Research Paper

Kori Patterson

Sharon Aiken

English 1101

November 10, 2009

Divorce

Marriage is a union between a man and a woman who are considered to be in love with each other. However, sometimes a couple chooses to terminate their marriage in a process known as divorce. According to Divorce Magazine, over 49 percent of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce. That is nearly half of all marriages. Divorce can be a devestating process for anyone involved.

There are many reasons why a divorce may take place between a married couple. One of the leading causes of divorce is the lack of communication (Buzzle). Communication between a married couple is essential for a healthy relationship. Without communication, misunderstandings are bound to happen which in turn can lead to arguments. When a conflict arises within a marriage, communication is needed to resolve the issue. If issues are not resolved, this can lead to resentment which can and most likely will eventually lead to a separation. Another leading cause of divorce is the lack of commitment within a relationship. A man and a woman must be committed to being with one another to make a marriage work. However, when commitment is not present it can lead to many hardships within a marriage. Some people view this lack of commitment as selfishness, which it might as well be. This lack of commitment can cause a marriage to be one sided, most likely leading to divorce.

Infidelity is also a factor that affects many marriages across the country. Infidelity is defined as the unfaithfulness to a sexual partner, especially a spouse (Dictionary.com). Studies show that 60 percent of men and 40 percent of women will have an affair during a marriage (Breakupadviceonline). When a spouse realizes that their partner has committed an act of infidelity, it damages their trust for that person, and without trust in a marriage, it is very hard to have a healthy relationship. However, some couples do recover but the majority of these marriages end in divorce. These are just three of the major factors that play a role in divorce. However, there are many other reasons. This includes but is not limited to: addictions, abuse, personality differences, financial problems, different expectations, falling out of love, religious differences, cultural differences, mental instability, criminal behavior, and etcetera (Buzzle).

Some couples try to save their marriage by going through marriage counseling, also known as couple’s therapy. During this process, the therapist, usually licensed will try to help the married couple to resolve issues within their marriage that may be leading them to have thoughts about divorce. Most of the time the therapy is short lived, either due to the fact that the conflict has been resolved or that the couple has realized that their marriage will not work. However, the counseling may go on for many months either ending in success or failure.

When a husband and wife decide that they absolutely want a legal divorce, then they must enter the divorce process. This is a long, drawn out process which can last for well over two years. There are many steps that must be completed before a marriage can be terminated. The first legal step in the process is for the petitioner, or the spouse filing for divorce, to write up a divorce decree. This can be done with or without an attorney. Then the petitioner must go to a courthouse and file for a divorce. Then comes the time when the respondent, spouse of the petitioner, is served the divorce papers. At this point the respondent has to go find an attorney to read and go over the divorce papers. Once each party is completely satisfied with the papers, a temporary hearing is scheduled. Issues like custody, alimony, placement of marital belongings, debts, visitation, and child support are temporarily settled at this hearing. Mediation is the next step to the process but is sometimes optional. During mediation, all marital belongings are discussed. Usually everything is split up equally, but in some instances they may not be. A pre-trial is then set for anything that can’t be settled. Finally, the main trial is scheduled. At this trial both cases are presented with witnesses and evidence for both sides. At the end of the trial the judge will decide on everything presented. At this point, the divorce is usually granted and each person can move on with their lives (DivorceNet). This is just the standard process. Each divorce is different in what steps are taken as well as the length of time it takes to complete the process.

One major factor that affects any divorce is if there are children involved. This disrupts the divorce process, but more importantly it disrupts a child’s life dramatically. During the divorce, the parents must go through custody hearings to determine the custody situation. Sometimes one parent will get sole custody of the children and other times joint custody will be rewarded to both parents. This basically means that both parents must share the children equally, usually on a set schedule. Many times child support comes into effect also. The amount of child support paid is based upon the custody situation.

The most important issue to focus on during a divorce with children involved is how the divorce will affect the child. A divorce is a life-altering and stressful change for most children and affects each child differently. Some children adapt to the change well and intend to make the best of the situation. However, others have an extremely hard time coping with the changes. Some children feel like they have been abandoned and feel a sense of vulnerability. Many experience a sense of grief for the separation while other are angered for the disruption. All age groups are affected by a divorce but adolescents, or teenagers, seem to be affected the most Some adolescents experience severe depression which can lead to suicidal thoughts or actions. Others become violent toward their parents. The most common long term effect of a child that experienced a divorce is that person fears that he/she will fail in marriage like their parents (The Child Advocate).

After the divorce is finalized, some adults have a hard time rebuilding their lives. Coping with the new life takes time. A lot of changes take place. Dana Hinders states that many parents turn into single-parents with only one income (eHow). This is a huge adjustment for people who have been living on a double income for many years. Their spending habits must change and some even have to lower their standards of living. Also after a divorce, many people lose social connection that they once had as a couple such as neighborhood friends and their spouse’s co-workers. The hardest aspect that divorcees without children have to cope with is that they are alone in life. For parents they will most likely have to spend time rebuilding their relationship with their children. This can be a great time for parents to get to know their children better and become more active in their lives.

This is also a great time for someone to pick back up on a previous hobby or begin a new one that they always wanted to do. Their marriage may have been too busy for them to enjoy their passions but now they have the time and freedom to experience the things that they were limited to before the divorce. During this time of an adult’s life, they also have to decide when to go back out into the dating scene. Every person is different in what they choose to do. Some people begin dating immediately after the finalization of the divorce while some choose to wait a couple years. Single-parents usually wait until their children get older and leave the house, although some choose to start dating immediately. Most statistics show that people usually get married three years after their divorce but 60 percent of those marriages will also end in divorce (eNotAlone).

In some instances divorce can be viewed as a positive action. Getting out of an unhappy marriage or even an abusive marriage is a stress-reliever for many people. Not having to deal with the financial problems of family disputes are some positive aspects. If the divorce was due to a cheating spouse then that relieves a person of the stress caused by that situation. A divorce can also open doors to new opportunities such as a job position in another state. A divorce can also lead to a strong friendship between the divorced couple. They may have been unhappy during marriage but are happy as friends.

In overview, a divorce can take place for a variety of reasons. Some of these include lack of communication, lack of commitment, and infidelity. However, a divorce can be caused by simply falling out of love. Some couples try to save their marriage by going to counseling, which can have a positive our negative outcome. The divorce process is long and composed of many steps to finalize the divorce for complete legal separation. Children sometimes have a hard time coping with the divorce of their parents, mainly adolescents. There is life after divorce for the divorcee. They will have to deal with drastic changes including income and changes in social connections. However, they now have the freedom to experience things that they couldn’t while married as well as more time to bond with their children. They also get to jump back into the dating scene when they feel comfortable. The divorce can be positive for people who get out of an unhappy marriage and sometimes it relieves them from other burdens in their marriage. Divorce is something that nobody wants to experience, but unfortunately it is becoming a common thing in today’s society and it is better to understand the process than completely reject it.

Works Cited

Works Cited

Hinders, Dana. "Divorce Statistics." lovetoknow. 16 Dec 2008. LoveToKnow Corp, Web. 10 Nov 2009.

"Common Causes and Reasons for Divorce." Buzzle. 2009. Buzzle, Web. 10 Nov 2009.

"Infidelity." Dictionary. 2009. Ask, Web. 10 Nov 2009.

"Infidelity: One of the leading causes of divorce." Break Up Advice Online. 2006.

"The Divorce Process." DivorceNet. 05 Feb 2005. DivorceNet, Web. 10 Nov 2009.

"Divorce Effects on Children." The Child Advocate. 20 Jan 2008. The Child Advocate, Web. 10 Nov 2009.

"How to Rebuild your Life after Divorce." eHow. 2009. eHow, Web. 10 Nov 2009.

"Marriage Counseling: Working through Relationship Problems." MayoClinic. 15 Nov 2007.

Mayo Foundation, Web. 12 Nov 2009.

Davis, Michele Weiner. "The Not-So-Great Escape." eNotAlone. 2001. eNotAlone, Web. 1 Dec 2009.

Go away rain...

So today has been really crappy. First of all, I woke up and realized that I didnt have enough gas in my car to get to school. It slipped my mind that I forgot to fill up yesterday. So I had to take the ford truck instead, which I dont mind, but the car is much easier to get around with. Plus, its raining and has been since I woke. So I had to drive in it, walk in it to my first class and then walk in it to get to this class. Im soaked and im cold - my two least favorite things to be, especially at the same time. But whatever, I guess thats what I get for not carrying around an umbrella. Ill be buying one sometime soon....

Well I think that enough complaining for one day lol

Kori

Essay #3 - Compare and Contrast

Kori Patterson

Sharon Aiken

English 1101

October 21, 2009

Living in the Country vs. Living in the City

Many people in today’s society have a difficult time choosing where they want to call home and make a living. The two main choices are either the city or the country. That’s pretty simple right? Well, it may be harder than it seems. Each setting has its own advantages, as well as disadvantages. This is a big decision that affects all aspects of a person’s everyday life and every detail should be considered.

One of the biggest considerations the people have to take when choosing whether they want to live in the city or the country is what they do for work. They must compare the two environments to see which one would better benefit them. For example, a farmer should not buy a house in downtown Chicago. Just like a fashion designer wouldn’t purchase land in Wyoming. Neither of those decisions would make any sense. The farmer would want to find land in the country so that he would have efficient space to grow crops where as the fashion designer would want to live in the city so that she could promote her business on a higher degree. Another aspect that people need to consider is what condition of health they are in. The city is full of pollution due to the amount of factories as well as the large number of transportation vehicles. Out in the country the air is much cleaner so this would be a wiser choice for someone who might have a respiratory problem. However, the only disadvantage to this is that a hospital may be farther away than it would in the city.

Privacy is also a huge factor that many people must consider. If a person enjoys many close neighbors then the city would be the better choice. However, for those people that enjoy having a significant buffer between themselves and their neighbors, they would be better suited for the country. This also ties in with the age aspect. Out in the country a lot of maintenance is required to keep up the yard. Mowing the grass is essential during the warmer months and if there are trees then you have to pick up those pesky limbs. Not to mention in the winter, shoveling snow is required just to get out of your driveway. This would be a hard task for an older person. Therefore, they would most likely be happier and less stressed in the city where little maintenance is required. However, because the city has to take care of things like that, there are more restrictions for what people can do. Not to mention more taxes. Out in the country people are free to do whatever they please on their property and the taxes are not nearly as high.

All of these factors must be looked at before moving to your desired location. Job, age, health, and privacy preferences are just a few of the things that should be considered. The city is full of pollution, has little space, and a lot of regulations. However, the city provides maintenance and there is little traveling distance to get places. The country has fresh air, a lot of privacy, and more freedom but that comes with a lot to maintain. In the end, it all comes down to personal preference.

Example Essay Review

For me, the most difficult part of this essay what choosing a topic. I had an extremely hard time trying to decide what to write about. I am not sure why because usually I am very good at that. I think it may have been because the essay was so broad. I could basically write about anything that I wanted to, which was a little overwhelming. I would much rather the teacher give us the topic, or at least narrow it down, but thats just me. Im sure other people are completely opposite. However, once I did finally decide on what I was going to write the essay about, I had no problem writing the paper. It was a breeze!

Some advice that I would give the next 1101 student about writing an example essay is to really focus on your thesis statement. It is the basis of your paper. You want a strong thesis to catch the readers attention immediatly. If you have a weak thesis, then it makes your whole paper weak. In my example essay, my thesis was not the strongest, but I was happy with it so I left it alone.

I have not really recieved alot of comments on my essays. I only got one for this last essay. Im not sure if that is good or bad. Who knows. The ones that I have recieved have been positive though. However, I would like to receive more feedback from other students so that I understand how I can improve my writing. Hopefully on my next essay I will get some more comments.

Kori

Random thoughts....

First of all, I love this weather. This is by far my favorite time of year. Spring is a close second. I just love when it finally starts cooling off after a long, hot summer. Its very refreshing. I rode my horses everyday last week because it felt so nice. I was hoping to do the same this week, but unfortunantly it has been raining for the past three days. But Im hoping that is will clear up soon because I have a horse show on saturday and I need to be riding.

Okay, another thought: Fall Break. 1 day!?!? Thats not a break at all. I was expecting at least a week. I mean I know I should be greatful for having thursday off but thats lame. It would even make more sense if it was wednesday and thursday....but no, just thursday. What genius thought of that? Sorry, I just needed to vent about that for a minute.

And my last thought for the day is: Are zebras white with black stripes, or black with white stripes?

Kori

The horses....

Well I cant really think of anything to blog about today. Nothing really special happened over the weekend so nothing interesting to write about from that. So, I figured I would go ahead and introduce you to my three lovely ponies. =)

First one is Dan. Alot of people call him "Dan the Man". His color is bucksin, which is tan. He is a 14 year old Quarter Horse gelding. We have owned him since he was five. Dan pretty much does anything. He is what we would call and "all around horse". He trail rides, barrel races, works cows, ect.

Next horse is Baby. Her color is chestnut, which is basically just a dark brown.We bought her about three years ago. Her previous owner didnt do a great job of training her so I had to spend about 6 months after we bought her re-training her. It paid off though. She is extremely hyper and sometimes hard to deal with but most of the time she behaves and is a great horse to have around. She is very fast and has won me alot of awards in barrel racing.

The last horse is George, full name is George W but I usually leave off the "W" lol. He is the color bay which is a lighter brown. We have only owned him for about a month so he is a newbie. We bought him from a good friend of ours so he got a really good deal on him. So far he is doing great. I have taken him to a couple barrel races' and he is already winning money.

Essay #2 - By Example

Kori Patterson

Sharon Aiken

English 1101

September 23, 2009

Stereotyping

The dictionary defines stereotyping as "A generalization usually exaggerated or oversimplified and often offensive, that is used to describe or distinguish a group." In my own words, stereotyping is judging other people based on how they appear or act. This is done without having any previous knowledge of a person. Although this is usually a negative approach to understanding people, everyone in today's society is guilty of this thought process. When I look back on people that I have stereotyped, one day in particular comes to mind.

As I sat in the crowded waiting room at the medical clinic, I glanced up at the wall. My gaze wandered over to the slow-moving black and white clock. I had been sitting in this same chair for over an hour. My patience was beginning to wear thin as I thought about the numerous other activities I could have been doing right then. I could feel a slight cough building in my chest so I quietly let it out. I figured that I had caught a cold from my sick nephew. However, being that it was mid-December, I had decided to make an appointment to assure myself that what I had wasn’t the flu or something more serious. Suddenly the nurse walked out with her brown clipboard in hand. Everyone in the room looked toward her, anticipating that they were next to see the doctor. Someone's name was called; an elderly man rose from his seat and hobbled after the nurse. There was momentary feeling of disappointment in the room as everyone returned to waiting. Once again I was faced with boredom.

I noticed a tall man sitting diagonal from me. His tattoos captured my attention. They covered his arms, which were exposed by a sleeveless shirt that barely covered his top half. I examined the ink patterns quickly but I am soon forced to look away as I felt the man’s stare turned on me. I immediately thought of this man as a junkie or an alcoholic because of the tattoo designs. I realized that this judgment is somewhat irrational, but it comes suddenly, involuntarily.

Looking around the room once more, I searched for another victim whom I could feed to my thoughts. I stared at a young woman, probably early twenties, with three children. Her tired arms held the youngest child, probably no more than a couple months in age. The oldest sat on the floor playing with his toys. I suspected that he was either six or seven. I realized that this woman must have had the boy at a young age. She must have been seventeen, if not sixteen. A couple of thoughts ran through my mind: she must've not used protection; she must've slept with a lot of guys; I bet her classmates thought she was a slut. My thoughts came to a halt as the nurse entered the room once again. She called another name.

The man sitting next to me rose from his chair. I glanced over at him as he walked away. His khaki slacks matched perfectly with his white button-up shirt. His hair looked like it had just been trimmed not more than a day ago and it was slicked to the side with some gel. I judged him less harshly. He must have been a businessman with a well-paying job who drove an expensive car. He turned the corner and disappeared from my view.

Eventually my name is called and I proceeded with my check up. My cough turned out to be nothing more that a little congestion. The crisp winter breeze hit my face as I emerged from the clinic. I took a couple of steps toward my car when I heard the door to the clinic open behind me. I glanced backwards and saw the tattooed man. I felt a little uneasy--but it was a heavily trafficked street, so I didn’t worry. I reached my car and I turned around to see what the man drove. I watched him as he got his keys and unlocked the car ahead of him. It was a Corvette, less than a year old. Surprised that someone who looked like him drove a Corvette, I decided to complement his car.

“I like your car,” I said with a voice raised high enough that he might hear.

“Thanks,” he replied, looking over at me. “It’s good to have a fast car for my work.”

“What do you do?” I half-expected him to say that he robs banks or is a drug-runner.

He smiled as he climbed into his car. “I’m a heart surgeon.”

He drove away. I stood there for a moment, motionless, stunned.

I suppose that people are not always what they seem.

Going to the movies

Im glad its finally Thursday. This week seemed slightly longer than most so Im glad its almost over.I dont really have much to do this weekend. I usually have a horse show but I decided to go to one last night instead. It was in Jackson, GA. I took two horses but I only won $25 lol. Oh well, better than nothing I guess. But anyway, on Friday I am going to be hanging out with some of my friends. They want to go see that "Jennifer's Body" movie which looks so stupid but I guess I will go. Hopefully they choose to go before 6:00 because I dont feel like paying $8.50 for a crap movie. Saturday I think Im going furniture shopping with my parents. Mom is trying to remodel our house so of course that means new furniture. She also plans on getting new counter tops, painting the walls, and getting hardwood floors. It will look good when its all done but Im tired of hearing about it and my dad is too. The rest of the weekend I will probably just chill and do whatever I want.

Kori

Essay Questions

• What was the greatest challenge that you faced in the composition?
Does this mean while I was writing the essay? Im going to go with that. Well, overall it was a very easy essay to write. I have always been decent at writing essays because they seem to come somewhat natural to me. I have never had trouble writing. However, I think if I were to choose something that gave me some trouble would be word selection. My word usage is pretty basic. I normally just use the word "running" whereas in this descriptive essay, I replaced the word with sprinting. I just had to make sure I went back through and changed some of the words for the best detail.
• Finding a topic?
Picking a topic was relatively easy. Pretty much everything I write about (when I get to choose) is based on horses. That is because it is what I know best. I have owned/ridden horses for over 10 years and it is a major part of my life, so of course I am going to feel comfortable writing about that subject. So, you will probably be seeing alot of papers from me aboout horses and my experience with them. =)
• Getting the computer to cooperate?
I never had a problem with this computer at school which is where I did the majority of the writing. However, I did do some touch up work on the essay at my house on my own computer and of course, the power shut off lol. But luckily, word auto saved it for me so I was extremely relieved! Overall though, both computers worked well.
• Adequate development?
I had no problems with the develoment af my essay, considering it was basically just a story. Those are by far the easiest because you just go in order of how the events happened. My favorite!

-------------------

• Explain how YOU reacted to reading other blogs.
I definitely like reading other peoples blogs
• Did you enjoy it?
I did enjoy it. I love reading other people's essays!
• Was it more of a pain and aggravation?
No not at all. I have no life anyway so it was kind of fun going through some of the other students blogs and looking at their essays.
• What did YOU gain in reading and , more importantly, commenting on the blogs you read?
In reading 0ther people's blogs, it made me realize that every person has their own style of writing. It was really interesting to see how everyone structured their essays. I enjoyed seeing what topics people chose. Some were extremely unique and I learned some things about people that I had never realized before.
• When you went back to YOUR own blog and to your essay that you posted, did the comments that were made give you reason to look at your essay more closely? Why -- or why not?
I didnt really recieve alot of constructive criticism so for this essay, I didnt really go back and change much based on the comments. I would like some people to post some things that I need to change so that I can better my writing skills. So everyone needs to tell me what I need to change lol

My Weekend....

......was horrible. =(

Last week I had posted about the horse show I would be attending over the labor day holiday. I was super excited because I knew I could do well at this show. Well, I was wrong. My horse did pretty bad overall. I could have easily won the classes I competed in or at least placed and I didnt even come close. It just sucks when you work so hard for something months in advance and then its destroyed in a matter of two days. I have competed at this show for the past four years and this year was the worst by far. At least I didnt have alot of money into the show. This show's entry fees were only $5 per class. Some shows are $200 per class so it could have been worse. But oh well, there will be more shows coming up and hopefully I can get back some of my confidence that I lost at this show. There is a bog one coming up in October so maybe I will redeem myself then.

But anyway, thats how my wonderful Labor Day holiday was spent.

Kori

Labor Day Weekend

Well, since nothing out of the ordinary happened today, which I look at as a good thing, I guess I will go ahead and talk about what im doing in labor day weekend. I am super excited because I have a fairly large horse show up at the Perry agricenter or better known as the national fair grounds. The show is called the Federation of Saddle Clubs state show. Each year I attend five shows across Georgia where I can quilify in the events. Once quilified you can compete at this championship show and I quilified in all my events =) It starts tomorrow afternoon but I probably wont be competing until saturday afternoon. However, we are taking the horse up there Friday evening and then we are staying the night in our trailer Friday night and Saturday night, which I love doing. It is so much easier than getting up each morning and driving all the way to Perry and then back each night. This makes so much more sense.

So anyway, im really looking forward to it this year. I have competed the last four years and havnt won anything so hopefully this year it will change. Wish me luck!

Essay #1 - Descriptive Essay

Kori Patterson

Sharon Aiken

English 1101

September 1, 2009

The Dream

As I enter the large, indoor building the cold air hits my face. Although it feels pleasant compared to the Mississippi heat, a cold chill shivers down my spine. It might be from the chilly air but in my mind I know it is nothing more than my awakening nerves. As I peer down the long alley way that is now spread out ahead of me, I can feel the adrenaline begin to flow through my veins, daring me to make the commitment. All it takes is one single motion. I decide to take the dare. Leaning forward, I squeeze my legs gently against the sensitive sides of the horse below me. The horse’s long, powerful legs spring into action, running full force down the alley way. As we cross the timer, the clock starts and I immediately start losing those precious seconds. The first barrel comes so quick that I barely have any time to think but fortunately, my trustworthy horse knows its job and turns the barrel flawlessly. We complete the second and third barrel just as we did the first, and now we are on the home stretch. The alley way grows nearer and the crowd cheers. The title is almost in my reach. Just a couple more strides and the deal is done. But then suddenly there is a distant sound. It breaks my concentration. The crowd stops cheering, the alley way disappears, and suddenly I am alone. I open my eyes and glance over at the blaring alarm clock. It’s time to wake up. I think to myself, if only I had set the clock for minute later, I would have been the world champion. It seemed so real, but, once again, it had just been a dream.

I roll over in my soft, warm bed which seems so much more comfortable when you have to get out of it. I realize it is Saturday morning. On the plus side, there is no school. The bright rays from the morning sun enter my uncovered window, reflecting off my mirror and directly into my adjusting eyes. I sit up, looking around my messy room. Mom told me last night that she expects it to be clean today, but in reality, she and I both know that isn’t happening. I push my warm comforter off of me and my legs are immediately covered with chill bumps. I slowly drag my legs over the edge of the bed, my feet soon coming into contact with the coarse carpet. I wearily walk down the stairs and emerge into the kitchen. The house is empty. Out of habit, I open the refrigerator, although I am not that hungry. I glance outside the window and look at the horses in the pasture as they graze on the slow growing blades of grass.

I am abruptly startled by the door swinging open. Mom and I exchange facial expressions for a moment. She then warns me to be ready in thirty minutes. Confused, I ask her what for. Then I suddenly recall that I have a horse show this afternoon. I smile and then hurriedly run up the stairs back into my room. I shuffle through the mass of clean clothes lying on my floor. I unearth some jeans and a shirt that I decide to wear. I quickly throw them on and once again, retreat downstairs. I walk into the bathroom and seize my toothbrush and begin to forcefully brush my teeth. I wash the foaming toothbrush off and then I swiftly throw my hair into a pony tail so it will stay out of my way for the rest of the day.

I stroll outside into the warm summer heat. I slip on my boots, pulling my wrinkled jeans out of them, not worrying about where they fall. I can already feel the sweat beading up on my forehead, as if begging me to go back into the air conditioned house. Not a chance. I rapidly walk out to the horse pasture. I hear a soft neigh from across the field. I have been noticed. The horse leisurely makes his way toward me. I see the halter hanging from the post, and I gently take hold of it waiting for the animal to approach me. I reach out, grabbing a piece of mane to insure the horse’s position next to me. In one motion, I slide the halter over the nose and then flip it behind the ears. With the lead rope grasped firmly in my hand, I open the gate and the horse obediently follows me out.

My sight is on the horse trailer, which remains stationary, a couple hundred feet away. As we approach the vehicle, I observe mom coming out of the house and she begins to put on her shoes. Turning my attention back to the trailer, I unlatch the door and cautiously lead the trusting horse inside. I snap the tie onto his halter and remove the lead. As I go to close the divider, I give him a soft pat on the rump. I close the doors securely, making sure every latch is tightly closed, and assuring myself that nothing is out of place. Once satisfied, I go take my place in the passenger seat of the truck. Mom gets in, turns the key, and starts the engine to the red Ford. She shifts the truck in drive and off we go. For the next hour, Mom and I talk randomly about different things. Whether it is school, work, horses, or what we ate for lunch, we can always find something to talk about. Soon enough, however, our conversation is cut short as we pull into the horse show.

As we look for a parking spot, I glance around at all the trailers that have already arrived. These people and horses are my competition. I grow nervous and excited all at the same time. Soon we find a place to park. As I get out, I wave mom off as she goes to sign me up. As I did before, I unlatch the doors of the trailer. The horse seems unsettled now, apparently anxious to get out of the humid trailer. I grant his wish, opening the divider that is holding him in. His gentle eyes gaze backward, as he waits patiently for me to unsnap him and lead him out. I do so quickly, trying not to frustrate him. As I tie him to the trailer, he sounds off a soft neigh and a couple of the surrounding horses answer him back.

I quickly run some brushes over his bright chestnut colored coat, making it glossy so that the sun actually reflected away from him. I messily grab the tack that I need to ride with and toss it on him in a timely manner. I slip the cold metal bit into his mouth and throw the black, braided reins over his head and onto his long, slender neck. I give him a quick, solid pat to his shoulder before placing my foot in the stirrup. I then swing my leg over him, and take my place in the squeaky saddle. As I ask him to walk off, I can feel the power rippling beneath the skin in his toned muscles. I allow him a quick warm up to let him stretch his legs out before the moment comes. Suddenly my name is called. Only two more riders before it is my turn. As those two riders make their runs, my anticipation grows. The adrenaline mixed with my nerves causes my heart to beat rapidly. Finally, the moment has come.

Just like in my dream, the alley way is calling me. I slowly make my way toward the entrance. The horse realizes what we are about to do. His heart begins to race along with mine, almost in sequence. Only a couple more feet and I will have to take that plunge. The horse is waiting patiently for my cue. I suddenly squeeze my legs against his ribs. Leaping forward, he lunges into the air, his legs digging into the dirt for some traction. His large, saucer shaped hooves dig into the earth as he begins to hunt for the first barrel.

Crossing the timer, I lean forward steering him in the correct direction. As we draw near the object, he suddenly stumbles, his head dipping down to his knees. However, he manages to catch himself just in time and we easily turn the barrel. Powerful limbs grasp the dirt once more, barreling toward the second barrel. He turns this one much smoother than the first, and now we are on our way to the final turn. Just one more and we will be home free. I give him a couple encouraging kicks, asking him for everything he’s got. I ask him for the turn but wait, it’s too soon. I have made a mistake. I pull him to the side but it’s no use. It’s too late to correct the deed. The horse’s muscular shoulder slams into the side of the plastic barrel, sending it toward the ground. I hastily lean over and reach down, attempting to pull it back up but my fingers only graze the rim. We complete the turn as I watch the barrel settle on the dirt. All my hopes vanish.

I let the horse run halfway back but then ease him up before the timer, not even looking toward the clock. I ride him back to the trailer, rubbing his lathered neck for good measure. He did a good job. It wasn’t his fault we hit the barrel. As I unsaddle, I think about what I could have done different. Why had I asked him to turn so soon? Should I have pushed him harder? Many thoughts ran through my mind. Then I thought about the dream I had. A smile came across my face. I know that someday it won’t be just a dream. It will be a reality. I reached into a bag and pulled out an apple treat to give to the horse.

Wrong Keys

Its Tuesday and class is going to start in 6 minutes. Its only 11:00AM and it has been such a long day. This morning was a little hectic. I left the house early this morning so I could get a good parking space. Im coming from Byron so when I get to the Hartley Bridge exit my phone rings and its my mom. Apparently I grabbed her keys instead of mine and there isnt another key to her car in the house. So I had to turn around and go all the way back to give her the keys and get mine. So now im kinda panicking thinking im going to be late for class. So I drive like 80 down the interstate but of course today everyone is driving super slow and getting in my way which makes me even more frustrated. And plus I swear I hit every red light. So I finally get here and the parking lot is packed full so I had to go to the very end to get a space (so much for getting a good spot). Then I had to hurry up and get to the humanities building. However, im so good I sat down with three minutes to spare =) So there is my morning adventure for ya.

Today we are writing our first essay in class. Its a descriptive essay and im looking forward to it. I already have a topic in my head so I know what I am going to write about, but thats only because we had four days to think about it lol. So hopefully I will do good on it. =)

Finally Thursday!

Its finally Thursday! After 12:15 today im free until Monday morning! =)

Right now I am sitting in English class. Class started 2 minutes ago. I just put the finishing touches on my descriptive paragraph about "Spring" from Tuesday. However, im sure the teacher already checked them by now. Hopefully not though. I really liked that assignment. I love going into detail when im writing so I enjoyed describing the season.

Mrs. Aiken has told us that she would like us to blog at least twice a week so I need to catch up for this week. Im thinking the descriptive paragraph doesnt count because we were really supposed to print it out, but the priters werent working. So she just told us to put it on our blog. So this will be blog #1 for this week. On Tuesday Mrs. Aiken told us to read a chapter in the book. I havnt gotten around to it yet. I have been pretty busy keeping up with my other classes as well as doing things at home too...so its been kind of hectic lately. I have alot of reading to do this weekend which includes what I was assigned in this class. I believe Mrs. Aiken mentioned something about writing our first essay today. Im looking foward to it, kind of. As long as its not too challenging of a topic I will be happy. I enjoy writing essays and papers as long as I have enough time in between writing them. I hate it when teachers make you write essays back to back. I just get burnt out on writing which makes me very sloppy and careless with my work. But hopefully I wont have to worry about that in here.

Okay well I guess thats it for now. =)

Kori

Descriptive Paragraph - Spring

Kori Patterson

Mrs. S Aiken

English 1101 – descriptive paragraph

August 25, 2009

"Spring"

The early morning dew sits heavily on the blades of dark green grass, weighing down its delicate stem. A glossy drop slowly slides down the leaflet, making its way toward the soil. The bright, blinding sun leisurely rises above the horizon, casting welcoming shadows upon the earth. A light fog hovers gently just above the foliage as the sunlight penetrates its almost transparent existence. The flowers, which seem to be placed at random in the wide meadow, begin to blossom. Their vibrant pedals hesitantly open, allowing the sunlight to display their beauty to the world. A couple, early-rising bees sporadically glide around the flora, searching for the right one to land their fragile legs upon to collect the sweet pollen. In the distance, a few birds can be heard singing their sweet melody, awakening anything that is still in slumber. A lone buck can be seen, silhouetted against bright blue azure, its antlers towering above its refined head as it grazes on the newly sprouted grass. As the sun continues to rise, the cold fog melts away and a feeling of warmth sweeps over the landscape. This is spring.

What do I want to learn in English 1101?

This is my second day of class in English 1101 and Mrs. Aiken has asked us to blog about what we would like to learn/gain from taking her class....

To be honest, I am a little nervous about what this course consists of. Seeing as how this is my first english college class I am not sure what to expect. I mean I know I will be reading and writing but to what extent? The high school that I attended did not push my academic ability to its full extent. Yes, I took honors/gifted courses and even two advanced placement courses (one of those being english/literature) but even at that level, I was not pushed to do my best. So, with that said, I think I have had it extremely easy in the past. This worries me because I know that here at Macon State, I am going to have to work my tail off to make A's (I have heard that it is a tough school). Because of my high school years I have absolutely NO study skills. I never had to study in the past. I got good grades without studying, so what would be the point? But now, I know that I will have to develop some decent study skills to prevent myself from flunking out of college. Sorry for the rambling, just wanting to give a little background information. However, I do have a point to all that. One thing that I would like to gain in taking this course to to develop good study habits. I believe that this class, along with my other three, will help me to develop these habits that I so desperately need lol. I know this will require some dedication on my part, but I am motivated to do well so hopefully I wont have a problem with it. =)

Another thing I would like to learn while taking this class is how to write better essays. I have always written essays that have gotten me a good grade, but not the best grade possible. I have a hard time focusing my essays on the topic. By this, I mean I will occasionally stray away and begin talking about something that is related to the topic, but not necessary to put in the essay. That is just something I have always had a problem with. Many times I have caught this and had to go back a re-write a complete essay. Also, when I write essays I like to stick to the standard 5 paragraph layout. My AP teacher once told me that it is acceptable, but maybe not the most effective way to writing an essay. Well, I would like to know the most effective way to write one and how to best keep the readers attention, seeing as how that matters most. =)

Im sure there are a ton more things I want to learn in this class, and once I think of them I will come back and update this blog. Its 1:18 in the morning right now and I just got back from a horse show, so my thinking isnt quite at its best lol. Maybe tomorrow I will think of some more.

Bye for now,
Kori