Great Grandpa-CNF

Minneapolias, Minnesota is where my great grandpa, Donald S. Gleason was born. He was a very tall, strong, and lean man. He had huge hands, broad shoulders, very dark hair, and a strong jaw line.

He was born and raised in Minnesota but he moved to California when he was older. In Minnesota during the Prohibition time he decided to sell sugar to bootleggers. When he sold the sugar he was making a lot of money. After the Prohibition was over he decided to stop selling sugar because he wasn't making as much money before. So, he decided to go into the food industry.

He worked in the food industry for a while before he invented an ingredient. He invented margarine but didn't get the credit for inventing it because someone stole it from him and made millions off of it.

After living in Minnesota for his whole life he suddenly moved to California and changed his last name from Peterson to Gleason. Nobody really knows why he changed his last name to Gleason but the rumor in the family is that he was trying to get away from the law.

While living in California he worked at the Planters Peanuts factory. He would sometimes send little bags of peanuts or a shirt that said Planters Peanuts on it to his family back in Minnesota. While working at the factory he met his wife Jeanette. They probably feel in love because they both were wild and crazy and loved to get dressed up and go to parties.

After being together for a while Donald and Jeanette got married and had three kids. At the age of five their son, Bobby died. Donald and Jeanette didn't have any more kids after their son died, instead they just raised their two other kids, Jim and Sharon. Once Donald's two kids grew up and got married Donald became a grandpa. Donald's son, Jim(my grandpa) had four daughters, Paige, Collen,Ann(my mom), and Julie. Donald's daughter Sharon had one daughter, Bet, and one son, Matt.

When Donald would go over to see his four grand daughters he would sometimes bring over some peanuts or a shirt that had the Planters Peanuts logo on it that you could color.

Overall, Donald S. Gleason seemed like a pretty descent guy.

A Day in the Life-CNF

     The judge hit his gavel against the wooden desk two times before everyone stopped talking.  His face had turned beet red and he started perspiring as he told Mr. McDonald, the defense lawyer, that he could sit down.

     When he sat down next to his client, Mr. McDonald took a deep breath in and then slowly let it out.  " I know it may seem like we aren't going to win right now but it will get better, I promise." he said to his client.  It was a statement he had said a hundered times before and as always the face that looked back at him seemed to hang on every word.  In a calm voice his client said, "I know we are going to win because everyone says you're the best lawyer in town."

***

     For lunch Mr. McDonald bought a sandwich and water, smiled at the cashier, thanked her, and then wenth to sit with his client.

     When he sat down they didn't speak until after they had eaten their lunch.  Mr. McDonald slowly ran his fingers through his short brown hair and said, "You're a free man and I have enough evidence that shows you didn't murder your wife.  We have this one in the bag.  Enjoy your lunch knowing you won't spend one minute in prison."

     His client folded his pale white hands on the table and leanded forward a little with his eyes looking downward and said in a calm voice, "I'm not worried because I know you're the best and you're good at what you do."  Then he got up and went to sit outside.

     While sitting at the table Mr. McDonalds mind wondered to the earlier events of his day.  He thought of Carolyn, the owner of his favortie coffee house.  She always offers a smile and an occasional free coffee.  Mabye he'd ask her out tonight.  And then he thought of Toby, his Golden Retriever.  They shared their brisk walk this morning before the big trial.

***

     When they all went back into the room the judge told Mr. McDonald that he could begin.

     Mr. McDonald said to the jury with a very confident voice, "Even though most people here seem to think my client is guilty, I know for a fact that he is not guilty and I'm willing to bet my life on it."  He began his usual theatrical interpretation of the events of the fateful night; always smiling at the female jurors at just the right time.  He caught the gaze of the old man sitting in the back row of the juror's box and gave a wink while explaining that married couples can fight but it doesn't mean every argument leads to murder.

     In a rush of anger the lead prosecutor jumped up and asked judge and jury, "Why should we believe that he is innocent when all the evidence leads to him?  We have the murder weapon with his finge prints.  Mr. McDonald you are defending a guilty man!"  The judge hit his gavel against his desk one more time, "Order in the court!" he yelled.

     Mr.McDonald looked at the prosecutor and said,"Ah the murder weapon, thank you for bringing that up.  Since my client is a police officer, it's only reasonable his fingerprints would be all over his weapon.  He serves the community and country every day, putting his life at risk and this is how you repay him?  He is an innocent victim of his wife's plot to set him up.  She killed herself before the divorce could be made public!"

     The jury left the courtroom to make their final decision.  Hours passed into days with no word.  Finally, everyone was called back to court.  The court spokesperson read the verdict in a calm, clear voice. "Not Guilty."

     Mr. McDonald's client sighed with relief and then they both stood up, smiled and shook each others hand.  "I knew you'd do it, you are the best."  As they left the courtroom together Mr. McDonald could only think about his plans to surprise Carolyn with a dinner invitation.

CNF Alternate Prompt- My First Roller Coaster Ride

    The first time I rode a roller coaster was when I was 9.  My family and I went to Six Flags and my mom asked if I wanted to go on a roller coaster.  I told her yes but I didn't want to go on one were you went in a circle and upside down.  She said there was only one that didn't have any but it was one made out of wood so it would probably be more bumpy than the ones made out of metal.  I told her I still wanted to go on, so we started walking to where the roller coaster was.

    When we got to the roller coaster the line wasn't that long.  While waiting with my mom in line I could hear the people on the ride yelling.  When ever the roller coaster went by it sounded like someone opening a door with squeaky hinges.  After about ten minutes of waiting in line it was finally our turn.  When I sat down in the seat my heart started beating really fast like I had just finished runing two miles. 

    The very first part of the ride was the part where you go up a steap hill and then go down it.  When we were going up my hands got sweaty and warm.  When we were going down I could feel the wind blowing my hair back and my cheecks getting cold.  Then, when we were all the way down I was smiling because my stomach felt like it was being tickled.The rest of the ride was very fun but there wasn't any other parts like the beginning of the ride.

    At the end of the ride when my mom and I were getting off she asked me how I liked it.  I told her, with a smile on my face that it was super fun and that I would want to go on it again.

Winter-CNF

     A girl, about the 5 years old wanted to go outside to play but she couldn't because it was raining.  When it was summer she would go outside every day and play on her play set but during winter she was stuck inside.

     She couldn't find anything to do in her room so she decided to sit and watch the rain.  While watching the rain she watched individual rain drops slide down the window making invisible zig zags.  She listened to the loud rain hitting the rooftop.

     After ten minutes her mom came into her room to check on her and the girl told her mom she wanted it to be sunny outside.  Her mom told her that good things happen to you when you're patient.  So the little girl just looked at her mom, said okay and went back to watching the rain, waiting patiently to see what the next day would bring.

Tortellini with Garlic Cream Sauce

          I will never forget the first time I had tortellini with garlic cream sauce.  It was last summer when my family and I where camping in Crescent City.  We had just come back from a long, fun day at the beach.

          We were all ready to have a warm and filling dinner.  My mom asked if we wanted some tortellini with garlic cream sauce.  Even though I didn't know what that was I said yes just because I was so hungry.  While my mom was making dinner at the camp stove and I was sitting by the campfire I asked her what the sauce tasted like.  She promised I would love it then described how she prepared this meal when she was single and living alone.  That comment made me a bit worried since I had heard stories about how she virtually lived on macaroni and cheese from a box during that time in her life.

          Dinner was finally served.  My plate had tri-colored spinach and cheese tortellini with a velvety white sauce gently oozing over the top.  The smell alone was to die for.  Then my mom grated fresh parmesan cheese over the top.  I watched the cheese melt into the sauce as I took a deep breath in, smelling the fresh garlic.  I could hardly wait to take a bite.

          My first bite was heavenly.  I'll never forget it.  The tortellini itself was cooked perfectly, slightly firm and dense with just the right ratio of spinach to cheese inside.  The real treat was the garlic cream sauce.  Warm and smooth with tiny bits of minced garlic and fresh pepper.  Keep in mind that it was served at the campfire surrounded by Redwoods.  No finer dining to be found.

          The main dish was a treasure in itself, but the side dishes are also worth mentioning.  What seemed to be ordinary French bread was drizzled in light extra virgin olive oil and generously seasoned with a blend of oregano, garlic and sea salt, then delicately wrapped in foil and placed over the open fire to brown.  Once off the fire, more of that fresh parmesan was added.  A simple salad of field greens tossed with cucumber and roasted almonds in a creamy caesar dressing was just the ticket to keep things light.

          I've tasted variations of this delicious main dish and each time I'm more and more in love with it.

CNF

November 17th 2002, is when this picture was taken. It is about a year after my sister was born and it is a few days after my cousin was born.
     In the picture my mom is standing and holding my cousin,Laurel, who is wearing a purple and white onesie and is sleeping. She was like the perfect human being because she was so young she couldn't say or do anything she would regret and had made no mistakes. At the time she didn't know that she would be the yougest kid in the family or that she had an older sister. She didn't know that she would have a lot of people who would love her.
     My mom is holding Laurel like she is cradiling her. She is wearing a gray sweatshir, blue jeans, and a pink bandana. She is wearing a bandana because at the time she had breast cancer, but you probably couldn't tell by looking at the picture because she has this big smile on her face that shows all her teeth. She probably had no idea that she would end up having cancer when she was in high school and her dad would embarrass her in the stores by dragging his leg and acting like a person with a mental problem. When she had cancer she lost all her hair including her eyelashes, eyebrows and her hair on her arms and legs because of the chemotherapy she was going through. The doctors even told her she would have a hard time swalloing because the chemo would eat at the soft tissue in her throat. She never really seemed like herself when she was on chemo because she was always sleeping and getting sick a lot. She has told me that when you don't really know if you are going to live or die, you feel like you know everything. You would never know by looking at my mom that her mom died when she was six or that she would beg her sisters to drink her milk at dinner because she hated it so much. Even though my mom has had some sad things happen to her she always seems like she is happy and always willing to help out other people. She is always giving me advice now that I'm older like, to marry someone that makes you laugh or to not judge people by the way they look.
     Looking at this picture makes me feel happy and sad. It makes me sad because I remember how close I was to not having a mom and how my mom was in pain a lot of the time. On the other hand, it reminds me of how lucky I am that my mom survived. When I look back I can see how special she is to me because I recall how worried I was about losing her. I was so young at the time, only six, but I remember cherishing every minute I had with her, because I was unsure what the next day would bring. It also makes me realize that I have a really good mom that would never think of embarrassing me in stores by dragging her leg.

CNF-Monologue

     I am blue. I have the ability to make peope feel relaxed that's how awesome I am. I can come in different shades like dark blue, light blue, blue-green or just blue.
     I am part of the two biggest things in the world, the sky and the ocean. People can't get enough of me because I am so beautiful. I show up everywhere. I'm the colors of some peoples eyes, the colors of the lines on lined paper, the color of pens and crayons, and even the color of some cars. I can even be the color of some ones shirt, shoes or pants. I even have my own spot in the rainbow.
     When people get asked what their favorite color is and they don't know they are most likely to choose me, blue, because that is all they can think about is the color blue.
     I am blue and I am the best color. There is no other color like me that is why everyone loves me and chooses me as their favorite color. I am the most likeable color out of all the colors that exsist.

CNF

While sitting on a bench during my passing period in 8th grade I heard this couple fighting.

   When I looked at the girl she had a hopeful but sad look in her eyes when she said "Can we talk?"

He looked at her for a second like he was trying to figure out if he should talk to her or not.Then he finally said "Fine" but it wasn't in a way that sounded like he really wanted to. When he said yes you could see her eyes light up a little.

    "I know you are mad at me and think I'm a b**** ..." she said with a look of regret in her eyes.

     He interrupted her in mid sentence, but wasn't yelling at her, when he said "Ya, you are a b**** and you can't just say your sorry to fix it."

They looked at each other for a moment and then the bell rang. They stood there for a second not moving and then he told her he had to go in a way that sounded like he was holding his anger back. When he passed by her you could see her eyes start to get watery so she walked away quickly.

After they left to go to class I also went to class and never really heard about them until later that year, which was about them getting back together.

Strings of Memories-CNF

     I remember my mom and I lying under the thick blankets watching TV. I remember how my mom would brush my hair, how it would make me feel relaxed. I remember going to the zoo with my mom, little brother and my little sister and being amazed by all the animals. I remember the time when my mom let me wear her lipstick when I was six and how I was jumping up and down I was so excited. I remember how my mom would lie with me in my bed when I was five and how she made me feel like nothing was going to happen to me. I remember when my mom took me to get my first dog for my seventh birthday, how I knew right away that I wanted him and loved him. I remember the time when my family and some of my friends went to the snow and my friends, my brother and my sister and I had a big snowball fight and how the snow would sting my face whenever I got hit. I remember how my mom would bring home a little surprise sometimes when she got home from work. I remember when my mom, my sister and I all laid in my moms bed with her thick soft blankets and stayed up all night watching movies. I remember the times when my mom would let me and my brother and sister come to her work when she was the only one at her office. I remember when my family, my cousin and his friends went camping and how they all cheered for me when I jumped off the 50 foot waterfall and how I felt like I was flying through the air like a bird. I remember when my mom surprised me on my birthday by getting me out of school early and taking me out to lunch.

Growing is Forever-cnf

     The rainforest is an amazing and unbelievable place. It is ancient and beautiful. It has walls of green with unique animals.
     I think the rainforest almost has two different personalities. It can be beautiful and calm one day and then the next it can change completely. It can be violent and unforgiving because of all the poisionus animals and the cold torential rain.
     I think it is kind of cool how the rainforest can change from being peacful and beautiful to life threating. It just shows you that something so beautiful can also be very dangerous.

Time

   On Friday me and my mom took my cousin, who lived with us for 4 years, to college in Redding. It seems like yesterday that he was moving in with us. It's funny how time can just fly by so fast sometimes and you don't really know it until something big is happening, like your cousin, who is really like your brother  going away to college.
   When we got to the dorms we unpacked all of his things from the car and put everything in his room. After everything was in his room we went and got his books and walked around the campus. The campus was small because it's a private university and there are only a little over a 1,000 students. The campus was really pretty and had a lot of trees.
   By the end of the day my cousin was all set up for school and knew where to go for his classes.  When we were saying goodbye I realized that it may seem like you have all the time in the world to do or say something but then all of a sudden that time is gone. 
   When I think about it I believe we should say what we want to say to someone before it is too late or something happens were you don't see them any more. We should all do things we dream of like going skydiving, befofre time slips away.  Time is a valuable thing that shouldn't be taken for granted.
  

The Beach

My best vacation ever has to be when me and my family went to Santa Cruz. It was are last day in Santa Cruz and we were looking for a beach to go to. We found this place that was on a cliff side and had no cars in the parking lot. To get down to the beach we had to go down a lot of stairs. When we finally got down to the beach you could feel the warm sand under your feet and the wind in your face. It almost felt like we owned the beach because we were the only ones there besides this guy trying to teach a girl how to surf. When me and my little brother stuck our feet in the water we couldn't feel our feet because the water was so cold. When we went back up to the warm sand we sat with my mom and my little sister. While we were just siting there looking out at the ocean and listening to the waves and feeling the wind in our face and the warm sand under our feet I felt so free, like I had nothing to worry about.Then out of nowhere we saw three dolphins jumping out of the water. After we watched the dolphins go by my brother and I went back in the water and when he was trying to go back to my mom he fell and got his clothes all wet. After a couple of hours we decided to go. When we were finished climbing all those stairs I looked back at the ocean and saw this beautiful sunset. It was like a picture perfect sunset. I don't think I will ever forget that day because of how beautiful it was and the feelings that I felt.

Why I Write

   To me, writing is an important thing. It is how some people get their feelings out, use their imagination or just do what they love doing and many more things. I write for a few different reasons.
  
   To me the past is an important thing,so I write so that I can remeber the past, like when me and my family spent a week in Santa Cruz and went to the beach every day. I like to write because I get to use my imagination a little and I don't have to write about something that is boring.
  
   I am definitely not the loudest person around or the best at expressing my feelings so I write to show how I feel. I write because it helps me forget the bad things that are going on. When something bad may have happen like someone dying I always try and write the good things about them so I remember them in a good way.