Carving pumpkins is one of the best classic traditions of Halloween at any age. It’s a great way to spend time with family and friends, while probably playing some Halloween movie in the background. This year, instead of carving a pumpkin, my sister and I made something different than a traditional pumpkin carving.
The Tools
The tools that are needed for this are two foam pumpkins from any craft store (mine are from Hobby Lobby), black paint for the ears, a package of 4 wood disks, any style ribbon, an Exacto knife, and pencil.
Step 1: The Ears
For the first step, is to outline where the ears are going to go. To do that, just grab a pencil and outline the width of the wooden disks. Now, when outlining it would be best to make it just a little wider than the disks and longer so that the disks can sit comfortably without falling out.
Next, after outlining where to cut it’s time to paint the ears. It’s ideal to paint the ears early so they have plenty of time to dry. Here’s a tip when painting, I only painted one side of the disks because in reality the viewer is only going to see the front side.
Step 2: Cutting
To cut the outlined areas I used an Exacto knife for this since the blade is small yet sharp. When I did this, I found it best to cut all the way through the foam, which ended up just being a thin layer because the pumpkin ended up being hollow inside. This actually made it easier when adjusting the ears to see if they fit once they were dry.
Step 3: The bow
When it came to the bow, I wanted to go with more of a fall feel naturally, so picked out a gingham pattern because it would also be perfect to use during November. With my sister’s help, I tied the fabric in a regular bow and then tucked the loose ends underneath so that it looked like a double bow and then stapled it down.
Step 4: Putting it all together
. Now that both holes have been cut, the wooden disks painted, and the bow made, it’s time to put it all together! The ears are simple, just place them in the areas you cut out and they should stay in place. Depending on how long the cut was and how deep will determine how well they fit and how they go or not. For the bow, it can just be placed onto in front of the stem or glued down to hold it in place.
“I think banning books is a very, very dangerous thing. It takes away an important freedom. Any time there is an attempt to ban a book, you should fight it as hard as you can. It’s okay for a parent to say, ‘I don’t want my child to read this book.’ But it is not okay for anyone to try to make that decision for other people. The world portrayed in The Giver is a world where choice “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” ― Lois Lowry
What is Banned Books Week
Every year, the American Library Association holds the annual event as a way to celebrate the freedom of reading. It’s purpose is to spotlight the current and historical attempts to censor books in public libraries and schools. This event brings together readers, librarians, booksellers, publishers, writers, journalists, and writers in support of the freedom to seek and express ideas, even when unorthodox or unpopular. (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1901)
“True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid…”
― L. Frank Baum
Some of the reasons are having no value for children, supporting negativism, and bringing children’s minds to a cowardly level. Also, for depicting witches and promoting the belief that necessary human attributes were developed by individuals rather than given by God. The biggest reason I’ve come across is that it teaches that females are equal to males and that animals can speak and have personalities
The Great Gatsby (1925)
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
Following Fitzgerald’s disillusionment with the American Dream, in the context of the Jazz Age (the term he claimed to have coined) has become his most popular novel. Though it has been praised so highly, it is still challenged due to the inappropriate language and the sexual references throughout the novel.
Fahrenheit 451 (1953)
“But you can’t make people listen. They have to come round in their own time, wondering what happened and why the world blew up around them. It can’t last.”
Often regarded as Bradbury’s greatest novel, it depicts a future American society where books are outlawed and if any books are found, the “firemen” burn them. The title is significant, as 451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns. Since the book involves burning books, the novel itself has been challenged/banned because of the description of burning the Bible and using God’s name in vain. Other reasons for the challenges are because of the description of suicide, murder, abortion, sex, and drugs. Now for the most unusual challenge of all, one school had sent censored copies to high school students, which caused outrage among the parents. They challenged to have the full uncensored editions redistributed to students and won.
Lord of the Rings (1954)
“It’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish.”
In England, the National Health Services had challenged saying both the novel and films should be banned due to smoking. Saying that these depictions are the cause of the rise of smoking among younger people. The other main reason is that it is ‘irreligious’ showing a lack of faith and is satanic and promoting witchcraft. This comes as a surprise as Tolkien was a devout Catholic, with C. S. Lewis writing a letter defending how it was fundamentally religious. LOTR is still challenged/banned today for the same reasons but usually gets overturned in the end
Lord of the Flies (1954)
“The thing is – fear can’t hurt you any more than a dream.”
Following the story of a group of preadolescent boys stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempt at trying to govern themselves, leading things to turn for the worst. The story that follows has lead to being challenged/banned due to the fact that many see it as “demoralizing as it implies that man is little more than an animal.” Other reasons include the excessive violence, profanity, defamatory statements to minors, God, the disabled and to women.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
This is my second favorite novel, which has been challenged and temporarily banned many times since publication for many reasons, mostly due to language and race. Some of these reasons include the use of racial slurs, rape and incest, for conflicting with values within a community, that it promotes racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy. One town had challenged the book using this reasoning that it “represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature.” Despite all of this, Atticus Finch is regarded as the greatest hero/protagonist of all time in literature/film and is also regarded as the ideal American character.
In Cold Blood (1966)
“Just remember: If one bird carried every grain of sand, grain by grain, across the ocean, by the time he got them all on the other side, that would only be the beginning of eternity. ”
At the time of publication, this novel was extremely conversational and still is today due to the nature of the story. Truman Capote goes into detail about a murder of four after interviewing two convicted murders, during his time during the interviews he falls in love with one of them, thus changing the tone of the narrative. The novel tends to be a very hard read, and tends to be challenged/banned for the descriptive violence, profanity, and sex in the book.
At the time of publication, it was highly controversial and still is, making it one of the most challenged/banned books. Even though its a staple in most American middle-school and some high-schools, it is still challenged and banned due to the portrayal of gang violence, underage smoking and drinking, strong language/slang, sexual content, racism, and abuse
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.”
This is an autobiography describing the early years of the poet and author, Maya Angelou and it was the first of seven coming-of-age novels. Becoming a best seller immediate after publication, it was the novel that all her others were compared to and has never been out of print. The publication of the book was a significant development for Black women’s literature. But, sadly, praise does not without critique. The Alabama State Textbook Committee had determined that it included a tone of ”bitterness and hatred toward white people.” With more challenged due to the subject of rape and molestation she suffered as a child, racism, and explicit language. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is one of the most banned books in school classrooms and libraries. She also penned an amazing poem of the same name.
Handmaids Tale (1985)
“Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.”
In recent times, the Handmaids Tale has grown in popularity due to the Hulu series and much of the literary analysis focusing on its categorization as feminist literature. Although, Atwood does present a typical dictatorship: “shaped like a pyramid, with the powerful of both sexes at the apex, the men generally outranking the women at the same level; then descending levels of power and status with men and women in each, all the way down to the bottom, where the unmarried men must serve in the ranks before being awarded an Econowife”. Even-so, regardless of the wide reception, it is still challenged and banned due to its vulgar language and graphic depictions of sex.
The Giver (1993)
“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”
Following what appears to be a utopian but slowly reveals a dystopian story about a boy who is chosen to be the person in which all past memories of pain and strife and all emotional depth are stored. The community lacks any memory or color as a way to persevere order and structure. It’s been designated as the fourth best selling children’s book of all time and the eleventh most challenged book of the 1990s. Some of these challenges include infanticide, euthanasia, sexuality, and suicide, which have been used to show the power of the main books themes, which are suffering and individuality.
This series has been challenged in school boards because of the claims that the books promote witchcraft and the unsavory hero made for a bad role model for children and that a book about a warlock are inappropriate. People have said that the books promote the Wicca religion since there was the failure to proved prove of these claims that promote religion, these challenges were dropped.
Since its publication, this book has been very controversial and was the one of the most challenged books in 2009 for many reasons as it follows a young boy dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Those reasons being that the characters are depicted as bad role models due to frank descriptions of masturbation, sex, drugs, and suicide. To this day, it still remains very controversial while the film from 2012 has been praised.
Since the start of the Walt Disney Studios, when a film was finished, live-action or animated, the props and ink cells were set aside. Over time, many disappeared or ended up being auctioned off. No one would have thought that these props would become so valuable and so important.
It’s officially the most wonderful time of the year and that means its time to turn on the fireplace, break out the hot chocolate and fuzzy blankets, then settle down on the couch for a holiday movie marathon. Holiday films are some of my absolute favorites to watch, the older classics and of course the Disney holiday classics. For this holiday season, I put together a list of films that are considered to be some of the best Christmas movies to watch this season. There are so many great films out there, some I didn’t include but absolutely love like Elf or the staple Home Alone, it became so hard to narrow it down.
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to visit Disneyland during the month of October, there is one presence that has become a staple to view, Ray Bradbury’s “Halloween Tree”.
October is the month that represents purity; it is a month of growth, of change, of rebirth, of renewing and prosperity. While also serving as a reminder that the tough times don’t last. The birthstones are tourmaline and opal; tourmaline inspires grounding and healing, while opal inspires love and hope, innocence and purity, luck and happiness. The birth flower for October is calendula which is a genus of about 15–20 species, such as marigolds. One of the strangest coincidences I find is that October represents purity, Opal represents purity and my name, Kathleen, is of Irish origin meaning pure; just something I found to be funny and interesting.
Baseball was developed over 150 years ago in the northeast and is America’s favorite past time and one of the most popular sports for both participants and spectators. Throughout the years, baseball has given the world some of the greatest athletes in any sport, such as: Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson, Jackie Robinson, Yogi Berra, Barry Bonds, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays, and Babe Ruth. Baseball is a sport that has a long history: the first professional team being founded in 1869, to the ever-changing -for every sport- breaking of the color barrier when Jackie Robinson signed onto the Brooklyn Dodgers and started at first base in April 1947.
“There’s a philosophy in The Wizard of Oz the speaks to us all. Everyone has a heart, a brain, and courage. If used properly, they lead to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The gold, when found, is those people who love you.” – Ray Bolger
While on a trip in mid-1928 to New York to arrange for a distribution deal for Walt Disney’s new Mickey Mouse cartoons idea and to also record his first sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie. When there, one of his old acquaintances Carl Stalling, had proposed to Disney an idea for a new series of cartoons of “musical novelty” combining both music and animation. This would then be the basis that would become the Silly Symphony series, and the first idea was about skeletons dancing in a graveyard.
The idea for the Haunted Mansion actually precedes both Disneyland and WED Enterprise. When the concept for a theme park was being developed the idea was for it to be across the street from the Studios lot. The first known concept drawing is from 1951 and depicts an early looking version of the park with what appears to be the main street setting, green fields, a western village, and a carnival. Disney Legend Harper Goff is the man responsible for the first design of this iconic ride — a black and white sketch depicting a crooked roadway leading away from main street passing by a peaceful looking church and graveyard, leading up to a run-down manor sitting perched high up on a hilltop which overlooks Main Street.
Kathleen in Fantasyland 