Um, fruit. Ha.

Fruit

by Erin Orred

   

Fruit is a very delicious food that is loved by almost all people. Children love it, adults love it, even infants love it. It is delicious at any age.

Fruit is the part of a flowering plant that comes from specific tissues, mainly one or more ovaries. Fruit is one of the ways that plants disperse their seeds. Fruit is accountable for a large fraction of the world’s agriculture, and some even have symbolic meanings. Commonly, the term fruit is generally used to mean fleshy seed structures that come from the plant. Also what many people may not know is that tons of food that we call vegetables, are actually fruit!

Not only does fruit taste good, it has fantastic health benefits. People who eat more fruit have more energy, and they get it without the crash like processed sugar has. It tastes just as good as candy and yet it is still good for you!

There are many different kinds of fruit to choose from. There are citrus, berries, melons, and the main stem fruits like apples, peaches, plums, and pears. Who knew there are so many delicious types of fruit! Best of all, you get to have two to four servings of fruit per day! That’s enough energy to get people through a long time!

Not only is fruit fun to eat, you can also pick it. A lot of fruit grows on trees and doesn’t it feel good to eat something that you hand-picked yourself?

Fruit is grown all over the world and specific places grow specific fruit. Right in my front yard of my house we have an apple tree! In the fall, we went out to the trees and picked some apples from the tree. It was so much fun! After we picked them we decided to dry them so they would last longer and then we could eat them through the winter. It was so fun eating something that we had grown from our own trees!

Not only is fruit so good and delicious by itself, there are many by-products that are made with fruit. In the culinary sense, a fruit is usually any sweet-tasting plant product, especially those associated with seeds. People turn fruit into juices, desserts, breads, smoothies and many other things. Fruits also feed many animals and insects to sustain them for life. So not only does fruit benefit us, it helps living things survive all over the world.

Fruits are probably one of my favorite foods to eat. I can take them on the go, or eat them before a sports event. It is a perfect snack for anytime of the day, any person, any place. Fruit is delicious.

I'm celebrating my modge.

Celebration Essay

By Erin Orred

My mom means a lot to me and I would have to say she is a very inspiring person to many people. She has helped me through so many things and is so caring to everyone that she meets.

I would say as a child, my mom could help me get through almost all my childhood problems. At that point in my life all my problems were minute and solvable, and after I was a happy carefree child. My mom would entertain me and encourage me to be a friend to others or a helping hand to adults.

Not only did my mom help me with dilemmas, She also taught me many things that have formed my character and built me up stronger than I could ever imagine. She has taught me to be faithful to my family and friends and be a trustworthy person. Since she is always caring and understanding towards me, that has taught me to do that same to others in need. She reaches out to others and tries to help control and fix problems without being irritating.

Not only does my mom help me build my character and face my problems, she helps me with the little things too. She will help me with my homework if I need help and she can understand it, and she’s always ready with a crazy story to get a good laugh out of me and my sister when we don’t want to do our homework. She can always brighten up my day and help me get through the hard things, even if it is taking a trip to Dairy Queen to fill our stomachs with creamy delicious ice cream. My mom will do my laundry since I have no idea how to separate the colors, and the set the right temperature to wash them in. She makes me dinner and is always ready to make a snack if I need one. My mom will also be at my every need if I am sick, and she will take care of me until I am completely well again. She can talk to me about and that needs to be talked about whether it is family, friends, or just talking.

My mom is such a great mom to me, and I think it was because she was raised so well. My grandma has the same characteristics as she does, and she definitely taught her great things. Both my mom and my grandma were raised in Christian homes and learned to love and follow God. My mom has taught me that obeying God and following his commands are the most important things in life. Although I have made many mistakes in my life my mom is always forgiving and helps me turn to what is right with the guidance of God. She knows that she has made the same mistakes as me when she is young, and she knows how to help build me up. love my mom so very much and I am so grateful for her and her wise ways. I have no idea what I would do without my mom.

I am comparing these places below this title.

Compare/Contrast Essay

by: Erin Orred

There are many differences and similarities between Texas and Minnesota. Some people prefer one place over the other, but they are both great areas to live in. If Texas is where you live, Minnesota would be a comfortable change.

First off, there are a few similarities between these two states. They are obviously states in the United States of America. Both have hot summers, although the winters are opposite. Minnesota and Texas have tourist areas, such as the Mall of America in Minnesota, and Galveston Island and Corpus Christi.

On the other hand, many differences makes these states reside on the opposite sides of the spectrum. Texas has very mild winters overall and sometimes can go a few winters with no snow at all. Texas has very upscale cities and a lot of urban living areas with not very much land. If you like to go shopping, there are plenty of malls everywhere. But be careful, the crime rate in Texas is insane. Especially in the bigger main cities, Like Dallas, Austin, and Amarillo. People will pick pocket you all the time, and it doesn’t matter what. The people in Texas can be friendly, though it is more known that they are rude and narcissistic. Texas has tons of theme parks and waterparks, which attract so many people there. The population of the state is 26,403,743, which explains why they have to have so many housing areas! Texas participates in ranching instead of farming since the soil isn’t very rich and can not supply nutrients for crops. Texas leads the nation in beef which can be an exceedingly large amount. They can grow cotton though, since it is in the South and doesn’t need very much attention.

However, Minnesota is quite different from Texas. Minnesota’s winters are harsh and the amount of snow can be brutal since it is in the north. Sometimes the winter temperatures last until late May. Minnesota has mostly small populated towns, except the cities. Since they have smaller towns, the crime rate is way lower in Minnesota and the people in Minnesota are friendlier overall. Instead of amusement parks like Texas, Minnesota is more known for its country-like atmosphere. They have state fairs and small amusement parks come in like Valley Fair, but it doesn’t get near the amount of crowds as Texas. Minnesota uses the land they have for farming, and they grow corn, beans and beets in their nutrient-rich soil. The population is 5,220,393, and I would say that is accurate since the land that is there is used for mostly farming.

I would say that although there are few similarities between these states, the difference outweighs them tremendously. think that they are both great places to reside in and you will get a unique experience from both of them.

Error-title not available.

Hello my blogging friends. This is my first blog that I am writing that is not required. I needed something to vent on. or vent with? Do they call it venting because it gets rid of air like an air vent? I am slightly confused. I am sick of school. I want to go home and sleep for a year. But then that would be a waste of a year I guess. I don't understand math. It's hot/hawt/hott in this computer room. I hope I don't start sweating. I bet you really thought my title had an error. I tricked you. Hahahehehohohuhuhihi I am funny. Maybe I should start laughing like that. Maybe not. Probs. I dunno. Next time I blog I will try to not make this as boring as heck. Sorry kids. I like saying kids. I say I alot. Oh well. I'm kinda important I guess. Dueces///// GOTTA GO WRITE A PAPER>

I'm persuasin' ya to eat more food, ya know.

School Lunches

by: Erin Orred

   

While school lunches may sustain the amount of food pre-schoolers need for their activities, it is not enough food for a high-schooler to get through the day. I think that the schools are forced to provide little amounts of food, when in all actuality, they are starving kids, or when they get home from school, they eat more.

    Picture this, 4 chicken nuggets, a small mound of potatoes, a few measly green beans, a cluster of grapes, and milk. The government has told the lunch ladies that the meals should be equivalent to 500 calories. They also cut out salt and other flavorings, so the food doesn’t even taste as well. On occasions, there is a little bit of leftovers and some kids will get some more food to eat.

Others though, are not so lucky.  A moderately active 13-year-old girl needs from 1,600 to 2,000 calories daily, while a moderately active 14- to 18-year-old teen girl generally needs around 2,000 calories daily. If you only eat three meals a day, then 500 calories is not enough food for one meal. Also, the less you eat at lunch, the hungrier you get during the course of the day. So if you are sitting in class and your stomach is growling, you are most likely not going to be able to focus. Therefore, you are distracted and will not understand the lesson that is going on during class and when you get home, you will be utterly confused.

Lastly, since you are still hungry from eating a small lunch, you will most likely go home and fill your stomach with junk food, until you are “full”’. When in all actuality, you will only be full for about an hour with junk food. Eating a balanced diet with the right amount of servings in your food, will help you get the nutrients that you need for your everyday life and help you maintain your weight. If you are eating the right food in the right amounts, you will be full and also have a healthy weight.

    So how would you like it if you heard that the people you love are only getting an amount of food that is sufficient for your stomach for an hour? Instead, we should take a stand against the government, and tell them that we need more food to get through the day. We can be kind to them and tell them forcefully, but not be rude about it. All you have to do is start somewhere, even if you are standing alone.

Book Review - Kiss. ooohlalalala.

Book Review - Erin Orred

Have you ever woken up in a hospital bed not remembering the past six months of your life? The only thing you’re sure of is your name. That is exactly what happen to Shauna, in Kiss, a fantastic fiction novel by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy. Shauna is clueless about everything, especially a mysterious man, who goes by the name Wayne Spade, who says that he is her boyfriend, and he takes her all over the place trying to “help” her remember the past six months.

Attempting to regain her memory, she must stay at her dreaded father’s house. Her father is running to be in the U.S. Senate, and he cares only about his campaign, and her brother, whom she is to blame for his brain damage, since someone said he was in the car when she hit something and her car went spinning. Everyone one blames her for the tragic car accident, especially her evil stepmother, but really? She knows that she is a cautious driver and would never do anything to hurt her dear brother, Rudy. At least her faithful and trusting uncle believes her, and is on her side to help settle the disputes between the broken family.

She continues to heal, but her memory still does not show her any of the past six months. She and Wayne become closer, and she still does not remember him at all. She discovers though, that she can probe into others’ minds, and steal memories from them, so chunks of their lives will be missing. She now realizes that this can help her find out about the past six months, and uses this to figure out what caused the accident, and the events leading up to it. She now knows that someone is out there and wants something from her, or for her to be killed, and she learns that the people that claim to be her “friends” cannot actually be trusted at all.

She keeps on revealing more secrets and finds out that finding out more is putting her and her family in more danger. She is playing a risky game of cat and mouse and needs to find all the pieces of the puzzle before it is too late and her family gets destroyed.

I thought that this was a very good book with an interesting and high intensity story line. The authors were very good at describing the setting and the plot was interesting. They used impressive wording that made you feel like you were there. The only thing that made it slight boring was how how the beginning was very confusing. Once I read deeper into the book, it made a lot more sense and I was so intrigued I could hardly put it down. The ending was very sweet and it had a great twist. It is a fantastic book that I am almost sure everyone would love reading.

It's a Fiction Story, Bro.

A Change In Heart

By Erin Orred

I sprint faster. I can feel my legs pumping. My bare feet are pushing through the soft sand. My long hair is swishing back and forth across my back. I look over to the clear blue waters of Hawaii, ready to jump in as soon as I finish the race. My heart is throbbing, pained almost... I can see the finish line, just beyond the cluster of palm trees, almost in my reach. I have to keep running though, because I can hear the crowd chanting my name.

   “Sierra, Sierra, Sierra, Sierra!”
   My heart is tight, and strangely slowing. My lungs are aching and my feet feel like they are about to give.  But I must keep pushing. I am almost there and not a single person is even close to me...
       Suddenly it is silent. I look around and see everyone yelling, but no sound comes. I look down and my legs are gone. My arms have seemed to disappear too. I have nothing, no feeling whatsoever. My eyes are open, but suddenly, everything fades into blackness. I suddenly drift away to nowhere, like floating off a cloud or falling down a hole, to nothingness.

“Yes, her heart is stable, and seems to be functioning well after her transplant. I am impressed, especially since she is only sixteen.” I hear a woman, probably in her forties, say to whomever else is in the room with her. “Yeah, I’m sixteen, I think to myself, but my parents treat me like I’m five.” I try to force my dark green-blue eyes open to look around, but they are stiff and feel like they are glued shut. I feel like I am not myself, and I am inhabiting someoneç else's body. I hear unsteady beeps coming from a machine, and can smell lemon cleaner wafting through the air.  I finally come to the conclusion that I am in a hospital room, although I wonder why I am here and how I ended up here in the first place. It suddenly clicks in my head that the last thing I remember was running on Waikiki Beach, which is close to my home here in Honolulu. My eyelids flutter open and I can feel my heart pounding. I suddenly cry out in pain, yet I have no idea what is hurting. My eyes tightly close again. Someone rushes over to my bedside, and I am guessing a young man, because he smells strongly of musky aftershave.

   “Assistance! I need backup here! He yells across the room. Her heart rate is out of control! Someone come and help me before this girl goes into a coma!”
   I slowly open my eyes and study the man that has a cold stethoscope pressed against my chest and is inches away from me. I look to the woman next to me putting an I.V. into my arm with some medicine in it. The room looks like an emergency room, with patients all around, and lamps at each bedside in front of beeping monitors. Definitely not the calm atmosphere.

“Hello sweetie.” The nurse says to me calmly, with a peaceful smile on her face.

“Where am I?” I question. But as the words come out they sound like a squeak, from a young boy.

“You are in the E.R.. Your heart failed, and you have had a heart transplant.” The male doctor says to me.

“Where is my mom?” I speak with more force this time, trying not to sound like the timid girl I am.

“I am right here, honey. Don’t worry.” She spoke as rushes out from behind the door and approaches my bedside. My dad turns the corner, but just leans against the door and watches me.

   I flip my eyes toward my mom.

“What happen to me? I can’t remember anything.” I whispered softly.

“Your heart failed when you were running on the beach. Do you remember running on the beach?” It was practically a whisper from her lips, as she softly stroked my dark, long, wavy hair, all matted from lying in a hospital bed all night.

“Yes.”

“Your heart failed and you needed a new heart, and it happen to be that someone around here got in a car wreck just last night and passed away. They used the lady’s heart to... save your life.”

“Is that why I don’t feel like myself? I feel like I am living in someone else's body, in a whole different world.

“Well...” My mother hesitated. “They said that a heart transplant can actually change your personality--to a certain extent.” She cut in quickly. “You will still think the same, but you could be attracted to someone or something that the person you took the heart from was. Don’t worry Sie. You’re still the same person to me.” She always called me Sie, even when I was a little toddler. It made me feel young and hopeless.

“What about school?” I questioned, worried about how others would think of me. I had just moved to Hawaii this year because of my dad’s job transfer, and had only been in the school for a few months. Even though these kids barely knew me, it would be awkward. What if the heart that they had taken from someone and given to me had been in love with someone else? What if I met up with that person and my heart pounded like I was crazy in love, and didn’t even know them?

“The teachers say that you are not actually sick, that you need to be back to school as soon as possible. Today is Wednesday, and we’re leaving the hospital this afternoon. Do you think you can have the rest of the week off and make it to school next Monday?” My mom asked me with caution, trying to sound calm.

“It’s not like anything is going to change if I go to school on Monday or next year, so better late than never. But how soon do you think I can run?” I wanted to run so badly. I was the champion runner at school, and had more records than anyone else yet.

“How about we worry about school first...” My mother replied with a half-grin on her worn wrinkled face.

“Are you almost ready for school?” My mom yells up the stairs as I was standing in my bedroom Monday morning, deciding what to wear so my scar from the surgery on my chest wouldn’t show.”

“Oh, just calm down!” I flippantly yell back at her. “I’ll be ready in a second!”

I was so excited to see my best friend Kellsie again, but I did not, and I mean absolutely not want to see Hayden Blake. Hayden was the type of guy that could get any and every girl he wanted, just by his charm, personality, and good looks. All through the beginning of the year, he had just been rude and picked on me. Everyone said he was just joking, and that he does that to everyone. I would still have to think differently. Even though he was just in 4 of my classes, I would still have to deal with him.

I run down the stairs and grab a banana and a yogurt, because I took so long to decide what I was going to wear, I have to rush right out the door.

I peel my yellow jeep into the school parking lot, and I see Kellsie walking through the front entrance. I rolled my window down to talk to her.

“Hey! Kells! Wait!”

She flipped her cropped wavy hair to face toward me.
    “Sierra!” She screams in excitement as she waved her hands and jumps up and down. “You’re back! Hey I have to go talk to Mrs. Walker but I’ll meet you in chemistry!”
    “Okay, save me a seat!” I yell back.
I hear horns honking behind me and I realize my car is stopped in the middle of the parking lot with 4 minutes before school starts. I check my mirrors to turn, and realize it is Hayden behind me, with the angriest face I think I have ever seen someone wear. My heart starts pumping and my palms are sweating, but I dismiss the thought of my heart so that I can park my car. “I am going to do whatever it takes to be nice to that kid, even if I have to put a fake smile on my face.” I think to myself. I run into my first period class, hoping I won’t be late. Chemistry is probably one of the worst classes. Not only is it extremely hard, I also sit right next to Hayden. I am pretty sure the teachers love to torture me or something, because I think they all know we don’t get along. I run into the classroom and sit down in my dreaded seat. I reach down to grab a notebook out of my backpack on the floor. Just as I sit up in my chair and turn to face the front again, I collide with Hayden’s backpack, smacking my face as he takes his seat.

“What do you have in there, every single school book you own?” I attempt to question comically as a joke, but it comes out all wrong, and my smile looks more like a sneer. I realize then just how hard he really hit me, and notice my nose is gushing blood all over my shirt. My heart starts pounding again, except crazier than before. A pounding you get when you see your sister fly off the swings, and hope that she doesn’t break every bone in her fragile body.

“So much for spending time choosing a good outfit to wear my first day,” I thought.

“Geez, watch where you put your stupid nose!” Hayden yells. I looked him straight in the eye with a confused expression on my face.

“What on earth happen to you that made you so uptight and cranky?” I was perplexed.

“I’m.. sorry?” I’m trying to process how backwards this is as I walk up to the teacher’s desk to grab some tissues. Isn’t he the one who smacked me with his backpack and made my nose gush like the Amazon River?

“Be nice. Be nice. Be nice.” I whispered under my breath. I look around and the whole classroom is staring me down. “Everyone here must think my heart transplant made me crazy since I am walking around having a good ole’ chat with myself.” I thought as I shake my head feeling flustered and confused. Hayden stood up and sprinted out of the room, steaming mad. I should go to Hayden in private and see what this mess was all about.

After a good talk with Kellsie during lunch, I decided to leave early and try to go find Hayden. Hopefully he wasn’t “chilling” with his jock friends in the gym, and that I could talk him alone. I dumped the rest of my lunch and meandered my way through the school in search. I walked towards the main doors and peered out towards the parking lot. There he was, sitting all alone in his truck, appearing beat down and dejected. I made my way through the balmy, cloudless air and lightly tapped on his window. He looks up at me, expressionless, and pushes the door slightly open.

“Hi.” I spoke cool and collected, not giving away how angry he made me earlier today.

“I’m, uh, sorry about this morning when I, uh, kinda yelled at you.” He apologetically spoke, and I knew that he was sincerely sorry. I suddenly brightened, knowing he actually meant that he was sorry.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Everyone freaks out sometimes.” My heart is racing, and I have the abrupt urge to just hug him tight and tell him everything would be all right. He seems so familiar to me, like I have known him for years. I feel like I know everything about him, and could whisper something to him that he had told only someone special. I study his dark, clouded, eyes and saw the hurt that was ripping him apart.  Instantly, everything clicked in my mind and I realized the heart that was inside of me now was someone close to him. That’s why he was so depressed, and that is why I went crazy when I saw him. I reach out, and touch his shoulder. He looked at me with a tender expression, and a tear rolled down his cheek. He jumped out of the car and wrapped both his arms around me and sobbed.

All of a sudden, words were spewing out of his mouth and he was blubbering like a baby.  

“My … my younger sister got in a car wreck and she died right after the ambulance came. They brought the heart to the hospital and the doctors told us they gave it to you to save your life. I was mad at you earlier because I feel like you stole her from us, and I now realized she saved your life, and she made a difference in the world.” He could barely talk but I understood every word.

    “Thank you.” I look up in those beautiful inky eyes and smiled at him with tears running down my cheeks.

“Sie... I have liked you for awhile.” I stared at him. Finally someone who could call me Sie and not make me feel like a child.

“I tried to make it not show by being rude to you, but that was the most childish thing I could have ever done. But I am gonna change that right now.”

He scans my face, looking at my blue-green eyes to my button nose stopping at my lips. He cups my face with his strong yet tender hands, pushes my hair behind my ears, and gives me a gentle kiss, just brushing my lips. I had a feeling that Hayden Blake and I would get along pretty well the rest of the year.

Fear

Fear is like the blackness of a dark alley,

Heart throbbing, palms sweating, legs shaking,

As you venture deeper and deeper into the darkness.

It sounds like the blood-curdling scream

of a possessed child,

not getting what it wants.

It tastes like the bitterness of sour milk,

Making you want to gag,

Trying to run away from the retched smell it brings.

It smells like a trashcan, sitting full of rotting garbage, gradually decomposing,

And filled with flies laying their eggs.

Fear feels like a festering wound,

Slowly filling with infection and eating you away,

Until you are gone forever.

Boots is my name, and walkin' is my game.

 
My face hits the dirty streets,
 and sniffs the moist ground.
People run into me and kick me back and forth.
My twin sister stays clean,
while I get sprayed by a falling soda.
I get to play tag and run around.
I can sprawl myself all over the sofa,
Nobody cares!
I keep my small friends warm,
 as they hide inside my fur.
I get replaced by new flip-flops,
and shrivel up in the closet,
until winter slowly rolls back around.