2014: A Look Back

This has been an interesting year indeed.  As always, there were some ups and downs.  I will start with the not-so-great moments because I feel it is best to end with the positive!  The most troublesome time this past year was getting into a heated argument with my best friend.  I know I should let it go, but my heart does not want to; however, I am too stubborn to give in.  We both said some horrible things, which some may never be able to be forgiven, but time has a way of changing things.  I will just let time take its course.  K.B., our dog, had two surgeries and both were cancer.  :(  Fortunately, she is doing well now!  After that, she got a skin infection, which the antibiotics made her hair fall out in the places the infection was.  Poor thing.  Again, she is well now!  Of course, there have been some friend's family members that have passed.  Again, my heart and love is with you this year and every year.

Other than those bad things, Forrest and I have had some incredible times!  First, we celebrated our 5th anniversary!  Wow, time does fly!  Happy Anniversary Forrest!  I was invited - and accepted the invitation - to the National Society of Collegiate Scholars!  I still have not grasped that situation yet.  I also received 100% in two classes!  That was a total shocking moment, and well worth repeating!  I had the opportunity to write an article for HIV Positive Magazine, which was very personal, yet was published in its entirety.  That brings me to an incident I had been contemplating for years: telling my friends and family about my status.  I have heard some various stories about people "coming out" about their status, and I was in part terrified to relinquish that information.  Then, after the article was published, I realized that I could help others.  I could only do that if I was honest with myself.  I began to think that if I could not divulge the information to my family and friends, how could I help others?  So, I posted the article to my Facebook page.  The responses were overwhelming!  In all honesty, I cried on a couple of them.  Not because they were hateful, but the opposite.  So full of love, understanding, and respect!  Thank you!

As I look back on 2014, I can only believe the best is yet to come!  I am half of an incredibly sweet, loving man, and I honestly have the most loving and supportive family and friends.  Onward and upward!

2015:  I welcome you with open arms!  Cheers!

To those of you reading:

Stay safe this New Year's Eve.  There are loved ones that want to continue to say "I love you"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sugar Cookies picture!

This was my first attempt at decorating sugar cookies.  Not bad for a first timer!  Of course, these are not all the cookies.  I did not take a picture of the ones that did not look presentable.  In fact, the rest were horrible!  However, they still taste good!  I do have to say that I am proud of the result of these.  Just these ones took 2 ½ hours to decorate.  With that said, I have come to the decision of not attempting this again!  It was fun.  I tried it.  I prefer to bake pies or cobblers!

Merry Christmas everyone! 

Sugar Cookies

This weekend I am going to accept the challenge of making sugar cookies for the first time (other than when I was a child).  I found a wonderful recipe on cooks.com.  The recipe states that the baker can add a liqueur!  Since Forrest and I have had Kahlua Cinnamon Spice for the longest time, we are going to incorporate that into the batter!  Then, Forrest is now looking up a recipe for regular frosting, which we will add food coloring, and to stick with the concept, we are going to add Bailey's!  We are also going to decorate them.  This should be interesting!  I cannot wait to try them.  I will post pictures of the final product!  Happy Holidays - Merry Christmas!

* If you would like the recipe, you can find it on cooks.com.  The name of the recipe is Sugar Cookies For Rolling (Cooking School) and is submitted by CM.

Affordable Care Act (ACA) (Obamacare) is a joke!

I am very irritated with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is better known as Obamacare.  I registered last year (did not wait until the last minute) and I find out last month that I am still being covered by the state of Georgia.  Why?  Because this new health care system is ridiculous.  Even if the state of Georgia was not paying the full amount, they would still have to pay $1,000.00 (approximately) per month.  Otherwise, I would have to pay that amount out of pocket.  They would only cover 30% of my coverage.  First of all, I am a full time student, not working.  How could I afford almost a grand per month?  How can anyone that is working?  Sometimes I wonder if I would be better off paying the $75 yearly fee for not registering.

This brings me to the frustration tonight.  It is the last day to enroll, or renew, for 2015.  Do you think I can, or have been able to for two weeks, to get through.  NO!  I cannot even log into their site because it says I do not have permission.  I have a username and password.  What a dang mess!  I hope whoever gets into office next time removes this hilarious and pitiful plan!  Of course, I am still on the call back waiting list (because they had no one available to take my calls for two weeks).  Thus, it is looking like Georgia will be picking up my medical bills again.

I did write the Governor Deal (Georgia) last year about this plan, and he replied saying he was trying to get rid of it.  I hope he does!

Two very angry

Thumbs Down!

Spanish I Grade

I was really nervous about taking Spanish.  I took it in high school, but that was decades ago and I was not sure how much I would remember.  The class started and I was relieved to a point because the professor realized that not many people know a different language.  The most difficult portion was the verbs, adverbs, etc.  The other troublesome part was knowing which word was used.  In other words, Spanish words are not like English.  Some words are used for multiple meanings.  For instance, tarde can either be later or afternoon.

However, with all that said, I was pleasantly surprised when I looked in the classroom this morning.  My final grade was posted.  I will start with week five first though.  The final was a team project, which weeks 2-4 were team projects about two countries (both with the dominant language Spanish).  The final had to be a presentation that took the most valuable information from the previous weeks.  For this, we received full credit (100%)!

Now on to the final grade.  I have not mentioned any of the weekly grades because I did not want to jinx myself.  It must have worked because my final grade is 100%!  This is the second time I have received 100, and both have been within the past six months!

Spanish II starts next Tuesday, the 9th!  We will see how that goes.  It looks like we will have to use our microphones, most likely for pronunciation.  This is where I may have difficulty because I cannot roll the R's.  Like I said, we will see.  I just have to remember to stay positive!

Mariah Carey's Performance at Rockefeller Center 2014

I am reading multiple articles about Mariah Carey's live performance at the Rockefeller Christmas event.  Jason Hughes, from the Warp, commented, "diva straining to reach certain notes and choosing to avoid others altogether" (2014, para 2), but is it really, honestly her fault?  I sat back and started to think about this in a serious manner.  This is what I have come up with:

First, I give credit and respect to any performer who is determined to sing live at any event.  Lip syncing is out of control.  Of course, one can definitely notice when someone is really singing or if it is a prerecorded segment.  Yes, maybe she (Mariah) should have practiced more before the event, but no one truly knows what she did before it; that is, until she says otherwise.  In my opinion, that is what makes people human again: failure.  Every person on this wonderful planet goes through ups and downs.  If you do not, then you are not being honest with yourself.  Plain and simple.  Therefore, her unsuccessful performance at the Christmas special reminds us all that even celebrities are not perfect, and we should stop putting them on a pedestal.  Once we do that, we expect them to always be consistent and when they are not, we ridicule them with such force.  Time wasted, in my eyes.  There are so many other things in life we should worry about: diseases, hate, poverty (to name a few).

Second, these artists are not like they used to be.  They are in the studio recording their new albums for days, months even.  I remember last year watching one of the New Year's Eve specials with Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper.  During one portion, Kathy asked to sing a song with Deborah Harry.  For someone who was not prepared, she was magnificent.  The point to this is that the studio crew (producers, directors, etc) have the artist sing what sounds perfect.  However, sometimes they cannot provide that perfection on stage night after night.  An example is Mariah Carey's high notes.  Yes, she has proven that she can absolutely hit those notes for many decades, but after a while the throat would take a beating.  Not to mention other influences to make it less perfect, such as an ailment (flu, cold, etc).

In short, it is both the artist and studio's fault.  The artist should know what their body (throat) can handle, and the studio should not strive for perfection.  All they (both the artist and the studio) are seeing is dollar signs.  That leads to the question: What happens when the artist cannot live up to the expectations?  The answer is simple: the audience stops buying, and the money runs dry.  So the next time any out there decide to critique a person's performance, make sure the whole picture is clear.


Hughes, J. (2014). Mariah Carey vocal struggles during live televised performance lead to polarized twitter response (video). Yahoo.com

Skyes, C. [Photographer]. (2014). Mariah Carey performs at the 82nd Annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014, in New York [Picture]. Invision.

Thanksgiving

Another year has come and it is time to dive into the delicious meal!  Of course, I am talking about that wonderful time of Thanksgiving!  Time spent with friends and family.

There were many times that we went to my grandparents for this day.  It was not until walking through the door and smelling that hypnotic aroma that reminded me of how special this day was.  Unfortunately, those times are gone.  My grandparents have gone to another place, where hopefully they enjoy the peace and love every single minute.

This year marks the fifth year Forrest and I are celebrating together.  There is one difference this year though; he is cooking!  A day off!  For some reason, he keeps drilling into my head that I am to stay out of his kitchen.  I have no idea what he is referring to (sarcasm).  :)

So in short, be safe, love, fill your stomach to no return, and enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Elephant Poaching: Spreading the Word

I watched a show recently on Animal Planet about elephant poaching in Africa.  I have always known it was out of control, but what I saw and heard was more than I could handle.  The picture became even more clear, that it was too shocking to believe.  However, it was on television...I mean it was literally on the television.  I am sure they cut most out, but they did show some stuff that would not necessarily be shown; unless to get a point across.  Well, they succeeded.  They showed carcasses of elephants that poachers attacked.  This particular elephant they showed was brutally mutilated for the tusks.  The African said that the poachers see a herd of elephants, and shoot blindly into the group.  They do not actually aim.  I mean, it is bad enough to aim at a defenseless animal in general (or hurt one in any way), but to purposely fire randomly into a whole group, knowing that they are not going to catch every single one is horrible.  Again, yes, it is horrible to shoot one, or even think of shooting or harming another being (animal or human).  It is scary that humans feel they are so above everything else that they have the right to take whatever they want.  In the process, humans are taking away the privileges we have on this Earth: LIFE.  Life is no longer valued.  Life is no longer treasured.  It is viewed as a disposal.  With this kind of thinking, Humans are the weaker species.  There are multiple animal and plant species on the endangered list because humans have put them on it.  Humans continue to kill even though they know the consequences.  In the episode I watched, the African man said that humans have killed about 4.5 Million (yes that is correct) elephants have been killed in the past 60 years.  The show made an important point: It is not the poachers alone, it is the customers too (the ones who purchase ivory).  I refuse to buy any ivory.  I refuse to buy anything that threatens an animal to extinction.  (I say this last part because I will continue to eat turkey, chicken, cows, etc).  I collect (or used to until I got too much to keep track of) elephant figurines, pictures, statues etc.  HOWEVER, none of them contain any ivory, or harmed any animal.  In fact, a few of them took a portion (or full proceeds) to help elephants.  I do not know what else I can do, except what Yao Ming was trying to do with his show on Animal Planet Saving Africa's Giants (2014):  Spread the word.  I love elephants and always have.  I want them (and all other animals) to be around for our children and their children.

Note:  Animal Planet does has a place on its website to sign to pledge not to buy ivory.  www.animalplanet.com

Grade and a tiny bit more

First, I received a 97.6% (A) in Children's Literature in a Pluralistic Society!  I was more than pleased to see that!  The hard work is definitely paying off.  (I had my grade for a couple days, but I have been busy).

Second, this is not a great day for me .  I really do not want to go into it, but I want to say that not everything is beneficial to one certain person.  Some things cannot be controlled.  Some things take priority.  I am not risking my apartment, home life, or the dog's life!  That is final!  My dog, KB, just went through another surgery on October 20th (second surgery this year).  Again, it was stage 2 cancer (there is only 3 stages for dogs).  The vet has mentioned kemo, but after my partner and I talked it over, we are not going to have her go through all that, especially since there is no certainty that the cancer will not return after.  Not to mention other financial situations that have recently occurred.

So, with all that, I have made a certain decision.  Because of that decision, my heart, honesty, and trust has been questioned by this one person.  The one person I would never think would even consider that.  Needless to say, my heart is heavy, stressed, and yes angry!  For someone with HIV, this is not a good combination.  I am trying my best to push through it, but it is not going to be a evenly paved road.

While typing this, I have made a decision that is most important to me: to focus on my studies no matter what!  Spanish class is difficult enough, I do not need to add to that stress.

To this one person (if reading):  If I hurt you with this decision, I am sorry.  I am not sorry for the decision itself.

Family is timeless

In the process of researching my family history, I have come to a very solid conclusion: my family did not like taking pictures or they were lost.

I remember my grandmother telling me about a fire she had when my father was young, which was why he was afraid of lightning (the three story house was burned to the ground from a lightning strike).  I remember seeing the pain in her face while she was telling me the story.  All of her antiques, most were kept on the third floor, were destroyed.  I can only imagine how many family memories were stored in that house.  It was an unforgettable moment her and I shared.  Yes, some moments were funny, devastating, and informative.  However, we bonded more than day than any other time before that.  It was not often that I was able to see my grandmother, but the times I was able to visit, it was hours upon hours of listening to her stories.  Moments that I will never forget.  Moments that I am trying to keep alive for her, the rest of the family, and for future generations.

I write a lot about my Grandmother McKenzie because there were few moments that we shared, most do not know about.  It does not mean I love any of my other grandparents less.  I love them all equally, and still wish they were here.  But, I do know they are all in a lovely place, and at peace.

I did not know my Grandfather McKenzie very well.  I was young when we visited, which was not very often.  I did not understand the reason, until my grandmother told me the truth.  He was not fond of children, and always had excuses for his grandchildren not to show up.  I do not hold it against him.  I actually think it was for the best.  He was, from my father's and his sibling's explanations, an alcoholic.  Looking back now, I wonder if it was because of the way he treated his children.  Maybe he regretted it all, and did not want to take the chance to hurt any others.  Though, that is neither here or there.  I remember a smiling person, who was always nice to my face.  That is all that matters.

My mother's parents were funny.  I remember them the most because my mother visited quite often.  My grandmother was a sweet person, with a sense of humor most cannot match.  I remember one particular visit when it was obvious my grandparents had just had an argument.  After an hour or so of visiting, my grandfather said something (my grandmother obviously disagreed) because when his back was turned, she showed him a finger I never thought I would see her raise!  That was the type of person she was.

Another time I remember, was when we were bringing her to her sister's house for a visit.  I think she stayed a weekend or a week.  On the way there, for no reason what so ever, she looked at me and stuck her tongue out.  Just thinking about those times makes me smile!

My mother's father, was a different personality.  He was a quiet man, for the most part.  He definitely had his opinions, and did not waste them.  Though, there were times that he would just sit in the living room chair, and either fall asleep or watch television.  On the other hand, there were times when he would tickle my sister and I to the point of losing our breath (in a good way of course).  One time specifically I can remember, was when he showed me his WWII items.  He had some machine gun bullets and explained how the person would aim them.  He showed me his medals and uniform.  There was more, but I cannot remember what they were.

My sister and I every so often talk about him and his "language".  It was not profanity, but a humorous distortion of the words.  Pretty was purdy, purple was poiple, etc.  We still laugh whenever we hear such words.

Today, it seems like people forget to stop and enjoy life.  I think this is why I am sharing these certain memories with everyone today.  Take the time to make a simple memory that will last an eternity.  Savor that memory.  Remember the love.

On a different note: Today is Forrest's birthday!  Happy Birthday Forrest!  It has been almost five years and I love every second.  I cannot wait to see what the next five years brings us!  We are making our own memories, which I am and will cherish forever!  HUG to you!

Downtown Savannah

Forrest's boss gave him an extra day off because his vacation was cut short, so he took today as that day off.  We went to downtown Savannah and walked around.  It was a very nice day for it.  A slight breeze, cooler temperatures.  At least, cooler than it has been.

It was a nice walk.  We went into a couple stores, which were extremely pricey, but it is Savannah.  We decided at 11:15 to have lunch at Panera Bread.

Overall, the day was fun and it was nice to do something out of the ordinary.  Now, we are both drained and just sitting around.  I will post pictures soon of our day there.

End of Vacation and Beginning of....

Today is my last day of vacation.  A part of me is sad, but another part is excited for what is to occur.  My next class, which starts tomorrow, is Childrens Literature in a Pluralistic Society.  I already bought the book and looked through it.  It will definitely be an interesting class!

Last night, I was working on my ancestry, and for some unknown reason, my father's side of the history was wiped out completely.  Technology, what a wonderful concept.  I had to input all information, including my father's.  Thankfully, the Newport Historical Society sent me the information!  I had my grandmother's line all the way back to the 10th century!  I was smart, mostly thanks to Forrest, to have saved as many documents as possible (not including the Historical Society's because that I will definitely keep and is in a three-ring binder)!.

Upon the search last night, I did accidentally find a picture of a McKenzie family photo c.1914.  The moment I looked at it, I was blown away.  One of the people, the older gentleman, looks almost exactly like my grandfather!  I have a picture of my grandfather, held it up to that family photo and Forrest also agreed.  I wrote the person who had the picture, but we have not figured out if that is part of my family or not.  Man, I hope it is.  It would be nice to have a family photo, especially from that time!  The funny part is: during the research of my McKenzie side, four names in the family photo keep popping up (before I even saw the photo).  I am hoping and thinking they are!  Only time will figure it all out.

I also wrote three Historical Society's this morning, hoping for more information on the rest of my family.  It becomes very confusing and difficult when there are more than one person's with the same name.  Thinking about the difficult time I am currently having with this, I wonder what future researchers within my family will have with my name, since my father and I share the same name.  If any more people in my family, while I am living, name their child after them, I will scream!  I understand that it is to preserve the family name, but think about the future researchers!  Of course, I am kidding, to a point.

At the same time as completing all of this, I am in the process of retyping one of the documents that the Newport Historical Society sent me.  It is old and faded.  I am going to buy some clear protective pages for it, but want to retype it, just in case.  This and getting ready for the new class.  So far, I have the physical folders labeled for my filing cabinet, and have my computer folders labeled and ready for my sandisk.  I like to have both physical documentation and electronic.

That is it for today.  That is enough!

I hope you all have a great week!
Hugs and loves to you all!

Criticism among Americans

Today is a venting post:

I know I should not read the comments below articles, such as on Yahoo!  I cannot help myself though.  It is amazing how many people consider themselves a critic.  First of all, I understand that every person has the right to their own opinion.  Free speech is what this wonderful country thrives on, and what a portion of it is about (this country is more than free speech: right to happiness, freedom in general, etc).  However, people are taking it to an extreme.  Some think they are 'professionals'.  I laugh at this notion.  If you (generalizing, not personalizing) are going to critique another, make sure you have the credentials to back it up; along with, or taking the time to search for, references to back up your claims.

This subject has been running through my mind for the past few months because I am enrolled in school to become an author.  I know I will receive many 'critiques' on my works, many of which will not be from professionals.  I will have to take those with a grain of salt.  Today was a final straw, if you will, because I was reading an article about Nick Cannon's diamond shoes, which he wore on the finale of America's Got Talent.  Yes, they may have been over the top, but it was the finale.  Furthermore, he is looking for a charity to donate them; therefore, it is not as bad as some celebrities that spend millions of dollars on multiple cars (many that sit collecting dust [figuratively, because they have staff to wash them]) and multiple homes.  Some celebrities, for instance Cyndi Lauper, continuously give support and donations to charities.  Some celebrities are anonymous about their donations, some are public.  The fact remains that Mr. Cannon is not keeping the shoes, so how can people say he is wrong for what he did?

Mr. Cannon did make a decision to wear the shoes.  This is a free country and is his right!  Do not forget that.  The fact that he is donating them to a charity is more than what most would do afterward.  I give the man credit for being spectacular in the finale and then giving back to a great cause in return.

Second, there is not one person on this planet, myself included, that has not made a decision in his or her life that has caused friction in one way or another.  Thus, reminds me of a old saying:
       
                                     People who live in glass houses should not throw stones

Before you judge someone else, make sure you have not done something similar or bad in your life.

Lastly, if you are going to offer your opinion about or to another, please choose the correct tone; otherwise go to school and learn how to properly conduct a critique!  There is a difference between a critique and an opinion.  If you do not know what it is, it is simple to find out: Webster's Dictionary!

The Ancestry continues...

* A very special thanks to Larry Cote, director of the Newport Historical Society, for providing me, and my family, with an abundance of information! *

This is my 2nd Great Grand Uncle, Frank Harland Reed.  He was the brother of my 2nd Great Grandfather, Herbert, and the son of Jackson.

When I first opened the packet of information provided by Mr. Cote, I assumed it was my Great Grandfather, Frank James.  Upon reading the information, I discovered there was 4 Frank's in the family.  Although I am a little disappointed it was not my great grandfather, it is interesting to see what my great uncle looks like.  Disappointing, but intriguing at the same time.

Mr. Cote will never truly understand how much relief and appreciation I have from this information.  I sent him a responding email thanking him, but no words can truly describe my feelings.  This information made it possible for me to get beyond the 'stuck' point with Jackson's father, because I did not have any dates, or any information.  I was able to reach as far back as 1495 (so far anyway)!

My grandmother would be more than happy, which I am sure she is smiling down from heaven!

This is for you, Grammy!  I love and miss you!  I refuse to let your heritage dwindle.

Vacation!

Today is the first day of my two week vacation!  A much needed break is for sure!  My mind needs this temporary slip from reality.

On my first day, I have reviewed my ancestry tree, and have come to the conclusion that I need to start over with the McKenzie side.  I will keep my grandmother's family (whom married my Grandfather McKenzie) because I have documentation proving that side is correct.  It is difficult to complete the McKenzie portion because I no longer speak to that side.  Once my grandmother passed away, there was no need to continue communication.  That, in itself, is a very long story, but for those who know the situation will understand.  However, before discontinuing the communication, I was told by a family member that the spelling was changed from MacKenzie to McKenzie.  We will see what I find out now.

As far as the Reed family (my grandmother's side), I had come to a 'dead end'.  I managed to get to my 5th great grandfather, but after that is nil.  So, with Forrest's advice, I emailed the town's historical society to find out if more information on the family could be disclosed.  My 4th Great Grandfather Reed built the schoolhouse and church in Newport, NH, which I found out through discovering his obituary.  The search continues.

My mother's father's family is not exactly easy.  Every other generation, it seems, is named the same.  Either the name is Joseph or John.  This goes on for, if I remember correctly, 5 generations.  Talk about getting confused.  I really have to pay attention to the dates, or I can easily mess up.  That would not be a fun thing.  My mother's mother's side is not bad to find, but just a little confusing because one person, Allie Piper, has three different middle names listed.  It is a matter of finding out which one is the correct one.  A process I am more than willing to figure out over this vacation.

Tomorrow, Forrest and I are heading to downtown Savannah.  We want to take pictures and look at the sites.  Yes, we are going to be tourists for the day!  I cannot wait.  I am excited to do that.  The weather is expected to be humid, but we will leave early in the morning.

Multicultural Literature course is now over with and I should receive my final grade soon.  So far, as of week 4, I had 100%.  I know they cannot give out a perfect grade, so I am expecting some points to be deducted on the final, especially since it was a team final.  I will post the actual final grade when it is posted to me.

Other than that, not much going on.  I know, how exciting.  The life of a college man is not as exciting as most believe it is.  After school is done, that is when life will really become fun!

One other thing I am going to achieve during this vacation is to have another publication.  I am still leaning toward a short story, but leaving my options open.

I hope you all are having a great week!  HUGS to you all!

The weekend is here

Happy Friday!  The weekend is officially here!

I am excited today.  I have my portions to the team final completed, and awaiting the team to review them.  I have a few things left to do in class, but four more days and the end of class will be here, which starts my vacation for two weeks!

I guess, I did not have much to say.  It's not easy typing this while Forrest is talking to me in the background (I have no idea what he's saying, although he was just singing something).

Have a fun and safe weekend to you all out there in the virtual world!

My 4th Great Grandfather John

This one is my 4th Great Grandfather, John.  He was in the Civil War (hence the uniform).  I did find documents of his company, which I forget now (have them saved).

For some reason, my older generations looked more mean.  I look at my present family and they do not look this mean.  I bet those back then did not get messed with very often.  I know I would not mess with him.  He could definitely hurt me.  On the other hand, I bet he was a nice guy.

The site had a lot of information about this man, more than most I have found so far.  The picture from the site was in color, but Forrest switched it back to black and white, for a more natural, and realistic, photo.

My 4th Great Grandmother, Jane!

Today I am sharing a picture of my 4th Great Grandmother, Jane.  It is so amazing how many photos I am finding of my family.

This week is finals week; therefore, I am not completing much of my family history.  Classwork does have priority.  The time spent away from the research will give it time to get more 'leafs' (family research hints).

So far, I have reached as far back as the 1700's!  During the investigation, I have found I am from Scotland, Canada, United States (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut).  It is believed that one of my family members is originally from Ireland.  We will see if that is correct.

One of my uncle's (from my grandmother's first marriage) completed some genealogy from her (my grandmother's) side, and said that I am related to Hannah Dustin and am also the 13th generation of a witch.  It will be interesting to find those connections!

Is it me, or does Jane look like she could do some harm?   Definitely not one to mess with.  That is how my family was though.  They were sweet and the most gentle, loving people, until they got mad.  Then move to the side and hope the anger was not because of something you did wrong lol.

Tree of Life hymn inspiration

In the process of researching my family tree, I am completing my usual postings in class.  This week we had to read a poem (hymn) from Garrison Keillor "Sweet, Sweet Corn".  One of our tasks were to write a hymn of our own, should we choose to do so (it was not required).  Inspired by my recent research of my family tree, I wrote the following hymn:

Tree of life, take me back

Scottish, Irish, French, so many more

The boat has brought you here

To this land of free and dear

New perspectives, opportunities galore

Free your mind, your heart, your soul

A new beginning, the past a memory

Though now is sought to come alive again

Teaching the ways of old

To branch out again

With the past of gold

* The picture is my Great Grandparents (my mother's grandparents)

Finding My Family Lineage

Forrest is awesome!  He started a tree for my family history, since he is the one with the paid membership.  The above photo is one of the first we found.  Her name is Annie and she is my 3rd great grandmother.  It has been interesting to see where my family has originated (so far).

My father's side of the family (grandfather's side) has only been in the United States for about a century.  Before that, they were in Prince Edward Island, Canada for approximately a century.  The lineage traces back to Isle of Skye, Scotland.  That is as far as we have gotten so far.  We will work more on it Saturday (tomorrow).

My grandmother's side (father's mother) was interesting and difficult to start because I could not remember her maiden name.  We did figure it out and have started it, but we have not traveled far with her history, yet.  I cannot wait to find more information on her side.  This means a lot to me because the final year of her presence on this Earth was spent talking for hours about her family.  She never talked much about her side, so it is a pleasure to be able to find it all and share it with my sister, loved ones, and everyone reading this.

The opposite side of the family is in progress as well, but I have another picture from that side I will post and talk about.

The Future is Bright

I have not made as many posts as I have wanted to on here, but school has priority.  Speaking of school, I am in my 9th month straight without any break at all.  The majority of that time was 7 days per week.  Some days included less work than other days, but that is not including housework and taking care of the dog.  That is not involving the stress of the math courses I had to endure, trying to get financial aid figured out (the transition from Associates to Bachelor's messed some aspects up), and trying to figure out my next adventure for publication.

As far as the financial aid is concerned, I know I should not get my head soaked up in that mess.  I am not one for math, nor do I understand much of what they are saying.  I do, however, understand the generalization of this situation.  It just freaks me out because when there is a problem, I automatically think I may have to pay out of pocket.  I do not think that is going to be the case.  It does get scary though.  That is a lot of money, I do not have.  Hence, this is why I am back in school: to get an education with a huge pay out in the end.  Of course, not to mention to enjoy my career.

Speaking of career, I have decided two things: to take a vacation after this course and to write a short story during that vacation, then try to have it published.  Should this one become published, that would make two publications this year!  I am not entirely sure what the short story will be about, but I have a couple of ideas.  I have time to figure that all out.

The vacation is needed!  I need to step away and relax the mind for a few.  I have decided to take 2 weeks off, which is the maximum for between classes without interfering with financial aid.  I did that on purpose.  First reason is because Forrest is taking his week vacation the first week I am; therefore, we will have one week off together.  We are thinking about taking a day trip somewhere, maybe Hilton Head, but not sure about that yet.  We are definitely going to go downtown Savannah and take pictures.  For those of you who know me, yes, there will be a stop at a coffee shop!

Yes, I mentioned the math courses again....again.  It was traumatizing (you should sense some sarcasm there).  I have let it go, but without a break, it seems to always come up.  I think because I am tired, drained, and need to blame something.  Though, I do realize I do not have to blame anything, it is more fun to blame math.  If you had not noticed by now, I do not like math.  Any chance to blame it for anything is worth my time.  (Insert smile here).

Nothing much going on other than that stuff.  I know exciting stuff.  What can I say?  I do not have an exciting life just yet.  Although, the dog (K.B.) does keep me on my toes.  She is so cute.  That reminds me, I have to post a picture of her.  I may do that on my Google+.

I will have plenty to post about in March 2015.  Forrest and I are going to Key West for my sister's wedding (or should I say prenuptial).  I cannot wait for that.  She surprised me one day when she called up and asked me to give her away!  I did not hesitate.  (Okay, I did for a second, only because I realized I would have to dress up.  It is for her though, so I can muddle through a couple hours.  Believe me when I say, when it is over, the jeans and t-shirt is back in style!)  For those who do not know, my sister is my best friend.  We have always been close and I look up to her.  She is smart, beautiful, has a heart of gold, and inspires me to be better every day.  Who knows where I would have ended up if she was not in my life.  I love you, sis.  Okay, enough of the sappy stuff.  I have never been to Key West, so this will be an exciting experience.  Forrest lived there for about 10 years, if I remember correctly; therefore, he knows where to go.  That will be a huge help.  We do have to reserve a room still, which we will do very soon.  That is his job.

I guess I should stop there.  I could mumble on some more, but that would only bore you all.  Have a great night!  Until next time, keep smiling and spread the love!

Humanity and Media

I do not understand why the media insists on providing their audience with graphic details, images, and videos of inappropriate material.  For instance, a friend posted on a social media site of her same dilemma not too long ago.  This friend was upset that a spam post was encouraging people to click on the link, which in turn the person had to 'like' the page in order to view the video.  The trick was to get your information.  However, the original content of the video was about a recent celebrity saying goodbye.  First of all, who would want to see that?  The death was difficult, and very shocking, enough as it was.  Why would someone want to see that?

I remember when my grandmother was ill from cancer.  She was admitted into hospice.  I remember this time very well because it was not only heartbreaking to know she was on her way out of this world in physical form, but to watch her transform from what I was used to seeing, to a memory I wish to delete from my brain.  Remembering this time makes me wonder why anyone would want to see the explicitness of a crime or situation.  Granted, my experience is personal and media news is not as personal, but I still would not want to see it.

Now there is a video going viral of the St. Louis, Missouri crime scene just after it took place.  (In case you were wondering, no, I did not click on the link to watch the video.  Seeing the post of the video still was too much).  I was deeply offended that a news station would even consider posting this on a social site.  I know in their eyes, they are seeing 'ratings', but seriously, where are the editors?  Where is the voice inside their head?  Does no one have a conscience anymore?  Do they not comprehend what is good and bad; what should be displayed and what should be refrained?

I will admit, I do look at an accident when driving by.  Although, in the back of my mind, I realize there is a chance I may see something I do not want to see.  This I contribute to the natural curiosity of the human race.  I cannot fathom why anyone would willingly watch a video of a person saying his last goodbye's before taking his life.  I cannot grasp why any person would want to see a video of a dead person lying on the street.  To me, this is not human curiosity.  Again, in my opinion, this is morbid.  Have we lowered our standards as a human race to such horrific thoughts and indulgences?

Tonight's breaking news about Robin Williams was difficult to hear.  I did not know him personally, but saw many of his movies, which I am sure many of you out there have.  He was a talented man.  If I remember correctly, the first movie I saw starring Williams was Popeye (1980).  Of course, I was too young to know how great he was, or would become.  I was not familiar with Mork and Mindy (1978-1982), mostly because I saw a couple episodes and was not interested.  Williams caught my attention on the big screen, even his recent sitcom did not enthuse me.  On the other hand, Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Aladdin (voice of Genie) (1992), Good Morning Vietnam (1987), Jumanji (1995), Jack (1996), Robots (voice of fender) (2005), and The Birdcage (1996) are my favorites from him.

I am sure most will agree with me that he was incredible at what he does, or did.  Wow, growing up watching him on television and now I have to use past tense.  It is very sad.  What really surprises me is to hear he may have committed suicide, and that he was fighting depression.  I have one thing to say to that: he was such a great actor to not show any signs!  Every movie I saw him in, he did his job, and did it more than above average!  I cannot tell you how many times I have watched one of his movies, and laughed each time.  No matter how many times I watch Mrs. Doubtfire, for instance, I laughed almost all the way through.  There are times I am watching television and hear the phrase, "Help is on the way!" then I revert back to Mrs. Doubtfire, include the accent and "Dear" after.  Obviously, I laugh to myself after.

He will truly be missed by this world, and hope nothing but the very best wherever he ends up.  Peace to you, Robin Williams.  Hugs and loves!

Wonders of Science and the Universe

I just completed watching two weeks worth of Ancient Aliens, which I recorded and just did not have enough time to watch last weekend because of finals.  One episode was about the Higgs-Boson particle.  It was fascinating about the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that scientist used to discover the Higgs-Boson particle, or the God Particle.  One thing they said that I have heard many times, stood out more because of an article I recently read about black and white holes.  The article basically said that the black and white holes only last for less than a second.  The distortion in time and distance from the actual hole can make beings from far distances perceive this event lasting in millions, even billions, of years.  This really got my mind's wheels spinning.  If the Higgs-Boson particle and black and white holes only last less than a second, what does that say about our own universe?  How do beings outside our universe perceive us?  Do they see our universe as an explosion in their night sky (as we view as a supernova for example only), which lasts less than a second?

I am very curious about this, as I am sure many others are as well.  Maybe one day we will know the facts about this particular situation.  Maybe one day in my lifetime!

Essay

This is the first week of Multicultural Literature, which I have to say is very interesting!  I am really enjoying the reading and information I am acquiring.  The first assignment was a bit of a challenge for me.  First, it had to be a maximum of 700 words.  Now, after writing many essays over 1,000 words, I thought it was going to be simple.  Not so.  I completed it, though I have to edit and revise it now.  The most difficult part was editing while writing to keep under the maximum.  I could have written double that word count!  That is funny because two years ago, I was worried about making the minimum word count.

The assignment itself is to write about an experience I have had with someone of a different culture or ethnicity.  Growing up in New Hampshire, this was not a problem.  New England is full of diversity.  I think that may be why I loved it there so much.  No one cared about what another was doing, who they loved, or what they looked like.  Okay, if someone dressed as a clown and walked into the mall, yes, people would have looked, but for the most part, people did not care.  If I had worn some outfits down here (GA) as I did up there, I would get some looks for sure.  I mean, some were not bad, holes in jeans or whatever.  Heck they look at me weird when I wear my spring coat in the middle of winter, and they are dressed like they should be in Alaska.  Wow, so anyway, back to my point.  I did choose a person that I met who was originally from Africa.  A very interesting man.  An incredibly smart man.  I knew he would be the perfect candidate for my narrative essay.

The other difference to this particular assignment is the format.  I have to write a narrative essay, which means writing in first-person (I, me, etc.), instead of APA format of third-person (They, he, she, etc.).  That part was not difficult, but remembering it after so long of not permitted to is a challenge at times.  I got in the habit of it, so it became second nature to me.  It will be interesting to see what happens with the grading.  I will not post the weekly grades, but I will continue to post the final grades on here.

As promised, I have received my grade from the previous course, Survey of Literary Masterpieces, which was as follows: 99% = A!

I am a little shocked by this grade because I am (did not think I was) good at poetry, which there was a lot to read.  Obviously, I am doing something correct.  I am not complaining at all, just the opposite.  I am glad to be back on track with high grades again.  Math really was not my strength (as mentioned in a prior post, my grades in two math courses were lower than I was used to).  Every English course, I am realizing more and more the switch was the best decision.  It is not easy.  It is a challenge, but I enjoy this challenge.

The starting of this course made me nervous.  First of all, the book contained 3,000 pages.  It does not sound like much, but when you figure in that most of the works in the book are short stories and poems, that is a bunch of little readings!  It averaged about 150 pages per week, sometimes more, sometimes less.  If the print had been just a tad bit bigger, it may have been less strenuous on my eyes, but I held on and was determined to complete it all.  I did.

The final consisted of two portions.  One was a matrix and the other a Powerpoint presentation.  They were not difficult to complete, just time consuming.  The most difficult part in English is making sure everything is properly sited.  I think that is my ultimate fear.  I do not want to plagiarize!  That would end my career before it begins.

I am looking forward to this new course, Multicultural Literature.  So far, I have read three stories.  Those three are: Kazuo Ishiguro "A Family Supper" (1982), Ha Jin "The Bridegroom" (1999), and Jamaica Kincaid "My Mother" (1996).  The latter is, well I will just say it was interesting.  I really enjoyed the other two.  The diversity is captivating.  I cannot wait to read the other three for this week.  I will be reading those tonight.

I want to address humans and the lack of respect.  I was brought up to respect others, no matter who they are.  People are treating others like there is no tomorrow.  Well, there is a tomorrow, and if there is not then my thought is: I would rather go out knowing I was nice to people.  That is just me.  My friends and family, which I love dearly, feel the same as me.  They spread the love and respect to others.  I am proud of each one of them for doing so!  Hopefully, this post will get out there to others and remind them that we are all the same.  Yes, we may have different skin, love someone of the same sex, have different religious views, but we are constructed the same.  We all have a brain, blood, bones, atoms, minds, and most of all....a heart!  Use it for what it is for:  L O V E !

Just imagine what this beautiful planet of ours would be like if every single person tried just a little bit harder!  Just imagine what we could accomplish, the many fascinating people we would meet.  Imagine a world without bullying and murders.  Just imagine!

Help me spread the love and respect around the world.  I want the "imagine" to become reality!

Almost the end of class

Tomorrow is the last day of class.  This will make 8 classes, 8 months straight, without a break.  Last year, I had to take approximately 3 months off for moving and switching degrees (from Associates to Bachelor's).  I am a bit drained from the work, especially having 2 math courses mixed in, which I am not very comprehensive with; however, I am experiencing a feeling of accomplishment.  I will post my grade when I receive it.  Sometimes it is at the middle of the following week, but most of the time it is toward the end of the following week.  The professors have 7 days to post the grade.

This year was a bit of a struggle.  I had become familiar with 90% and above, but the math courses were mid to upper 80's.  Yes, I know, it is still not bad, but it did bring down my grade point average (GPA).  For me, it is quite an accomplishment because in high school I was receiving C's at best.  I never really tried in school.  I had a bunch of issues occurring, that I was not able to concentrate on the important things.  I should rephrase that to, I did not allow myself to concentrate on what was important: school.  That is the past, I am doing it now and that is all that matters.  

The best part about this year is that I am in school, studying hard, trying to work on my health a little more than I have been; walking 3 times a week on the treadmill, trying to eat healthier, and manage food portions better.  I do have to confess, I failed the latter tonight.  The portions for supper were not exactly small.  My weight is fine, I could lose a few pounds, but otherwise I am happy.  My doctor and nutritionist tell me I am at my ideal weight for my age, height, there may be more, but I honestly listened to half that conversation.  Once they said I was at my ideal weight, I tuned the rest out.  

The reason I want to be healthier is for me, first and foremost, but for my partner, family, and friends as well.  I want to be there to enjoy my education and career afterward.  Furthermore, I want to be able to enjoy my loved ones with their birthdays, anniversaries, and so forth.  Another reason is because my family does have a history of heart conditions, strokes, and cancers.  To me, it is better to start late than not at all.  

I started out this post with school, then worked in health, and I thought I had nothing to say today.  There are days I could talk forever (sometimes literally, at least it seems to others), then there are days when I just want to keep my mouth shut and not say a word.  The latter does not happen very often, I guess it is the author in me: always talking or writing.  Maybe that will subside (talking other people's ears off) now that I have school and this blog to keep me extremely busy.

My partner is doing work on his computer, I am sitting writing on here, and we're both waiting for the Next Food Network Star to begin!  I am addicted to that show.  I have no idea why I started watching it, but at this point, I do not care either.  I am addicted and that is all that counts.  LOL (I know, "LOL" is not academic, but this is a blog!).  Another show I am addicted to, and have been since the first episode, is Project Runway.  I cannot believe it is in its 13th season!  I have not missed one episode, including Project Runway: All-Stars, and now Project Runway: Under the Gunn!  Come on, who does not love Tim Gunn!  He is amazing.  Well, on television.  I have not yet had the chance to meet him, but maybe I will be lucky when my novels and short stories become big sellers!

I think I should leave this post at that.  I could go on further, but that will leave more for the next time!

Take care to you all out there in the virtual world!  Spread the love, peace, and happiness!

HUG 

Welcome to my blog!

This is my very first blog site!

I decided to blog because I am half-way through the Bachelor's program through University of Phoenix, which I am majoring in English.  My focus will be writing novels and short stories, but I will be editing until the other takes off.

First of all, a little about my background.  I started writing short stories in high school; however, I was not comfortable or confident enough with grammar to continue.  I put it aside and lost track of time.  When I first enrolled in college, I was thinking my strength was in mathematics, therefore, I chose to go for associate's degree in Accounting.  I was shocked to find out my ultimate strength was writing.  It was obvious when the professors were telling me how strong my essays were.  One actually told me to consider going for my masters.  All I could think at the time was, "I am only just beginning my associates!"

Needless to say, a little over a year later, I decided to change majors as well as the degree program.  Now, I had added more time to studies.  All in all, it has been worth it.  I enjoy the courses!  I enjoy the reading, which if any who know me are reading this, you'll understand how much of a directional change that is.  I was not a fan of reading.  In fact, before school I had only read one book from cover to cover.  Well, I can no longer say that, but I am happy to announce that information!

So far, my favorite reading has been mostly about mythology: creation, flood, afterlife, and apocalypse myths.  Although, I do love Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963), Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper (1892), and Robert Frost's Mending Wall (1914).  My ultimate favorite authors are Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe.

Before reading my future posts, I want to remind the readers that I am making this blog a personal perspective.  In other words, if there is a topic I wish to discuss, even may be controversial, I will not hesitate.  However, please, feel free to comment, but please keep the language clean.  That is all I require.

Thank you and I hope all who are reading this will enjoy!