I have had photoshop for years, but I got to go to the library and work with the new photoshop for this project and was AMAZED at the changes they have made in just a few years. It was a lot of fun and I literally spent hours in it. Since I have a background in photoshop, it wasn’t hard for me to make images for this section of the blog.

Overall, I think this was a  really fun project. At first it was a little hard to understand what we were to be doing, but as I got into it, I would find myself hours later, still working. Usually, I am easily distracted when doing conventional projects like writing papers and whatnot. I think that the very title of this course, Hypermedia, explains exactly why I was able to slave away at this for hours rather then drag my feet through the process. Also, I had taken Internet Lit, so I had an idea of what I was getting myself into :)

Out of the entire blog, I feel that this section was the most blog out of all of them. It discusses everything, personal history, culture, and historical events while at the same time, explaining oneself and one’s thoughts.

It was difficult at times because I sort of felt like I was stretching the reality of everything’s interconnectedness. The hardest was finding the physical similarities between all my stories.

Other than a few struggles, I liked this section the most out of the entire blog.

The Finale>>

I had to call my dad when thinking of the community story because I knew that he had already done his own research on our lineage. Turns out, I am a Daughter of the American Revolution, My family can be traced all the way to 16 century England and earlier, and I am French Canadian. All of these things I would have been content living my life never knowing, but it was really interesting when I started researching. There are whole websites dedicated to my bloodline, and there is real research for it. I even found out that some of my relatives were mayors!

I had a general idea of this past but never took the time to look into it like I did for the blog. I think it is important to know where you are coming from to be able to move forward. It definitely makes sense that I have this gut feeling of exploration and curiosity, its in my blood.

The Emblem>>

Walking through my grandparent's woods, as I did as a child

My purpose in life is to live.

Try everything. Be open-minded. Make mistakes. Take responsibility for my actions. Overcome trials. Learn from it all.

I think if you go through life expecting it to come to you, you will waste your life waiting. I think that being a go-getter and having a curious attitude, you are bound to make mistakes and bad decisions. The true test of oneself is how one could make those mistakes and decisions, and accept and learn from them. Repeating a negative action is something I’ve always seen as immature. I try to live good, and be good. That is because of my morality.

The world is for the taking.

You can have, be, and do almost anything you’d like. I would like to do great things, (be a teacher, shape minds and lives) and want to have fun doing it. I work hard and play hard, as my dad always said. I know that to achieve greatness it takes much work and determination. I am not afraid of that work or what challenges may come.

Morality>>

This video shows that beyond any boundary, anything is possible. And honestly does evoke a feeling of hope.

Hopeful.
In all of the stories, there is a feeling of hope. I was filled with excitement as a toddler by snow, which continued despite setbacks. In Legend, you watch hoping that somehow the unicorns and goodness could be saved. The settlement of Rhode Island is just a small part of the beginning of America, and the hope with which every settler came to this country with.
World View>>

I think the photo of me as a child looking onward is a hopeful image. I am also wearing a colonial period hat to represent the exploration taken on by all of the main characters in mystory.

The unicorn acts as transportation, tying in imagery from my entertainment story.

The snow flakes represent the physical aspects that are represented in all of the sections.

The thermometer represents “testing things out”. (Also gives reference to the cold of snow which was a motif in my stories).

I think all of these things evoke a sense of curiosity and trial and error.

Feeling>>

The physical aspect that ties all the stories together is the change of seasons. Winter in Pennsylvania is where all of my family stories take place. The forest enters a freeze and winter when Lili touches the unicorn. Long Island sees all 4 seasons, and Barnabas Horton came to Long Island in the summer, but really settled in the winter of that year.

Atmosphere>>

Exploration.

I was ambitious when it came to playing in the snow. I was excited to experience something new- hence, diving head first into it. Lili was just as ambitious as I when she saw the unicorns. The puritans moved to Eastern Long Island while no western culture had resided there yet.

There are ups and downs to this ambition. I did throw up because I was squished while sledding. Lili set into motion the almost-destruction of good as darkness overtook the forest. The Duke of York and the Dutch didn’t want the Puritans living in Long Island.

The true test was overcoming these obstacles.

Material Attributes>>

Duke of York

When New York became English again in 1674, these eastern towns, whose people were Yankee by background, preferred to stay part of Connecticut. Although Connecticut agreed, the government of the Duke of York forced the matter. Governor SirEdmund Andros threatened to eliminate the settlers’ rights to land if they did not yield, which they did by 1676.  This was chiefly the result of the Duke of York’s grudge against Connecticut, as New Haven had hidden three of the judges who sentenced the Duke’s fatherKing Charles I to death in 1649.

Other Facts:

Long Island contained three of the original twelve counties of the British Province of New York organized in 1683: Kings, Queens, and Suffolk. At that time, Queens County included all of present-day Nassau County and a small portion of western Suffolk County.

Residents in Long Island towns conducted several witch hunts, including one involving the daughter of Lion Gardiner in East Hampton. Early colonial figures on the island include Wyandanch, William “Tangier” Smith, Captain William Kidd, Lion Gardiner, and John Underhill.

To Emblem>>