FOOOOODDDD.

Any Topic Essay Food
     Tara Watnaas

     Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is
a very diverse thing. It can come in so many different ways. It can be hot, cold, soft,
hard, sour, sweet, bitter, zesty, etc. There is endless variety.

     For most people food is a wonderful thing. It’s a necessity for living that the Lord
has blessed us with. There are different tastes, aromas, colors, textures, etc. No two
foods are exactly alike. Food is an amazing thing because it is so wonderful and
different. Every culture has a different style of food they like to eat. We get to
experience all different kinds of food.
     But unfortunately for some it is so wonderful it becomes an addiction. People
often commit the sin, gluttony, which is one of the seven deadly sins. People can
become overweight. They would even be obese, having too much body fat, which can
eventually lead to death.
     On the other hand, society has become so obsessed with looks and
being “perfect”, that some people refuse to eat, or purge, fearing that they will become
fat. In this case, food becomes almost an enemy or fear. That is not what God intended
it for.
     Food is to be consumed in moderation. The key word is consumed. You are
supposed to eat it and get nutrition from it. God created it to give the body energy, but
our sinful world has morphed it into something bad. But you are also supposed to eat it
in moderation. That means not eating too much or too little.
     Some foods enhance the mind. Foods with Omega 3 fatty acid, like salmon
walnuts and kiwi, improve learning and memory. However, junk food and fast food affect
the brain negatively. The brain responds to salty, sweet, and fatty processed food the
same way it responds to heroin. As time goes on, the body craves more and more junk
food, just like the body craves heroin. Food can be just as addicting as any drug.
     Food can be very beneficial or very consequential. It just depends on how you
use it. If we use it in the way God wants us to, we should have a healthy diet and
exercise because after all our bodies are temples.  We need to take care of them and
treat them with respect, but this applies in so many other areas, not just food and
eating.
     Food is one of my favorite things in the world, but I can’t wait to get to Heaven
when food will be so unnecessary and insignificant.

My Mum :)

Celebratory Essay

By: Tara Watnaas

           

One of the most influential people in my life is my mom. She has always been there for me and is one of the only people that I know will ALWAYS be there for me. I know she will always love me, no matter what.

I don’t consider her influential just because she is my mom, although, her being my mom just makes our relationship stronger. She has the biggest heart and even though it doesn’t always seem like it, her intentions are always good. She always puts me before herself. She has taught me so much about life. I know she has persevered through a lot of difficulties in her life and that just makes her stronger. She has not only taught me, but shown me that with God you can get through anything.

I know I can go to my mom about anything, hether its boys, school, or just life in, general. She always seems to have the answers too. I don’t think I’ve ever asked her a question and she didn’t have some form of answer. Even if she doesn’t know she always tells me to go ask my dad.            

She is very experienced in this thing we call life and she gives good advice. She always puts me in my place, but she is never too harsh about it. If I disobey she knows how to comfort me, but also discipline at the same time. She has a backbone and is able to say no, but she does it in a way that isn’t frustrating. She always explains to me why she says no and then I understand. She is very calm with me and never yells. She is always encouraging and never ceases to amaze me. She is the only person who can actually calm me down when I’m scared or frustrated with school, mostly algebra.

My mom isn’t over protective, but she also isn’t under protective. She grants me a certain amount of freedom, but I would like to say that I’ve earned it. She allows me to be with my friends because she knows she can trust me.

My mother has also influenced in my taste of music, food, humor and so many other things. I also think she has a beautiful face, but mostly because we look alike.

I don’t know what I would do without my mom because she means the world to me. Without her I would be nothing. I wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to a Christian school. I wouldn’t be half the person I am today. I love my mom with all that I am. She is a beautiful person and I look forward to getting to know her better and spending more time with her in the future.

Compare and Contrast Essay

Baseball vs. Softball

Compare and Contrast Paper

By Tara Watnaas

        

Softball and baseball are both really competitive sports for both boys and girls of all ages. Not only do they provide entertainment and exercise, but they are also a skill required to learn to play the sport.  Baseball and softball are very similar, but also very different.

Although baseball and softball seem different they are also in the same in the sense that they are played with sphere balls and they both contain four bases, which are required to be ran around in order to score a run or point. Both softball and baseball fields are diamond-shaped and contain nine positions in which one player takes one position. Games of softball and baseball are both observed by umpires who make sure the rules are followed and determine whether a player is out or safe, a ball is foul, and if a pitch is a strike or a ball, etc..

I have found that there are many differences between baseball and softball. One example is that they each have different sized balls. A baseball is nine inches in circumference, while a softball is eleven or twelve inches in circumference. Another difference is the bats they use when hitting the ball. Softball bats can be no longer that thirty-four inches and baseball can be no longer than forty-two inches. In the professional level of baseball all bats must be made of wood. They both have a different duration of the game. A softball game lasts seven innings and a baseball lasts nine innings, unless there is a need to go into extra innings. Softball has a double first base and baseball has one first base, assuming it is safer to have to bases for girls. Each field has a different length between home plate and the pitchers mound and between all of the bases. In baseball the distance between home plate and the pitchers mound is sixty and a half feet.  The distance between bases in baseball is ninety feet. In softball the distance between the pitchers mound and home plate is forty-three feet and the distance between bases is sixty feet. There are also differences in the distance required for the ball to be hit for it to be considered a home run; Softball is anywhere from 220-250 feet and baseball is anywhere from 250-450 feet.

These were just some of the similarities and differences between softball and baseball. They seem to be so much alike, but it turns out there are far more differences than most people would suspect. Whether it is softball or baseball, they are both fun and entertaining sports that require a certain amount of skill.

I should be reading. But I'm not.

This is a post dedicated to my best friends. Norma and Gene, you guys have always been there for me. Through the highs and lows. I know I can be mean sometimes, but I hope you guys know that I really DO love you!! AND I--------- *scream*Haha oh friends you make me happy. This is for Norma and Gene. I will ALWAYS love you!

Persuasive Essay

                                                    Persuasive Essay
                                                       Tara Watnaas
     Have you ever had one of those days where you are too tired to do anything because
you were up late the night before studying for a test? Or do you sometimes feel like you never see your family anymore because school and extracurricular activities consume your life?
Having too long of school days affects students in all aspects of life.
     One main reason I believe school days should be shorter is because with the eight hours
of sitting in school, plus the amount of homework we are given, plus all of the extracurricular activities students tend to be involved in, amounts to a whole day. I understand that school comes before extracurricular activities, but also, involvement is key. Your parents always want you to be involved, but still do well in school. Sometimes, when it comes down to it, you just can’t do both. For some kids, school is a struggle and perhaps they feel like sports or other activities are all that they excel at, but by not allowing them to be involved in an activity because their school work is overwhelming, are we hurting them or helping them?
     Scenario time! You are in activities after school that take up several of your evenings,
and by the time you get home, you are ready to hit the sack, but you can’t. You need to do
your homework. Even though it is ten-thirty at night, you hit the books. You can hardly keep
your eyes open, but yet you know you must get it done. By the time you are finished it is nearly midnight and you barely make it to your bed before falling asleep. You get up the next morning, but you are barely awake. You drudge through the long day, not paying attention in any classes because you keep falling asleep. That evening you decide to skip your homework because you need to sleep for your mind to function.
     Now if you think about it. You will not succeed in school either way because a) you will
either always be so tired you can’t function, or b) You will end up skipping your homework to sleep. Many people would now say this is where weekends come into play. That is partially true, but shouldn’t we be allowed to spend time with our family or hang out with our friends?
     Maybe it’s just this generation because we are taught to take on too much. Everyone
is always busy and so we just follow their example. Some people can deal with it just fine, but others have to exclude some of their favorite activities because there is just not enough time in a day when you sit in a school building for eight hours.
     That is why I believe a shorter school day would make students less stressed. I think
students would, overall, do better in the academic field. Personally, I would be willing to extend the school year slightly in order to have shorter school days.
     I know the possibilities of this happening are slim, but shorter school days would
increase the effort put into school. It would ultimately allow children to have the time to put onehundred percent in every subject in school.

My review. Of a book. A good one. A good book that is. But this review is pretty good too.

Pretty Little Liars

By Tara Watnaas

“Pretty Little Liars” follows four teenage girls whose best friend went missing. Hanna, Emily, Aria, and Spencer don’t even know what hits them in this epic fiction novel by Sara Shepard.

It was the summer after seventh grade when Allison Delaurentis, Spencer Hastings, Emily Fields,  Aria Montgomery, and Hanna Marin were at the peak of their friendship. They had shared everything with Allison, the leader of their clique. But when Allison mysteriously disappeared after a heated argument with Spencer, the girls are shocked.

Alli's disappearance ultimately separated the girls and ruined their friendship.  Alli's family moved, to get away from the small town drama and the memories of their beloved Allison. Aria went to Iceland with her family for a few years, also to get away from the tension of Allison’s death. Hanna faced her problems of being overweight by slimming down and making her appearance and popularity her best friend. Spencer is involved in school trying to out do her sister, who always seem to do just a little bit better. Emily gives up on boys and decides to become a competitive swimmer.

But three years later when they all start to receive texts from a blocked number signed "A", the girls reunite to find and confront the mysterious person.  A is threatening to reveal their secrets, especially what the girls refer to as "the Jenna thing", but the girls also have individual secrets. The girls are puzzled by these texts because only Alli knew these secrets, so that was when they came to the conclusion that Alli must still be alive.

    Their hopes of Alli still being alive are crushed when, due to construction, Alli's body is found in her old backyard. The book concludes with a funeral held for Allison and the girls all receive a disturbing text message from A claiming that “she is still here and knows everything”.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very well written. The characters were very vivid and there was always some sort of suspense and thrill. Besides being a thriller, the book is also full of romance and individual loves stories between all the girls and their boyfriends. The author always seems to find a way to come up with another problem when you least expect it. It’s not like any other book because its a romance novel with a grueling twist.  I would recommend it to any teenage girl.

Story of my fiction tale.

On the Run          

By Tara Watnaas

        This house is the last place I want to be. Foster homes filled with seven other kids, ages three months to eleven years old, tend to not be very homey. Especially when you honestly have no idea who they are. But then, at the same time, this is exactly where I want to be. My best friend lives here. She is the closest thing I have to a sister or to any family at all. The only thing I have left of any of my family is a picture of my mom and dad when they were in high school.
    I couldn’t imagine leaving Ricki all alone in this harsh world. She is kind of in the same place as me; She never knew her family and was placed in a foster home shortly after birth. She’s been to a few less homes than me, but that’s probably because she is only eight and I’m seventeen.
    In all of my previous foster homes I didn’t bond with anyone. Loneliness was my best friend. I’ve been in four homes just this past year. It’s not exactly the most ideal situation, but right now it’s all I have. When I came to my current foster home and I met Ricki, she immediately captured my heart.

Ricki is an eight-year-old girl with chocolate brown hair. Her eyes are the most beautiful shade of brown and her personality could make a murderer’s heart melt.  If her parents could see her now, they would very much regret ever giving her up for adoption.

        My dream is to be adopted and be part of  a family. A normal family. But in four months I will be eighteen and have to live on my own.

In foster homes after you turn twelve or thirteen not many people want to adopt you. They all want to adopt the babies or toddlers, which I guess is understandable. Ricki is eight, so she doesn't have many years left to get adopted. Although, she is an amazing little girl so I know that she will be adopted.

        Five families have come in the past month to visit Ricki. They all seem very interested too. If someone did adopt her, I don’t think I could bear living by myself again. I have no doubt in my mind that someone will take her, and soon.

It has, however, crossed my mind that when I get out of this sad excuse for a home, I could adopt her.  The only problem is that adoption costs a fortune and since I lived in a foster home all my life they probably won’t think I am the most stable person. Which leads me to my only option; I have to run away, but not just me. I have to take Ricki with me.

“Ricki!” I hollered down the stairs, “I need to talk to you!”

“I’m coming,” Ricki yelled back as she started making her way up the stairs. As she came up the staircase I grabbed her arm and yanked her into our room. “We need to leave,” I said sternly as I tightened my grip on her arm.

“Leave? Are we going on a bike ride?” Ricki questioned confused.

“I’ll put it this way, we are going on a bike ride, but we aren’t coming back,” I whispered making sure no one but Ricki was to hear. Silence came over the room.

“Where are we going to go then?”

“I’m not sure yet, but we will be fine. I promise,” I said as I looked into Ricki’s concerned eyes, “You don’t need to worry about anything.”

That night as I layed in my bed, all I could think about was how I had a small slot of time to make my get away. That was when all my effort, physically and mentally, went into planning.
I knew I had to be sneaky and somehow make sure no one would suspect that I was leaving. The hardest part would be trying to keep Ricki quiet. Eight-year-olds aren’t the best at keeping secrets. If she told, chances are I would be kicked out of this foster home for trying to run away. My plan has to work because if it doesn’t, Ricki and I will be separated forever.

My best chance at leaving would probably be at night, considering what I will have to carry with me. Everyone would be a little suspicious if they saw Ricki and I leaving with a couple of suit cases.  My foster mom, Karen, is usually asleep by eleven o’clock. My foster dad, Sean, gets home from work no later that twelve A.M., but sometimes does some work on his laptop until one A.M..  We were going to have to leave around three-thirty A.M. That way Sean would be done with his work and they would both be sound asleep.

My other dilemma would be the dog, Charlie. Charlie and I don’t get along too well. If I’m in the room he barks at me, expecting me to leave, but when I don’t, he leaves. Even if he doesn’t know who it is he barks if he hears any noise, whatsoever. Even if it is the slightest movement or sound. That’s why we got rid of the alarm system. Charlie is the best alarm anyone could have. I’m not sure how I’d deal with him, but some food will probably be involved.

Now, I have to figure out when. Saturday night would be most convenient because Sean doesn’t go to work on Sunday. That way he will sleep in and not notice Ricki and I are gone. That would give us the most time possible to get the most distance between us and the house.

Finally, I need a destination. I could go to another state, but that also would’ve come with new struggles. I could have tried to get to another country, but I would’ve needed a passport and money to get me and Ricki on a plane. So I came to the conclusion that at least for now I’d need to go down to boating docks and live in an abandon boat on the shore.

June 26, 2011 was the day I had planned for our freedom. As the date kept approaching, the more knots formed in my stomach. My heart was constantly racing and my brow was filled with sweat.

I would go lay in bed at night, but not be able to sleep. When I did fall asleep, it wasn’t for long. I would wake up crying from my dreams. The dreams I had consisted of  Ricki and I trying to run away, but it always failing. My dreams were semi-helpful to me, though. They would point out the flaws of my plans and all the things that could go wrong. It made me reanalyze every step of my plan. By June 24, two days before trying to leave, my plan was flawless. I was absolutely certain that everything would go as planned, until the fight.

Sean and Karen had a blowout fight and Sean ended up leaving. I thought this was an advantage, but on June 26, the night of my get-away, Sean walked in drunk at three o’clock A.M..

I heard the door slam while I was quickly finishing packing up my things. I heard Sean yell, “Honey! I’m home!”

The next thing I knew all the lights in the house were on. The babies were crying and Karen was downstairs trying to talk it out with Sean, in the living room, next to the door. That door was the only door in the house that had a regular lock on it. All of the other doors were locked much more securely so that none of the children could escape, which I guess now that I think about it, makes sense.

I peeked out my door every half an hour to see if they were gone, but they weren’t. They stayed in the living room until eventually falling asleep on the couches.

Morning came and I heard a loud “THUD”. I woke up to find myself laying next to the door making it unable to be opened. I quickly stood up and opened the door to find Sean with the largest grin I’d ever seen. “Hey Sam! There is someone here that would like to see you,” Sean said still smirking.

“Someone here? To see me?” I responded confused.

“Yep, and I’m pretty sure you will be happy to see them, too,”

“Okay, just let me get dressed. I’ll be down in like ten minutes,”

“Oh, trust me, they don’t care what you look like. Just come on!”

I had never seen Sean excited. He is usually very gloomy and depressed. So when Sean came to me so happy, I went downstairs to find a man and a woman who looked vaguely familiar, sitting on the couch. That's when it hit me. These were the people in the picture. This was my mom and dad.

I immediately burst towards them and threw my arms around them and whispered, “Can you please take me home?”   

That’s when I knew Ricki and I were going to be okay.