Reading Diary B: Arjuna and Subhadra

Dhritarashtra sends the Pandavas and Kunti away. Then his sons hire Purochana to build a fire trap for the house where the Pandavas are staying. Someone warns them and they prepare a tunnel which will allow them to escape, leaving six corpses in their place. Bhima sets the house on fire. Purochana is killed and they escape through the tunnel. The are disguised as Brahmins.

The Pandavas and Kunti live in a different village. They send Bhima out to fight a demon. He uses no weapons, only his bare hands, and still defeats the demon. Drupada begs Shiva for a son to defeat Drona. Shiva appears in a dream and tells him to pour two cups of butter into the fire. One for a son, one for a daughter. Dhirshtadyumna and Draupadi are born. Arjuna wins an archery test and wins Draupadi. The pandavas are given the region of Khandava to rule. They build the city of Indraprastha near the Khandava forrest. Arjuna falls in love with Krishna’s sister and takes her to be his wife.

(Screenshot: Arjuna and Subhadra)

The fire god Agni comes to Krishna and Arjuna with his mouth smeared with butter. He wants to eat the forrest but the storm-god Indra protects it with rain. They agree to help him. Maya builds a great palace for the Pandavas. Duryodhana is  fooled by the illusion of the palace and they make fun of him. Then Duryodhana challenges Yudhishthira to a game of dice, he accepts. There might be a war on the horizon….

Tech Tips

Just used my first TWITTER HASTAG!

Week 10 Famous Last Words

Where do I start? This week started off fast and then flew into overdrive. Monday I had projects due for design classes. Tuesday was the same. WEDNESDAY… woke up, knew there was a chance of severe weather… got home from class and took a nap. Then my boyfriend came over to do laundry and get free dinner. We grilled out. Grilled chicken, rice and a baked potato were what filled my plate.  Had the news on to keep an eye on the weather.  Then they announced a possible tornado on the ground on NE 12^th in OKC. It wasn’t in OKC it was NW 12^th in Moore and headed right for my neighborhood. My dad started to walk on the porch because we hadn’t determined that they mean Moore yet and as we gathered by the door we could see the debris cloud. My dad then said “Go!” so we would all go to the shelter. I had two of the 3 cats in their crates…but one was still asleep on his perch out of reach. I had to leave him in the house. I’ll include a sad drawing/ diagram of the set up of our house. 

To get to the shelter we had to go from the living room, though the kitchen, into the laundry room and lastly into the garage to get in the storm shelter. By the time that happened it was practically on top of us. I was first, then my mom, boyfriend and my dad. I took two steps into the garage and the garage door fell in. I flipped back around and retraced my steps into the laundry room, screaming and paralyzed with fear. My boyfriend then gave me a push to get me to go ahead and get in the shelter. We were in there maybe 3 minutes before it was over and then the sirens went off.

(Personal Photo: Boyfriends Car March 2015)

(Personal Photo: House March 2015)

 

(Personal Photos: Dads car) 

(Personal Photo: My parents and David Payne) 

Our house was the luckiest one on the street. I have been astounded by the outpouring support we have received from the community and such. A news 9 truck came that night and stayed on our street and used their lights to help us start cleaning up. Which was amazing because there were houses a street over that had lost their entire roofs. My dad got interviewed by David Payne and has been talking about it ever since. I need to take a moment and give a huge Thank you to my boyfriend because if he hadn’t been here that night I would have been hysterical. He was able to keep me calm by just being there and never moving out of my sight.  His car that was less then a year old was totaled. He wasn’t even upset by it, he was just glad he was here because he would have been a nervous wreck if he wasn’t. He practically cleaned up our entire front yard on his own. I will never be able to thank him enough. By the way…he thought my hysterical scream was the wind. On a final note I think he is a keeper.

(Personal Photo: Boyfriend and Dutchess)

(Personal Photos: Neighbors House)

-Shelly

Week 9 Famous Last Words: Spring Break

Wow. Where to begin? Its Spring Break so that is a plus! Lets see, up until now school has been hectic! This break was much needed but I am still catching up/doing homework on break…not cool! I keep telling myself…I can do this! After this break is over I know time is going to fly and I am not sure I am ready for that. SO MUCH COURSE WORK!!! I have several projects due for my major. I should actually be doing design homework right now but I keep procrastinating. The struggle is real and I just want to be spending time outside. I have my entire symbol set due when we return to classes on Monday. A symbol set and 3 applications and a presentation! I should probably start on that huh?

(Personal Photo March 2015: Fancy Dinner )

In real life…the Boyfriend planned a nice at home dinner for me. Filet minion served with twice baked potatoes and my favorite wine! Complete with lacrosse on TV, it was the perfect night. OH! I saved a baby bunny and took it to the animal shelter. By saved it I mean my neighbor let his domestic bunnies loose and isn’t caring for them. So of course they had babies and I was able to scoop one up.  Oh I designed an Inaugural Season logo that we are having printed on shirts for the team! I contacted the shop and got pricing set up and sent them the logo and the info. Once I get a photo of the actual shirt I will post that! Tomorrow is Friday, which means Spring Break, is practically over… I plan to spend it with the boyfriend relaxing. Then Sunday is definitely a homework day and back to reality. Which is totally depressing. I have definitely enjoyed not having to get up early!!!

Tech Tip FIRST Tweet!

Hey Guys! I just posted my first tweet on twitter!

Week 10 Reading Diary A: On the Verge of War

Duryodhana decides to make a royal camp near the Pandavas in order to embarrass them. Duryodhana battles the gandharvas: who takes him captive. The Pandavas rescue Duryodhana which ruins his plan.

 

(Deer; Wiki)

The Pandavas try to help a Brahmin catch the deer that stole his staff. They are unsuccessful. They are thirsty and happen upon a lake. Nakula hears a voice that says before drinking he must answer some questions. He drinks the water anyways and dies. Sahadeva, Arjuna and Bhima do the same thing. Yudhishthira finds his brothers dead. He hears the voice, and answers the questions. This was a test by Yama, the god of death. The brothers come back to life and receive the gift of unrecognizability for their 13 years of exile. The boys spend the 13^th year in disguise at the court of King Virata.

The Pandavas make a bid for peace. Yudhishthira tells Sanjaya to take this message back to Hastinapura: All he asks for is 5 villages, one for each brother and in that way the war can be avoided. Sanjaya wants Dhritarashatra to stop supporting Duryodhana. Vidura pleads with Dhritarashatra his heir and banish his own sons from Hastinapura. Vyasa tells Dhirtarashtra that the war will be their doom! This part is all really confusing. I hate when there are a ton of names and I have to remember who is who!!! At this point I am lost and super confused. Hopefully in the next section there will be something worthy of a storytelling post.

Week 9 Storytelling: Our Wedding Day

This is my last morning as Gandhari the unmarried. This evening I marry my love; the preparation has been going on for weeks, if only I would have gotten to help plan my own wedding. I am not even sure where the wedding will take place. I will be brought there by chariot when it is time for me to walk down the aisle. The wedding is one of the most important days of our lives. It could last for days…I hope not. I just want to be with my love in our new home.

I haven’t seen my beloved Dhitarashtra in days, and I am troubled he will change his mind before the ceremony. I am supposed to spend a majority of the day meditating in the garden, but no one has come to take me there.  Maybe I should just head there myself? Then the thought pours out of my mouth, as if I have no filter…”What if he changed his mind!” Wouldn't I know by now?…surely I would have gotten some hint of trouble at breakfast. No one around here can keep a secret. They always let on that something is going on. Part of me is a little sad to be leaving them, its such a long journey back. 
 

After several hours, a servant finally comes to accompany me to the garden. Its a place I normally go on my own. I guess today calls for special circumstances. I picked up my journal, and as I walked by the mirror I stopped to drink myself in. A deep breath and I was out the door. I wish the servant would have given me some sort of news. I just wish I knew when we were leaving. 

(Meditation Garden; Wiki)

Down the spiral staircase, and out through the courtyard it's going to be so weird not making that journey ever again. We have now reached the meditation garden; I give the servant a nod to thank her for her company. I often come here to write in my journal; there is something therapeutic about putting pen to paper. Most people come and just sit with their thoughts or try to clear them completely. I write. This journal contains my deepest thoughts, although it’s a little worn…It's my second and is almost full.  I have even planned out my dream wedding in this thing, but its not like any one knows that. I wrote that entry long before I met Dhitarashtra. Then my thoughts stray to him and what he is doing at this exact moment. Is he meditating as well?  I wish I could be holding his hand right now. I hope that (as we enjoy breakfast together tomorrow) I can paint him a picture with words of what our newly decorated home looks like. I also plan to describe the colors of our wedding to him. With all these wedding secrets being kept from me, I have one of my own. I plan to cover my eyes, so I two will be blinded. In my case, blind by love.

Author's Note: I wanted to do a storytelling post based on Gandhari's feelings about her wedding. I wanted to document the moments leading up to her wedding. You always hear about pre-wedding jitters or “cold feet.” I figured she would feel the same thing.  I wanted her to question whether or not he would be there waiting for her when it was time to walk down the aisle. Marriage is a big commitment and I think anyone who decides to take that leap has a moment of doubt. Also every bride wants to document her wedding day, and what better way then in a reflective journal entry?I also wanted to showcase her love for her new husband and highlight the fact that she covered her eyes.  I thought there was something beautiful about the way she did that in the original story.  Plus I love a good love story and this let me try my hand at writing my own. It was fun to think about what if someone else planned your wedding and you were just a participant. I don’t think I would like that…but it would take away a lot of the stress. Adapted from the story Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata.