once that was selected, I uploaded with ease.

An Avatar - Thing 3

As the little prince is now watching the sunset, I have found it possible to capture his likeness using my four thorns to manipulate the keys on his computer--a machine he brought from Earth on his return to our planet. It was simple enough to select a picture of a boy with tousled hair, but I had difficulty finding the proper clothing to represent my little prince. I'm so grateful that there was a long scarf among the items. That addition helped capture his essence, and I placed the character in the Sahara from which the little prince has just returned. I've learned that this new image is called an Avatar. (Certainly, a very other-worldly name.) I don't care much for the picture as it lacks the warmth, beauty, and spirit of true Life, although I felt a bit playful in creating it.

Playfulness - Thing 2

Sometimes, I find it difficult to play. Life's challenges can loom so great that they block the view of beauty and joy. I've learned to gather inner strength and lean into the wind or threaten with my thorniness, but I often forget to relax and really see what surrounds me. Leaves still dance in the breeze and stars still sparkle in the sky whether my challenge is great, small, or none at all. Play provides a counterpoint to challenges and responsibilities. It is a refresher for the continued advance. Play allows a life-long learner to discover the pleasure in learning. Play reminds me to breathe deeply and smile, which spreads joy to others as well.
I think I would like to learn of many ways a single rose could be playful because the little prince is often busy pulling up baobab trees or cleaning his volcanoes.

A Rose By Any Other Name...

I learned much about myself while the little prince was gone, and I am just bursting with joy at his return. I've realized that he provided for my every need including the need to learn humble self-sufficiency. Now that I have welcomed him back, I no longer cough, or pretend to have a chill, and expect him to address my difficulty. I try to remember the sun still shines above the clouds and that even a rose can find new ways to unfold gently, as roses should. Nor do I insist on a glass over me for protection at night. I understand that he holds my well-being always in thought. Because he has tamed me, I look forward to his approaching step. I recognize his gentle touch, and remember his comforting words. And I know he sees me in my own uniqueness as well--the glow of my bloom, the way a certain petal curls outward, or the manner in which I lean towards the light. Just the other day, he commented on the beauty of my bouquet. Perhaps a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but the little prince reminds me that I am one of a kind.
I wonder if others could be as grateful as I am for love and patience they receive from one as special as the little prince.