Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Pen Pal
I have been working on teaching my son the importance of helping others, being compassionate (which by the way he can spell and will happily do it for you), and loving people despite their differences. I am looking to find him a pen pal. I had one when I was in secondary school. I read the address in a children's magazine, which I don't believe is published any more. Anyway, I don't remember the name of it. Does your child have a pen pal? How did you find your child's pen pal?
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Fire Drill 101
Okay, I am in the living room, listening to my children playing. They are playing with a wind-up clock that I won about two years ago. Since I have lost the instructions, I don't know how to work it. It is a great expensive toy for them to eventually destroy. Apparently, the children have found a better use for the clock other than telling time.
Jeremiah is instructing them on how to act in a fire drill. The funny thing is he actually has it ringing like the fire drill at school. At least I know my son has been paying attention to their instructions. He is teaching it to the other two, who are so eager to learn from big brother. Ha!
Jeremiah is instructing them on how to act in a fire drill. The funny thing is he actually has it ringing like the fire drill at school. At least I know my son has been paying attention to their instructions. He is teaching it to the other two, who are so eager to learn from big brother. Ha!
The Women
I just finished watching the movie, The Women. This movie was really great. There were so many lessons to learn from it. However, what really grabbed my attention was the question, "What do I want." Mary Haynes used it as her storyboard to create her awesome fashion collection. That question is forever embedded in my brain. I have been so worried about my children, my marriage, my family, and my students. Having myself in the equation somehow wasn't important. There are so many things I want to accomplish, but somehow I fall short of doing them. Partly from fear of failure and partly because I put others first. When someone asks me, "What makes you happy?" I stare at them confused. In my mind, being married with children has always be associated with happiness. Well, now I am clear that that doesn't make you happy. I am on a new journey, just in time for the new year. I am working on me. I am going to find my happiness and hopefully everything else will fall into place. I have always wished for a best friend, but I dare to allow anyone close enough. I am so afraid of people not liking who I am. I worry about the wrong things. I am determined to work on me for me. If you like me, then that's fine. If I don't fit with you, then that's fine too. These are two things that I will be working on. I am working to understand, believe, and practice...True happiness lies within and not with someone else. Apparently, the movie was my confirmation.
Monday, December 29, 2008
The Beginning
Immediately, after I woke up and put my Mary Kay face on, I happily walked out the door. I knew I would finally get the coveted time to myself. Even though it wasn't much of a break from my reality. It felt great to be able to hear my own thoughts, without crying, arguing, and begging in the background. Since the beginning of my break, I haven't had any time to myself. I enjoyed the 57 minutes I had to myself. Although I was running errands and didn't have long, I soaked up every minute of solidarity. As I walked through my door, I almost took for granted that peace I had experienced. Unfortunately, it was short lived. Jacob has a fever and had to have a breathing treatment. To add salt on a womb, Jasmine is starting to have a fever and is begging to be held like Jacob. What a great way to start the beginning of my last week off.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Eating Right
I have noticed that my children are always wanting to snack and complaining about being hungry. After doing a little research, I have found that feeding them foods from the list below helps to curb their hunger.
Here are a list of foods that can help you battle the hunger, while eating right.
1. broccoli
2. carrots
3. avocado
4. apples
5. berries
6. beans
7. steel - cut oatmeal
8. hummus
9. nuts
10. unsweetened peanut butter
11. plain yogurt
12. milk
13. cheese
How many of these do you eat on a daily basis?
Here are a list of foods that can help you battle the hunger, while eating right.
1. broccoli
2. carrots
3. avocado
4. apples
5. berries
6. beans
7. steel - cut oatmeal
8. hummus
9. nuts
10. unsweetened peanut butter
11. plain yogurt
12. milk
13. cheese
How many of these do you eat on a daily basis?
Friday, December 26, 2008
77 Days Weekly Accomplishment
I will put my accomplishments in larger bold text, so I can share with you my success.
1. Finish writing my thesis.
2. Defend my thesis.
3. Clean up office.
4. Organize office.
5. Purchase a new laptop.
6. Plan a trip to Washington DC this summer.
7. Have two Mary Kay team members.
8. Get two new clients for my image consulting business.
9. Take the children to Jackson’s African American museum.
10. Complete first chapter of my book.
11. Redecorate bedroom.
12. Pay off two credit cards.
13. Have a weekend retreat for myself.
14. Determine what my next step will be in May, regarding teaching.
15. Meet once a month with friends for dinner or an outing (a min. of two times).
16. Manage emotions in a positive manner.
17. Have three fashion articles published.
18. Grow my hair out to shoulder length (NO MORE CUTTING)!
19. Potty train Jacob.
20. Teach Jasmine to read.
21. Work on phonics sound with Jeremiah.
22. Enroll Jeremiah in karate classes.
23. Sign Jasmine up for dance lessons.
24. Pay off five medical bills.
25. Save $400 dollars towards braces!
26. Sell $1000 in Mary Kay products.
27. Purchase Adobe Photoshop software.
28. Participate in two ministries at New Hope Church.
29. Purchase living room furniture.
30. Paint the main bathroom.
31. Paint the master bedroom.
32. Build two large bookcases.
33. Use my datebook as a proactive way to manage time.
34. Meditate daily before beginning my day.
35. Clean out refrigerator.
36. Clean out kitchen cabinets.
37. Clean out children’s toys for donation.
38. Build a clothing hamper for laundry room.
39. Hire a personal assistant.
40. Do Jasmine’s hair on a regular basis.
41. Keep in contact with a minimum of five friends a week. Call just to say hello.
42. Send a postcard once a month to customers.
43. Complete tax information.
44. Lose 10 pounds.
45. Walk 30 minutes every day.
46. Take vitamin supplements on a daily basis.
47. Teach Jasmine to tie her shoes.
48. Work on teaching children Spanish.
49. Refresh memory of French.
50. Take the children to Natchez.
51. Stay in a bed and breakfast.
52. Have a birthday party for myself.
53. Plan Jasmine’s birthday party.
54. Plan Jeremiah’s birthday party.
55. Meet once a month with professional women’s network.
56. Plan a fashion show.
57. Blog on family blog once a week.
58. Blog on fashion blog every other day.
59. Blog on MS 4Ws blog twice a week.
60. Plant flowers in front yard.
61. Create a floor plan to transform garage to family room.
62. Purchase a Nintendo DS for myself.
63. Purchase a rice cooker.
64. Create a recipe book.
65. Create a new fashion scrapbook.
66. Read four self- help books.
67. Read two classics.
68. Read one philosophy book.
69. Read three chapters from the bible daily.
70. Put flowers on Zaquan’s grave.
71. Put flowers on my grandmother’s grave.
72. Sew Jasmine three dresses.
73. Make Jasmine ten hair bows.
74. Finish three scrapbooks.
75. Have one dinner party at my house.
76. Join one social club.
77. Stock up deep freezer.
1. Finish writing my thesis.
2. Defend my thesis.
3. Clean up office.
4. Organize office.
5. Purchase a new laptop.
6. Plan a trip to Washington DC this summer.
7. Have two Mary Kay team members.
8. Get two new clients for my image consulting business.
9. Take the children to Jackson’s African American museum.
10. Complete first chapter of my book.
11. Redecorate bedroom.
12. Pay off two credit cards.
13. Have a weekend retreat for myself.
14. Determine what my next step will be in May, regarding teaching.
15. Meet once a month with friends for dinner or an outing (a min. of two times).
16. Manage emotions in a positive manner.
17. Have three fashion articles published.
18. Grow my hair out to shoulder length (NO MORE CUTTING)!
19. Potty train Jacob.
20. Teach Jasmine to read.
21. Work on phonics sound with Jeremiah.
22. Enroll Jeremiah in karate classes.
23. Sign Jasmine up for dance lessons.
24. Pay off five medical bills.
25. Save $400 dollars towards braces!
26. Sell $1000 in Mary Kay products.
27. Purchase Adobe Photoshop software.
28. Participate in two ministries at New Hope Church.
29. Purchase living room furniture.
30. Paint the main bathroom.
31. Paint the master bedroom.
32. Build two large bookcases.
33. Use my datebook as a proactive way to manage time.
34. Meditate daily before beginning my day.
35. Clean out refrigerator.
36. Clean out kitchen cabinets.
37. Clean out children’s toys for donation.
38. Build a clothing hamper for laundry room.
39. Hire a personal assistant.
40. Do Jasmine’s hair on a regular basis.
41. Keep in contact with a minimum of five friends a week. Call just to say hello.
42. Send a postcard once a month to customers.
43. Complete tax information.
44. Lose 10 pounds.
45. Walk 30 minutes every day.
46. Take vitamin supplements on a daily basis.
47. Teach Jasmine to tie her shoes.
48. Work on teaching children Spanish.
49. Refresh memory of French.
50. Take the children to Natchez.
51. Stay in a bed and breakfast.
52. Have a birthday party for myself.
53. Plan Jasmine’s birthday party.
54. Plan Jeremiah’s birthday party.
55. Meet once a month with professional women’s network.
56. Plan a fashion show.
57. Blog on family blog once a week.
58. Blog on fashion blog every other day.
59. Blog on MS 4Ws blog twice a week.
60. Plant flowers in front yard.
61. Create a floor plan to transform garage to family room.
62. Purchase a Nintendo DS for myself.
63. Purchase a rice cooker.
64. Create a recipe book.
65. Create a new fashion scrapbook.
66. Read four self- help books.
67. Read two classics.
68. Read one philosophy book.
69. Read three chapters from the bible daily.
70. Put flowers on Zaquan’s grave.
71. Put flowers on my grandmother’s grave.
72. Sew Jasmine three dresses.
73. Make Jasmine ten hair bows.
74. Finish three scrapbooks.
75. Have one dinner party at my house.
76. Join one social club.
77. Stock up deep freezer.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
I have concluded...
Since the death of my sister's boyfriend, the suicidal death of my student, an anxiety attack, and the everlasting happenings of life, I have pursued a stronger relationship with God. I have been starting my day with mediation and devotion. My goal is to maintain a positive attitude in 2009. My desire is to continue to grow and mature into the woman I know I am capable of. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season. May you all have a prosperous year in 2009!
MS 4Ws Blog
Hey, everyone!
When you get a chance, check out the MS 4Ws Blog. I am attending a writing institute once a month! It has been the greatest experience ever! Read our blog and follow along with us! We have a lot of helpful and inspiriing information available!
When you get a chance, check out the MS 4Ws Blog. I am attending a writing institute once a month! It has been the greatest experience ever! Read our blog and follow along with us! We have a lot of helpful and inspiriing information available!
77 Things in 77 Days!
I will put my accomplishments in larger bold text, so I can share with you my success. 1. Finish writing my thesis.
2. Defend my thesis.
3. Clean up office.
4. Organize office.
5. Purchase a new laptop.
6. Plan a trip to Washington DC this summer.
7. Have two Mary Kay team members.
8. Get two new clients for my image consulting business.
9. Take the children to Jackson’s African American museum.
10. Complete first chapter of my book.
11. Redecorate bedroom.
12. Pay off two credit cards.
13. Have a weekend retreat for myself.
14. Determine what my next step will be in May, regarding teaching.
15. Meet once a month with friends for dinner or an outing (a min. of two times).
16. Manage emotions in a positive manner.
17. Have three fashion articles published.
18. Grow my hair out to shoulder length (NO MORE CUTTING)!
19. Potty train Jacob.
20. Teach Jasmine to read.
21. Work on phonics sound with Jeremiah.
22. Enroll Jeremiah in karate classes.
23. Sign Jasmine up for dance lessons.
24. Pay off five medical bills.
25. Save $400 dollars towards braces!
26. Sell $1000 in Mary Kay products.
27. Purchase Adobe Photoshop software.
28. Participate in two ministries at New Hope Church.
29. Purchase living room furniture.
30. Paint the main bathroom.
31. Paint the master bedroom.
32. Build two large bookcases.
33. Use my datebook as a proactive way to manage time.
34. Meditate daily before beginning my day.
35. Clean out refrigerator.
36. Clean out kitchen cabinets.
37. Clean out children’s toys for donation.
38. Build a clothing hamper for laundry room.
39. Hire a personal assistant.
40. Do Jasmine’s hair on a regular basis.
41. Keep in contact with a minimum of five friends a week. Call just to say hello.
42. Send a postcard once a month to customers.
43. Complete tax information.
44. Lose 10 pounds.
45. Walk 30 minutes every day.
46. Take vitamin supplements on a daily basis.
47. Teach Jasmine to tie her shoes.
48. Work on teaching children Spanish.
49. Refresh memory of French.
50. Take the children to Natchez.
51. Stay in a bed and breakfast.
52. Have a birthday party for myself.
53. Plan Jasmine’s birthday party.
54. Plan Jeremiah’s birthday party.
55. Meet once a month with professional women’s network.
56. Plan a fashion show.
57. Blog on family blog once a week.
58. Blog on fashion blog every other day.
59. Blog on MS 4Ws blog twice a week.
60. Plant flowers in front yard.
61. Create a floor plan to transform garage to family room.
62. Purchase a Nintendo DS for myself.
63. Purchase a rice cooker.
64. Create a recipe book.
65. Create a new fashion scrapbook.
66. Read four self- help books.
67. Read two classics.
68. Read one philosophy book.
69. Read three chapters from the bible daily.
70. Put flowers on Zaquan’s grave.
71. Put flowers on my grandmother’s grave.
72. Sew Jasmine three dresses.
73. Make Jasmine ten hair bows.
74. Finish three scrapbooks.
75. Have one dinner party at my house.
76. Join one social club.
77. Stock up deep freezer.
2. Defend my thesis.
3. Clean up office.
4. Organize office.
5. Purchase a new laptop.
6. Plan a trip to Washington DC this summer.
7. Have two Mary Kay team members.
8. Get two new clients for my image consulting business.
9. Take the children to Jackson’s African American museum.
10. Complete first chapter of my book.
11. Redecorate bedroom.
12. Pay off two credit cards.
13. Have a weekend retreat for myself.
14. Determine what my next step will be in May, regarding teaching.
15. Meet once a month with friends for dinner or an outing (a min. of two times).
16. Manage emotions in a positive manner.
17. Have three fashion articles published.
18. Grow my hair out to shoulder length (NO MORE CUTTING)!
19. Potty train Jacob.
20. Teach Jasmine to read.
21. Work on phonics sound with Jeremiah.
22. Enroll Jeremiah in karate classes.
23. Sign Jasmine up for dance lessons.
24. Pay off five medical bills.
25. Save $400 dollars towards braces!
26. Sell $1000 in Mary Kay products.
27. Purchase Adobe Photoshop software.
28. Participate in two ministries at New Hope Church.
29. Purchase living room furniture.
30. Paint the main bathroom.
31. Paint the master bedroom.
32. Build two large bookcases.
33. Use my datebook as a proactive way to manage time.
34. Meditate daily before beginning my day.
35. Clean out refrigerator.
36. Clean out kitchen cabinets.
37. Clean out children’s toys for donation.
38. Build a clothing hamper for laundry room.
39. Hire a personal assistant.
40. Do Jasmine’s hair on a regular basis.
41. Keep in contact with a minimum of five friends a week. Call just to say hello.
42. Send a postcard once a month to customers.
43. Complete tax information.
44. Lose 10 pounds.
45. Walk 30 minutes every day.
46. Take vitamin supplements on a daily basis.
47. Teach Jasmine to tie her shoes.
48. Work on teaching children Spanish.
49. Refresh memory of French.
50. Take the children to Natchez.
51. Stay in a bed and breakfast.
52. Have a birthday party for myself.
53. Plan Jasmine’s birthday party.
54. Plan Jeremiah’s birthday party.
55. Meet once a month with professional women’s network.
56. Plan a fashion show.
57. Blog on family blog once a week.
58. Blog on fashion blog every other day.
59. Blog on MS 4Ws blog twice a week.
60. Plant flowers in front yard.
61. Create a floor plan to transform garage to family room.
62. Purchase a Nintendo DS for myself.
63. Purchase a rice cooker.
64. Create a recipe book.
65. Create a new fashion scrapbook.
66. Read four self- help books.
67. Read two classics.
68. Read one philosophy book.
69. Read three chapters from the bible daily.
70. Put flowers on Zaquan’s grave.
71. Put flowers on my grandmother’s grave.
72. Sew Jasmine three dresses.
73. Make Jasmine ten hair bows.
74. Finish three scrapbooks.
75. Have one dinner party at my house.
76. Join one social club.
77. Stock up deep freezer.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
The Saga of MeMe
Never actually seeing a child in action with an imaginary friend, I couldn't believe one of my children has an imaginary friend. Today, Jasmine introduced me to "MeMe."
Here is the dialogue I watched and participated in today with Jasmine and "MeMe."
Jasmine: Mama, MeMe in the bathroom. She won't come out.
Mama: Tell MeMe to hurry up.
Jasmine: MeMe hurry up. You finish MeMe?
MeMe comes out the bathroom.
Jasmine: MeMe sit down.
MeMe sits down in a green children's chair.
Jasmine: Be quiet MeMe.
MeMe is quiet.
Jeremiah: Mama, who is Jasmine talking to?
Mama: Leave Jasmine alone.
Jasmine: You okay, MeMe? Mama, can I throw this away? MeMe throw up.
Mama: Yes, Jasmine. What happened to MeMe?
Jasmine: She throwed up MeMe. She in the bafroom. told her to spit it out. Won't spit out nowhere. (raising hands in an exasperated manner)
Now, I need to look at the research for children with imaginary friends.
Here is the dialogue I watched and participated in today with Jasmine and "MeMe."
Jasmine: Mama, MeMe in the bathroom. She won't come out.
Mama: Tell MeMe to hurry up.
Jasmine: MeMe hurry up. You finish MeMe?
MeMe comes out the bathroom.
Jasmine: MeMe sit down.
MeMe sits down in a green children's chair.
Jasmine: Be quiet MeMe.
MeMe is quiet.
Jeremiah: Mama, who is Jasmine talking to?
Mama: Leave Jasmine alone.
Jasmine: You okay, MeMe? Mama, can I throw this away? MeMe throw up.
Mama: Yes, Jasmine. What happened to MeMe?
Jasmine: She throwed up MeMe. She in the bafroom. told her to spit it out. Won't spit out nowhere. (raising hands in an exasperated manner)
Now, I need to look at the research for children with imaginary friends.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
What is your fondest memory?
The Memory by Eudora Welty is a wonderful story about the narrator’s first crush, which I have recently finished reading. The vivid description of setting and the characters bring to life the feelings of the narrator. Do you remember your first love or your first crush? Do you have a memory of a boyfriend/girlfriend, which takes you back down memory lane, taking care to remember the exact clothing and smells around you?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Mary Kay Cosmetics
Here is some information I thought you would find to be very useful. Consider shopping with me to order your gifts for the holidays. Avoid the long lines and the chaotic surroundings of the malls and stores. Shop online with me at www.marykay.com/cwilson77. Free shipping and free delivery is always available!
Mary Kay is a prestige brand in the market place which means we compete with department stores brands like Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancôme and Mac. Brands sold in drugstores and Wal-Mart such as Maybeline and Cover Girl and even Avon, are considered mass brands and are not whose market share for which we are competing.
In comparison to other prestige brands here is how we fared in unit sales this past year: 1. Our TimeWise Firming Eye Cream outsold Clinique's Repair Eye Cream 4 to one. (It was considered the Number 1 Best Selling Brand.) 2. In prestige facial exfoliators, Microderm Abrasion outsold Clinique'sDay Rinse Off Scrub four to one. 3. Our Oil Free Eye Make-up Remover sold more units than the top TEN leading prestige brands COMBINED, which makes us the Number 1 Selling Brand of Eye make-up remover in the country! 4. Our Ultimate Mascara outsold the top 3 prestige brands combined in unitsales. Ultimate mascara outsold Lancome's #1 best selling mascara three to 1. 5. Our eye shadow unit sales beat the #1 best selling eye shadow brand MAC 25 to one. 6. Our cream lipstick sales outsold the top three (3) prestige brand sales combined 3 to 1. 7. Our lip gloss outsold the top NINE prestige brand sales combined 3 to 1.
Mary Kay is a prestige brand in the market place which means we compete with department stores brands like Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancôme and Mac. Brands sold in drugstores and Wal-Mart such as Maybeline and Cover Girl and even Avon, are considered mass brands and are not whose market share for which we are competing.
In comparison to other prestige brands here is how we fared in unit sales this past year: 1. Our TimeWise Firming Eye Cream outsold Clinique's Repair Eye Cream 4 to one. (It was considered the Number 1 Best Selling Brand.) 2. In prestige facial exfoliators, Microderm Abrasion outsold Clinique'sDay Rinse Off Scrub four to one. 3. Our Oil Free Eye Make-up Remover sold more units than the top TEN leading prestige brands COMBINED, which makes us the Number 1 Selling Brand of Eye make-up remover in the country! 4. Our Ultimate Mascara outsold the top 3 prestige brands combined in unitsales. Ultimate mascara outsold Lancome's #1 best selling mascara three to 1. 5. Our eye shadow unit sales beat the #1 best selling eye shadow brand MAC 25 to one. 6. Our cream lipstick sales outsold the top three (3) prestige brand sales combined 3 to 1. 7. Our lip gloss outsold the top NINE prestige brand sales combined 3 to 1.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Store Closings!
Watch those store money cards and gift cards.. and credit slips! So that you may use them before the stores will not honor them....
Here is a list of Stores that have informed the Security Exchange of closing plans between October 2008 and January 2009. Circuit City stores... most recent (? how many)Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide are to be shutteredLane Bryant,, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 store nationwideEddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after JanuaryCache will close all storesTalbots closing down all storesJ. Jill closing all storesGAP closing 85 storesFootlocker closing 140 stores more to close after JanuaryWickes Furniture closing downLevitz closing down remaining storesBombay closing remaining storesZales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January.Whitehall closing all storesPiercing Pagoda closing all storesDisney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ (New Brunswick)Macys to close 9 stores after JanuaryLinens and Things closing all storesMovie Galley Closing all storesPacific Sunware closing storesPep Boys Closing 33 storesSprint/ Nextel closing 133 storesJC Penney closing a number of stores after JanuaryEthan Allen closing down 12 stores.Wilson Leather closing down all storesSharper Image closing down all storesK B Toys closing 356 storesLoews to close down some storesDillard's to close some stores
Here is a list of Stores that have informed the Security Exchange of closing plans between October 2008 and January 2009. Circuit City stores... most recent (? how many)Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide are to be shutteredLane Bryant,, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 store nationwideEddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after JanuaryCache will close all storesTalbots closing down all storesJ. Jill closing all storesGAP closing 85 storesFootlocker closing 140 stores more to close after JanuaryWickes Furniture closing downLevitz closing down remaining storesBombay closing remaining storesZales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January.Whitehall closing all storesPiercing Pagoda closing all storesDisney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ (New Brunswick)Macys to close 9 stores after JanuaryLinens and Things closing all storesMovie Galley Closing all storesPacific Sunware closing storesPep Boys Closing 33 storesSprint/ Nextel closing 133 storesJC Penney closing a number of stores after JanuaryEthan Allen closing down 12 stores.Wilson Leather closing down all storesSharper Image closing down all storesK B Toys closing 356 storesLoews to close down some storesDillard's to close some stores
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Trip to Natchez, MS
I tried to reflect as we rode back from Natchez about my experience. I kept wondering if everyone felt as empowered as I did from the entire experience. Having the opportunity to reflect with colleagues about their take and perception of the entire trip, reinforced the impact everyone felt from being apart of the 4W's Writing Institute. Traveling down the Richard Wright Memorial Highway and being lead down the trail that Wright himself took was monumental in itself. Special thanks to Charles Wright! He gave us the greatest tour ever! He was so down to earth and knowledgeable. Yet what intrigued me the most was his passion and desire to continue the legacy of Richard Wright. I felt the screams of his utmost respect for Richard Wright's existence in history and the literary world. I understood the underlying inspiration to continue informing Natchez, Mississippi, and the World of his gifted and talented family member, who felt the tragic beaming of terror, hunger, and cruelty for his race and for himself. I am unable to process all that I saw - the Forks, the ruins of the Ace Theater, Richard Wright's Home, Rhythm Night Club Monument and Slab. We made history today, and I just can't grasp hold of what I saw, heard, and discussed. After returning from Natchez, I basically flew to Barnes and Nobles. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to discover that they did not have the book about Prince Ibrahim, entitled Prince Among Slaves. However, I have ordered it from Barnes and Noble's online website. Being a part of the 4W's Writing Institute was really great! Being apart of this institute has lead to a whole new world for me. I have learned so much more about the writers, about my colleagues, and about Mississippi. I am forever grateful! *Please click on all the links. They are linked to wonderful sites, even a letter written by his daughter!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Gaps
I didn't think I had any gaps, but apparently I do. This was cute! Thanks, Maggie Reads!
There Are 2 Gaps in Your Knowledge |
 Where you have gaps in your knowledge: History Art Where you don't have gaps in your knowledge: Philosophy Religion Economics Literature Science |
Can't Shake the Feeling
Driving on my usual commute home, amongst the fighting and screaming of my three wonderful children, I called my mom as usual. This time, though, the conversation didn't go so great. When it started off with, "I have so not so good news." I knew it was death in the family, but to my surprise I was wrong.
My sister's boyfriend house burned completely down. My sister started moving out to her new home on yesterday, but hadn't quite moved all of her things out. She lost so much...clothing for her and my two year old nephew, coats, shoes, purses, baby pictures, a baby book she worked so hard to create, and so much more. Unsure of what to say, I cautiously called her to talk. I could hear the tears in her voice as she talked. I felt the pain she was feeling. I felt the frustration she was consumed with.
Fighting back the tears myself, I tried to be optimistic and encouraging but it seemed so inappropriate. Using the crying of my baby to end the conversation, I just can't shake this lump in my throat. This undeniable inability to understand why? She has been through so much that I just can't quite comprehend this situation. She was trying to improve her life for her and her son. She lost college books and had to miss school.
But what is really frustrating is her boyfriend's situation. He is an only child, who lost his mother and father to an accident at a young age. He was with them and was thrown from the car, leaving a obtrusive scar on his face. The house is gone and contains all he had. My sister explained that he only has the clothing on his back. She does have some of her possessions, not much, but he truly has none.
As I write this, I can't help but cry. Crying because of frustration. Crying because as a big sister, I can't help as much as I would like. Crying because of the "things they lost in the fire" that meant so much. Crying for the history my nephew will never see and understand. Crying because my sister is crying. Crying because of my inability to turn back the hands of time. Crying because I live so far. Crying because of the holidays and the pain it will hold. Crying because of the anguish and contemplation I feel. Crying because I don't know what else to do.
My sister's boyfriend house burned completely down. My sister started moving out to her new home on yesterday, but hadn't quite moved all of her things out. She lost so much...clothing for her and my two year old nephew, coats, shoes, purses, baby pictures, a baby book she worked so hard to create, and so much more. Unsure of what to say, I cautiously called her to talk. I could hear the tears in her voice as she talked. I felt the pain she was feeling. I felt the frustration she was consumed with.
Fighting back the tears myself, I tried to be optimistic and encouraging but it seemed so inappropriate. Using the crying of my baby to end the conversation, I just can't shake this lump in my throat. This undeniable inability to understand why? She has been through so much that I just can't quite comprehend this situation. She was trying to improve her life for her and her son. She lost college books and had to miss school.
But what is really frustrating is her boyfriend's situation. He is an only child, who lost his mother and father to an accident at a young age. He was with them and was thrown from the car, leaving a obtrusive scar on his face. The house is gone and contains all he had. My sister explained that he only has the clothing on his back. She does have some of her possessions, not much, but he truly has none.
As I write this, I can't help but cry. Crying because of frustration. Crying because as a big sister, I can't help as much as I would like. Crying because of the "things they lost in the fire" that meant so much. Crying for the history my nephew will never see and understand. Crying because my sister is crying. Crying because of my inability to turn back the hands of time. Crying because I live so far. Crying because of the holidays and the pain it will hold. Crying because of the anguish and contemplation I feel. Crying because I don't know what else to do.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
We Shall Overcome
I am beyond ecstatic that Mr. Obama is President-Elect. My enthusiasm is not based on the fact that he is an African American, but based on the tactics and class portrayed in his campaign. He could have belittled Palin for the 150,000 -plain- wardrobe and so much more. I was not much surprised that the South voted for McCain. Why should the Infamous South full of older white conservative families vote for a Black man to guide the country. Anyway, enough about that silliness!
I am just so proud that my son has such a prominent hero, who is not an athlete, who did not pay his way through everything, and who understands the essence of hard work. He has a tough job ahead, but any fool could do better than BUSH JR!
I just wish Martin Luther King, Emmett Till and his mother, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglas, and WEB Dubois could have witnessed this historic day!
On another note, it was quite disturbing to hear that in Caledonia, MS several white Caledonia High School students ranted racial slurs at fellow classmates and iterated pure hatred for Obama. Wonder where they got it from? Listening to their parents perhaps?
So many people that I know voted for McCain said that it wasn't based on race. How many of them were actually black? ZERO. Was there any validity in their confession of their private choice? One will never know.
Okay, enough about politics.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
I received the Superior Scribbler Award
Thanks, Sandi for this award! You are so awesome!
Here is how it works!
Every superior scribbler will name 5 other super scribblers. If you are named, link to the author & the name of the blog that gave you the award. Then you display the graphic above and link to this post, which explains the award. Finally you must visit this post and tell your name to mr. linky list. Then they will have a record of all the people who are super scribblers!
Here are my five supper scribblers!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Handy Work
I started the day off busy today. First I went to find a nail shop, I after stopping at two nail shops, I finally ended up at Tranquility in Flowood. Walking in, I didn't know if I had made the right choice. I explained to the nail tech what I wanted, and I was very excited to find I could be helped. I arrived at 11:30 and did not leave until 12:40. Am I complaining... NOOOO! Here's the deal. I have been to several different locations in the past two months. I like overlays on my nails. The last location was the icing on the cake. I had the old set removed and a new set on. In the process of removing the nails, two of my nails broke and had to be replaced with a tip. The tip, on each finger, was the wrong size and hung over. The acrylic was too thick and chipped and broke my own nail off. The tip came off. In less than two weeks, my hands were atrocious. When the nail tech looked at my hand, they could not believe it. What really upset me though was that the acrylic on my left hand seperated from my actually nail, causing a gap. In this gap a fungus was developing and was turning my nail brown. Not knowing this until the nail tech at Tranquility told me, I felt that the rush jobs at the walk-in nail salons are just "Stealing" money from customers. When I left, I was very satisfied with the way my hands looked and felt. They were truly GREAT!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Too Much Homework
As I am typing, my headaches from working mini-algebra problems on my son's first grade homework. That's right! You heard me correct algebra problems in the first grade. He has pages and pages of homework every night! I cannot say how frustrated I am about this. It drives me so mad. A homework packet, pages of daily homework, ten spellings words (with a bonus word that most adults cannot pass). I get so frazzled sometimes. I know my son believes that I am a little looney when it comes to his homework. From waking him up early or doing homework on the way to school, I really dread looking in his homework binder to see the mounds of homework, awaiting me to conquer. I didn't understand the 10 minute homework rule at the school I work at. Now I understand completely. If the work cannot be completed in 10 mins, exactly what is the point. I just hope my son doesn't become burned out on homework!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
and the LIFETIME JUGGLING AWARD GOES TO...
So much has transpired in the past few days that I can't keep track of the continuous flow of my body without rest and relaxation. Lately though, I have been having these migraines, which have decided that they will withstand the pressure of the strongest medication. Trying not to feel completely pushed in corner, I realized that (just maybe) I might have too much going on. Recently, the reality of working away from the home was very real, especially dealing with interpersonal relationships with difficult, stubborn, and sometimes rude coworkers. Normally, when a person exits their job and crosses the threshold of their home, they enter into a surreal world. Unfortunately, I cross the threshold to my second job. Looking around my home and noticing what has not been done and really isn't much of a priority to be completed, I just feel more exhausted and worn out. Can someone erase the chaos in my life with the lifetime eraser? I want to experience the calm, relaxing environment, surrounding being at home. I want to be able to curl up in a corner and get to my TBR (to be read) stack of books, with no interruption. However, for me this remains only a dream deferred. I must continue to manage a household, businesses, work, complete two degrees, a continuing education class, be involved in church, help with homework, tutor, and fulfill so many other tasks while maintaining my sanity.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Images of Childhood
I haven't posted pictures of the evolution of my children's lives in a while. This post is dedicated to the ever changing and evolving three musketeers!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A l Long Time Waiting
Today turned out to be okay! I received an email that I have been waiting on since October 15, 2008. I have finally my thesis proposal approved. I will submit it to my committee members on Monday! That settles it. In May of 2009 I will receive my Masters of Arts degree in English! The years of never giving up has finally paid off. I just can't believe in May I will will graduate with honors. How amazing is that!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Positive Influence
Since participating in the 4W's Writing Institute, I have rekindled my feelings for reading. After almost two years of receiving books by email, I have finally started to read the books I am being sent from the Central Mississippi Regional Library System. Here is how it works. I sign up for a genre I am interested in. Each week I receive a chapter a day of the current book. When I signed up I thought it was a great way to keep up with my reading. However, procrastination lead to other things. This Writing Institute really has had a positive effect on my desire to read. This week I am reading "Indestructible" by Jack Lucas with D. K. Drum. Boy do I have a lot of emails to catch up on! How has your life been impacted by your attendance at the 4W's Writing Institute?
Hiring A Personal Assistant
I am looking to hire a responsible individual to be my personal assistant. I have some administrative duties and errands to take care of regarding my business and personal life. I only need someone on Saturdays and depending on their experience, additional times. The pay is $8 an hour. If you know someone please have them email their resume and five references to info@sensationalimageconsulting.com ! Thanks!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Working on My Thesis Proposal
I spent all day today at Jackson State Working on my thesis proposal. I am creating a psychobiography on Edgar Allan Poe's Writings The Pit and the Pendulum, The Fall of the House of Usher and Ligeia. I am almost mentally drain, but it is due on Wednesday, and I am determined to finally graduate! After I write this post, I must submit my homework for my Fashion Merchandising Classes online. Working on two Masters at the same time didn't seem like such a bad idea. However, now I am feeling overwhelmed and drained mentally. I am also really considering hiring a personal assistant for my sanity. I have fallen behind on so many tasks, while so many continue to add up. What are your thoughts?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
List of Books
Since I have been reading books for a writing institute I am participating in, I decided to look up the college bound reading list to rekindle my love for language on paper. I found this from Arrowhead Library System. I have a long list to go, but hopefully a year from now I can say that I have read or reread them all. Good luck to me!
College Bound Reading List
Compiled by Arrowhead Library System
American Literature
Agee, James
A Death in the Family
Story of loss and heartbreak felt when a young father dies.
Anderson, Sherwood
Winesburg, Ohio
A collection of short stories lays bare the life of a small town in the Midwest.
Baldwin, James
Go Tell It On the Mountain
Semi-autobiographical novel about a 14-year-old black youth's religious conversion.
Bellamy, Edward
Looking Backward: 2000-1887
Written in 1887 about a young man who travels in time to a utopian year 2000, where economic security and a healthy moral environment have reduced crime.
Bellow, Saul
Seize the Day
A son grapples with his love and hate for an unworthy father.
Bradbury, Ray
Fahrenheit 451
Reading is a crime and firemen burn books in this futuristic society.
Cather, Willa
My Antonia
Immigrant pioneers strive to adapt to the Nebraska prairies.
Chopin, Kate
The Awakening
The story of a New Orleans woman who abandons her husband and children to search for love and self-understanding.
Clark, Walter Van Tilburg
The Ox-Bow Incident
When a group of citizens discovers one of their members has been murdered by cattle rustlers, they form an illegal posse, pursue the murderers, and lynch them.
Cormier, Robert
The Chocolate War
Jerry Renault challenges the power structure of his school when he refuses to sell chocolates for the annual fundraiser.
Crane, Stephen
The Red Badge of Courage
During the Civil War, Henry Fleming joins the army full of romantic visions of battle which are shattered by combat.
Dorris, Michael
A Yellow Raft in Blue Water
Three generations of Native American women recount their searches for identity and love.
Ellison, Ralph
Invisible Man
A black man's search for himself as an individual and as a member of his race and his society.
Faulkner, William
As I Lay Dying
The Bundren family takes the ripening corpse of Addie, wife and mother, on a gruesomely comic journey.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott
The Great Gatsby
A young man corrupts himself and the American Dream to regain a lost love.
Gaines, Ernest
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
In her 100 years, Miss Jane Pittman experiences it all, from slavery to the civil rights movement.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
The Scarlet Letter
An adulterous Puritan woman keeps secret the identity of the father of her illegitimate child.
Heller, Joseph
Catch-22
A broad comedy about a WWII bombardier based in Italy and his efforts to avoid bombing missions.
Hemingway, Ernest
A Farewell to Arms
During World War I, an American lieutenant runs away with the woman who nurses him back to health.
Hurston, Zora Neale
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Janie repudiates many roles in her quest for self-fulfillment.
Kesey, Ken
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
A novel about a power struggle between the head nurse and one of the male patients in a mental institution.
Lee, Harper
To Kill a Mockingbird
At great peril to himself and his children, lawyer Atticus Finch defends an African-American man accused of raping a white woman in a small Alabama town.
Lewis, Sinclair
Main Street
A young doctor's wife tries to change the ugliness, dullness and ignorance which prevail in Gopher Prairie, Minn.
London, Jack
Call of the Wild
Buck is a loyal pet dog until cruel men make him a pawn in their search for Klondike gold.
McCullers, Carson
The Member of the Wedding
A young southern girl is determined to be the third party on a honeymoon, despite all the advice against it from friends and family.
Melville, Herman
Moby-Dick
A complex novel about a mad sea captain's pursuit of the White Whale.
Morrison, Toni
Sula
The lifelong friendship of two women becomes strained when one causes the other's husband to abandon her.
O'Connor, Flannery
A Good Man is Hard to Find
Social awareness, the grotesque, and the need for faith characterize these stories of the contemporary South.
Parks, Gordon
The Learning Tree
A fictional study of a black family in a small Kansas town in the 1920s.
Plath, Sylvia
The Bell Jar
The heartbreaking story of a talented young woman's descent into madness.
Poe, Edgar Allan
Great Tales and Poems
Poe is considered the father of detective stories and a master of supernatural tales.
Potok, Chaim
The Chosen
Friendship between two Jewish boys, one Hasidic and the other Orthodox, begins at a baseball game and flourishes despite their different backgrounds and beliefs.
Salinger, J.D.
The Catcher in the Rye
A prep school dropout rejects the "phoniness" he sees all about him.
Sinclair, Upton
The Jungle
The deplorable conditions of the Chicago stockyards are exposed in this turn-of-the-century novel.
Steinbeck, John
The Grapes of Wrath
The desperate flight of tenant farmers from Oklahoma during the Depression.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The classic tale that awakened a nation about the slave system.
Twain, Mark
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Huck and Jim, a runaway slave, travel down the Mississippi in search of freedom.
Vonnegut, Kurt
Slaughterhouse-Five
Billy Pilgrim, an optometrist from Ilium, New York, shuttles between World War II Dresden and a luxurious zoo on the planet Tralfamadore.
Walker, Alice
The Color Purple
A young woman sees herself as property until another woman teaches her to value herself.
Wells, H.G.
The Time Machine
A scientist invents a machine that transports him into the future.
Welty, Eudora
Thirteen Stories
A collection of short stories about people and life in the deep South.
Wolfe, Thomas
Look Homeward, Angel
A novel depicting the coming of age of Eugene Gant and his passion to experience life.
Wright, Richard
Native Son
Bigger Thomas, a young man from the Chicago slums, lashes out against a hostile society by committing two murders.
World Literature
Achebe, Chinua
Things Fall Apart
Okonkwo, a proud village leader, is driven to murder and suicide by European changes to his traditional Ibo society.
Allende, Isabel
House of the Spirits
The story of the Trueba family in Chile, from the turn of the century to the violent days of the overthrow of the Salvador Allende government in 1973.
Austen, Jane
Pride and Prejudice
Love and marriage among the English country gentry of Austen's day.
Balzac, Honore de
Pere Goriot
A father is reduced to poverty after giving money to his daughters.
Borges, Jorge Luis
Labyrinths
An anthology of literary fireworks based on Borges' favorite symbol.
Bronte, Charlotte
Jane Eyre
An intelligent and passionate governess falls in love with a strange, moody man tormented by dark secrets.
Bronte, Emily
Wuthering Heights
One of the masterpieces of English romanticism, this is a novel of Heathcliff and Catherine, love and revenge.
Camus, Albert
The Stranger
A man who is virtually unknown to both himself and others commits a pointless murder for which he has no explanation.
Carroll, Lewis
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
A fantasy in which Alice follows the White Rabbit to a dream world.
Cervantes, Miguel de
Don Quixote
An eccentric old gentleman sets out as a knight "tilting at windmills" to right the wrongs of the world.
Conrad, Joseph
Heart of Darkness
The novel's narrator journeys into the Congo where he discovers the extent to which greed can corrupt a good man.
Defoe, Daniel
Robinson Crusoe
The adventures of a man who spends 24 years on an isolated island.
Dickens, Charles
Great Expectations
The moving story of the rise, fall, and rise again of a humbly-born young orphan.
Dostoevski, Feodor
Crime and Punishment
A psychological novel about a poor student who murders an old woman pawnbroker and her sister.
Eliot, George
The Mill on the Floss
Maggie is miserable because her brother disapproves of her choices of romances.
Esquivel, Laura
Like Water for Chocolate
As the youngest of three daughters in a turn-of-the-century Mexican family, Tita may not marry but must remain at home to care for her mother.
Flaubert, Gustave
Madame Bovary
In her extramarital affairs, a bored young wife seeks unsuccessfully to find the emotional experiences she craves.
Forster, E.M.
A Passage to India
A young English woman in British-ruled India accuses an Indian doctor of sexual assault.
Fuentes, Carlos
The Death of Artemio Cruz
A powerful Mexican newspaper publisher recalls his life as he lies dying at age 71.
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel
One Hundred Years of Solitude
A technique called magical realism is used in this portrait of seven generations in the lives of the Buendia family.
Gogol, Nikolai
The Overcoat
Russian tales of good and evil.
Golding, William
Lord of the Flies
English schoolboys marooned on an uninhabited island test the values of civilization when they attempt to set up a society of their own.
Grass, Gunter
The Tin Drum
Oskar describes the amoral conditions through which he has lived in Germany, both during and after the Hitler regime.
Hardy, Thomas
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
The happiness of Tess and her husband is destroyed when she confesses that she bore a child as the result of a forced sexual relationship with her employer's son.
Hesse, Hermann
Siddhartha
Emerging from a kaleidoscope of experiences and pleasures, a young Brahmin ascends to a state of peace and mystic holiness.
Huxley, Aldous
Brave New World
A bitter satire of the future, in which the world is controlled by advances in science and social changes.
Joyce, James
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
A novel about a young man growing up in Ireland and rebelling against family, country, and religion.
Kafka, Franz
The Trial
A man is tried for a crime he knows nothing about, yet for which he feels guilt.
Lawrence, D.H.
Sons and Lovers
An autobiographical novel about a youth torn between a dominant working-class father and a possessive genteel mother.
Mann, Thomas
Death in Venice
In this novella, an author becomes aware of a darker side of himself when he visits Venice.
Orwell, George
Animal Farm
Animals turn the tables on their masters.
Pasternak, Boris
Doctor Zhivago
An epic novel of Russia before and after the Bolshevik revolution.
Paton, Alan
Cry, the Beloved Country
A country Zulu pastor searches for his sick sister in Johannesburg, and discovers that she has become a prostitute and his son a murderer.
Remarque, Erich Maria
All Quiet on the Western Front
A young German soldier in World War I experiences pounding shellfire, hunger, sickness, and death.
Scott, Sir Walter
Ivanhoe
Tale of Ivanhoe, the disinherited knight, Lady Rowena, Richard the Lion-Hearted, and Robin Hood at the time of the Crusades.
Shelley, Mary W.
Frankenstein
A gothic tale of terror in which Franken-stein creates a monster from corpses.
Solzhenitsyn, Aleksander
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Ivan Denisovich Shukhov endures one more day in a Siberian prison camp and finds joy in survival.
Swift, Jonathan
Gulliver's Travels
Gulliver encounters dwarfs and giants and has other strange adventures when his ship is wrecked in distant lands.
Tan, Amy
The Joy Luck Club
After her mother's death, a young Chinese-American woman learns of her mother's tragic early life in China.
Tolstoy, Leo
Anna Karenina
Anna forsakes her husband for the dashing Count Vronsky and brief happiness.
Weisel, Elie
Night
A searing account of the Holocaust as experienced by a 15-year-old boy.
Biography/History
Angelou, Maya
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
An African-American writer traces her coming of age.
Ashe, Arthur and Arnold Rampersad.
Days of Grace
Biography of a highly respected tennis star and citizen of the world who dies of AIDS.
Baker, Russell
Growing Up
A columnist with a sense of humor takes a gentle look at his childhood in Baltimore during the Depression.
Berenbaum, Michael
The World Must Know: The History of the Holocaust as told in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Brown, Dee
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
A narrative of the white man's conquest of the American land as the Indian victims experienced it.
Cooke, Alistair
Alistair Cooke's America
A history of the continent, with anecdotes and insight into what makes America work.
Criddle, Jan. D. and Teeda Butt Mam
To Destroy You Is No Loss: The Odyssey of a Cambodian Family
After the 1975 Communist takeover of Cambodia, Teeda's upper-class life is re-duced to surviving impossible conditions.
Crow Dog, Mary and Richard Erdoes
Lakota Woman
Mary Crow Dog stands with 2,000 other Native Americans at the site of the Wounded Knee massacre, demonstrating for Native American rights.
Curie, Eve
Madame Curie
In sharing personal papers and her own memories, a daughter pays tribute to her mother, a scientific genius.
Delany, Sara and A. Elizabeth with Amy Hill Hearth
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
Two daughters of former slaves tell their stories of fighting racial and gender pre-
judice during the 20th century.
Epstein, Norrie
Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard.
Gain a perspective on Shakespeare's works through these sidelights, interpretations, anecdotes, and historical insights.
Frank, Anne
The Diary of a Young Girl
The story of a Jewish family forced by encroaching Nazis to live in hiding.
Franklin, Benjamin
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Considered one of the most interesting autobiographies in English.
Haley, Alex
Roots
Traces Haley's search for the history of his family, from Africa through the era of slavery to the 20th century.
Hersey, John
Hiroshima
Six Hiroshima survivors reflect on the aftermath of the first atomic bomb.
Karlsen, Carol
The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England
The status of women in colonial society affects the Salem witch accusations.
Keller, Helen
The Story of My Life
The story of Helen Keller, who was both blind and deaf, and her relationship with her devoted teacher Anne Sullivan.
Kennedy, John F.
Profiles in Courage
A series of profiles of Americans who took courageous stands in public life.
King, Martin Luther, Jr.
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr.
King's most important writings are gathered together in one source.
Kovic, Ron
Born on the Fourth of July
Paralyzed in the Vietnam War, 21-year-old Ron Kovic received little support from his country and its government.
Machiavelli, Niccolo
The Prince
A treatise giving the absolute ruler practical advice on ways to maintain a strong central government.
Malcom X, with Alex Haley
The Autobiography of Malcom X
Traces the transformation of a controversial Black Muslim figure from street hustler to religious and national leader.
Marx, Karl
The Communist Manifesto
Expresses Marx's belief in the inevitability of conflict between social classes and calls on the workers of the world to unite and revolt.
Mathabane, Mark
Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa
A tennis player breaks down racial barriers and escape to a better life in America.
Maybury-Lewis, David
Millenium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World
Profiles members of several tribal cultures.
McPherson, James
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era
From the Mexican War to Appomattox, aspects of the Civil War are examined.
Mills, Kay
This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer, a sharecropper's daughter, uses her considerable courage and singing talent to become a leader in the civil rights movement.
Plato
The Republic
Plato creates an ideal society where
justice is equated with health and happiness in the state and the individual.
Rogosin, Donn
Invisible Men: Life in Baseball's Negro Leagues
Negro League players finally gain recognition for their contributions to baseball.
Thoreau, Henry David
Walden
In the mid-19th century, Thoreau spends 26 months alone in the woods to "front the essential facts of life."
Tocqueville, Alexis de
Democracy in America
This classic in political literature examines American society from the viewpoint of a leading French magistrate who visited the U.S. in 1831.
Tuchman, Barbara
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous Fourteenth Century
Tuchman uses the example of a single feudal lord to trace the history of the 14th century.
Williams, Juan
Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-65
From Brown vs. the Board of Education to the Voting Rights Act, Williams outlines the social and political gains of African-Americans
Yolen, Jane
Favorite Folktales From Around the World
Yolen frames these powerful tales with explanations of historical and literary significance.
Science
Attenborough, David
The Living Planet: A Portrait of the Earth
Various habitats expand the vision of Planet Earth.
Bronowski, Jacob
The Ascent of Man
A scientist's history of the human mind and the human condition.
Carson, Rachel
Silent Spring
Carson's original clarion call to environmental action sets the stage for saving our planet.
Darwin, Charles
The Origin of Species
The classic exposition of the theory of
evolution by natural selection.
Hawking, Stephen
A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes
Cosmology becomes understandable as the author discusses the origin, evolution, and fate of our universe.
Leopold, Aldo
A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There
Leopold shares his present and future visions of a natural world.
Social Science
Campbell, Joseph
The Power of Myth
Explores themes and symbols from world religions and their relevance to humankind's spiritual journey today.
Hamilton, Edith
Mythology
Gods and heroes, their clashes and adventures, come alive in this splendid retelling of the Greek, Roman and Norse myths.
Kotlowitz, Alex
There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in Urban America
Lafayette and Pharoah Rivers and their family struggle to survive in one of Chicago's worst housing projects.
Kozol, Jonathan
Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools
Kozol's indictment of the public school system advocates equalizing per pupil public school expenditures.
Terkel, Studs
Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession
This kaleidoscope covers the full range of America's views on racial issues.
Drama
Beckett, Samuel
Waiting for Godot
Powerful, symbolic portrayal of the human condition.
Brecht, Bertolt
Mother Courage and Her Children
A product of the Nazi era, Mother Courage is a feminine "Everyman" in a play on the futility of war.
Chekhov, Anton
The Cherry Orchard
The orchard evokes different meanings for the impoverished aristocrat and the merchant who buys it.
Ibsen, Henrik
A Doll's House
A woman leaves her family to pursue personal freedom.
Marlowe, Christopher
Doctor Faustus
First dramatization of the medieval legend of a man who sold his soul to the devil.
Miller, Arthur
Death of a Salesman
The tragedy of a typical American who, at age 63, is faced with what he cannot face: defeat and disillusionment.
O'Neill, Eugene
Long Day's Journey Into Night
A tragedy set in 1912 in the summer home of an isolated, theatrical family.
Sarte, Jean Paul
No Exit
A modern morality play in which three persons are condemned to hell because of crimes against humanity.
Shakespeare, William
Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet,
Macbeth, Twelfth Night, others.
Shaw, Bernard
Man and Superman, Saint Joan, Pygmalion, others.
Sophocles
Oedipus Rex
Classical tragedy of Oedipus who unwittingly killed his father, married his mother and brought the plague to Thebes.
Wilde, Oscar
The Importance of Being Earnest
Comedy exposing quirks and foibles of Victorian society.
Wilder, Thornton
Our Town
The dead of a New Hamshire village of the early 1900s appreciate life more than the living.
Williams, Tennessee
A Streetcar Named Desire
Blanche Dubois' fantasies of refinement and grandeur are brutally destroyed by her brother-in-law.
Wilson, August
The Piano Lesson
Drama set in 1936 Pittsburgh chronicles black experience in America.
Poetry
Angelou, Maya
And Still I Rise
Poems reflecting themes from her autobiography.
Brooks, Gwendolyn
Selected Poems
Poetry focusing on the lives of African American residents of Northern urban ghettos, particularly women.
Cummings, E.E.
Complete Poems, 1904-1962
Prepared directly from the original manuscripts, preserving the original typography and format.
Dickinson, Emily
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
A chronological arrangement of all known Dickinson poems and fragments.
Donne, John
The Complete Poetry of John Donne
Poems distinguished by wit, profundity of thought, passion and subtlety.
Eliot, T.S.
The Waste Land
A poem of despair by one of the most important modern poets in English.
Frost, Robert
The Poetry of Robert Frost
Collected works reflecting both flashing insight and practical wisdom.
Ginsberg, Allen
Howl and Other Poems
Works from the leading poet of the so-called "beat generation."
Giovanni, Nikki
My House
The poems in this collection deal with love, family, nature, friends, music, aloneness, blackness, and Africa.
Hughes, Langston
Selected Poems
Poems selected by Hughes shortly before his death in 1967, representing work from his entire career.
Keats, John
Complete Poems
Among the greatest odes in English, written by a genius who died young.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
The Poetical Works of Longfellow
Includes "The Song of Hiawatha" and "The Courtship of Miles Standish."
Sandburg, Carl
Complete Poems
Sandburg celebrates industrial and agricultural America and the common people.
Thomas, Dylan
Poems of Dylan Thomas
Poetry by a "word magician" with a powerful imagination.
Williams, William Carlos
Selected Poems
Williams' poetry is firmly rooted in the commonplace details of American life.
Wordsworth, William
Poems
Poetry revealing the extraordinary beauty and significance of simple things.
Yeats, William Butler
The Poems
Leading poet of the Irish Renaissance.
College Bound Reading List
Compiled by Arrowhead Library System
American Literature
Agee, James
A Death in the Family
Story of loss and heartbreak felt when a young father dies.
Anderson, Sherwood
Winesburg, Ohio
A collection of short stories lays bare the life of a small town in the Midwest.
Baldwin, James
Go Tell It On the Mountain
Semi-autobiographical novel about a 14-year-old black youth's religious conversion.
Bellamy, Edward
Looking Backward: 2000-1887
Written in 1887 about a young man who travels in time to a utopian year 2000, where economic security and a healthy moral environment have reduced crime.
Bellow, Saul
Seize the Day
A son grapples with his love and hate for an unworthy father.
Bradbury, Ray
Fahrenheit 451
Reading is a crime and firemen burn books in this futuristic society.
Cather, Willa
My Antonia
Immigrant pioneers strive to adapt to the Nebraska prairies.
Chopin, Kate
The Awakening
The story of a New Orleans woman who abandons her husband and children to search for love and self-understanding.
Clark, Walter Van Tilburg
The Ox-Bow Incident
When a group of citizens discovers one of their members has been murdered by cattle rustlers, they form an illegal posse, pursue the murderers, and lynch them.
Cormier, Robert
The Chocolate War
Jerry Renault challenges the power structure of his school when he refuses to sell chocolates for the annual fundraiser.
Crane, Stephen
The Red Badge of Courage
During the Civil War, Henry Fleming joins the army full of romantic visions of battle which are shattered by combat.
Dorris, Michael
A Yellow Raft in Blue Water
Three generations of Native American women recount their searches for identity and love.
Ellison, Ralph
Invisible Man
A black man's search for himself as an individual and as a member of his race and his society.
Faulkner, William
As I Lay Dying
The Bundren family takes the ripening corpse of Addie, wife and mother, on a gruesomely comic journey.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott
The Great Gatsby
A young man corrupts himself and the American Dream to regain a lost love.
Gaines, Ernest
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
In her 100 years, Miss Jane Pittman experiences it all, from slavery to the civil rights movement.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
The Scarlet Letter
An adulterous Puritan woman keeps secret the identity of the father of her illegitimate child.
Heller, Joseph
Catch-22
A broad comedy about a WWII bombardier based in Italy and his efforts to avoid bombing missions.
Hemingway, Ernest
A Farewell to Arms
During World War I, an American lieutenant runs away with the woman who nurses him back to health.
Hurston, Zora Neale
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Janie repudiates many roles in her quest for self-fulfillment.
Kesey, Ken
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
A novel about a power struggle between the head nurse and one of the male patients in a mental institution.
Lee, Harper
To Kill a Mockingbird
At great peril to himself and his children, lawyer Atticus Finch defends an African-American man accused of raping a white woman in a small Alabama town.
Lewis, Sinclair
Main Street
A young doctor's wife tries to change the ugliness, dullness and ignorance which prevail in Gopher Prairie, Minn.
London, Jack
Call of the Wild
Buck is a loyal pet dog until cruel men make him a pawn in their search for Klondike gold.
McCullers, Carson
The Member of the Wedding
A young southern girl is determined to be the third party on a honeymoon, despite all the advice against it from friends and family.
Melville, Herman
Moby-Dick
A complex novel about a mad sea captain's pursuit of the White Whale.
Morrison, Toni
Sula
The lifelong friendship of two women becomes strained when one causes the other's husband to abandon her.
O'Connor, Flannery
A Good Man is Hard to Find
Social awareness, the grotesque, and the need for faith characterize these stories of the contemporary South.
Parks, Gordon
The Learning Tree
A fictional study of a black family in a small Kansas town in the 1920s.
Plath, Sylvia
The Bell Jar
The heartbreaking story of a talented young woman's descent into madness.
Poe, Edgar Allan
Great Tales and Poems
Poe is considered the father of detective stories and a master of supernatural tales.
Potok, Chaim
The Chosen
Friendship between two Jewish boys, one Hasidic and the other Orthodox, begins at a baseball game and flourishes despite their different backgrounds and beliefs.
Salinger, J.D.
The Catcher in the Rye
A prep school dropout rejects the "phoniness" he sees all about him.
Sinclair, Upton
The Jungle
The deplorable conditions of the Chicago stockyards are exposed in this turn-of-the-century novel.
Steinbeck, John
The Grapes of Wrath
The desperate flight of tenant farmers from Oklahoma during the Depression.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The classic tale that awakened a nation about the slave system.
Twain, Mark
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Huck and Jim, a runaway slave, travel down the Mississippi in search of freedom.
Vonnegut, Kurt
Slaughterhouse-Five
Billy Pilgrim, an optometrist from Ilium, New York, shuttles between World War II Dresden and a luxurious zoo on the planet Tralfamadore.
Walker, Alice
The Color Purple
A young woman sees herself as property until another woman teaches her to value herself.
Wells, H.G.
The Time Machine
A scientist invents a machine that transports him into the future.
Welty, Eudora
Thirteen Stories
A collection of short stories about people and life in the deep South.
Wolfe, Thomas
Look Homeward, Angel
A novel depicting the coming of age of Eugene Gant and his passion to experience life.
Wright, Richard
Native Son
Bigger Thomas, a young man from the Chicago slums, lashes out against a hostile society by committing two murders.
World Literature
Achebe, Chinua
Things Fall Apart
Okonkwo, a proud village leader, is driven to murder and suicide by European changes to his traditional Ibo society.
Allende, Isabel
House of the Spirits
The story of the Trueba family in Chile, from the turn of the century to the violent days of the overthrow of the Salvador Allende government in 1973.
Austen, Jane
Pride and Prejudice
Love and marriage among the English country gentry of Austen's day.
Balzac, Honore de
Pere Goriot
A father is reduced to poverty after giving money to his daughters.
Borges, Jorge Luis
Labyrinths
An anthology of literary fireworks based on Borges' favorite symbol.
Bronte, Charlotte
Jane Eyre
An intelligent and passionate governess falls in love with a strange, moody man tormented by dark secrets.
Bronte, Emily
Wuthering Heights
One of the masterpieces of English romanticism, this is a novel of Heathcliff and Catherine, love and revenge.
Camus, Albert
The Stranger
A man who is virtually unknown to both himself and others commits a pointless murder for which he has no explanation.
Carroll, Lewis
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
A fantasy in which Alice follows the White Rabbit to a dream world.
Cervantes, Miguel de
Don Quixote
An eccentric old gentleman sets out as a knight "tilting at windmills" to right the wrongs of the world.
Conrad, Joseph
Heart of Darkness
The novel's narrator journeys into the Congo where he discovers the extent to which greed can corrupt a good man.
Defoe, Daniel
Robinson Crusoe
The adventures of a man who spends 24 years on an isolated island.
Dickens, Charles
Great Expectations
The moving story of the rise, fall, and rise again of a humbly-born young orphan.
Dostoevski, Feodor
Crime and Punishment
A psychological novel about a poor student who murders an old woman pawnbroker and her sister.
Eliot, George
The Mill on the Floss
Maggie is miserable because her brother disapproves of her choices of romances.
Esquivel, Laura
Like Water for Chocolate
As the youngest of three daughters in a turn-of-the-century Mexican family, Tita may not marry but must remain at home to care for her mother.
Flaubert, Gustave
Madame Bovary
In her extramarital affairs, a bored young wife seeks unsuccessfully to find the emotional experiences she craves.
Forster, E.M.
A Passage to India
A young English woman in British-ruled India accuses an Indian doctor of sexual assault.
Fuentes, Carlos
The Death of Artemio Cruz
A powerful Mexican newspaper publisher recalls his life as he lies dying at age 71.
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel
One Hundred Years of Solitude
A technique called magical realism is used in this portrait of seven generations in the lives of the Buendia family.
Gogol, Nikolai
The Overcoat
Russian tales of good and evil.
Golding, William
Lord of the Flies
English schoolboys marooned on an uninhabited island test the values of civilization when they attempt to set up a society of their own.
Grass, Gunter
The Tin Drum
Oskar describes the amoral conditions through which he has lived in Germany, both during and after the Hitler regime.
Hardy, Thomas
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
The happiness of Tess and her husband is destroyed when she confesses that she bore a child as the result of a forced sexual relationship with her employer's son.
Hesse, Hermann
Siddhartha
Emerging from a kaleidoscope of experiences and pleasures, a young Brahmin ascends to a state of peace and mystic holiness.
Huxley, Aldous
Brave New World
A bitter satire of the future, in which the world is controlled by advances in science and social changes.
Joyce, James
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
A novel about a young man growing up in Ireland and rebelling against family, country, and religion.
Kafka, Franz
The Trial
A man is tried for a crime he knows nothing about, yet for which he feels guilt.
Lawrence, D.H.
Sons and Lovers
An autobiographical novel about a youth torn between a dominant working-class father and a possessive genteel mother.
Mann, Thomas
Death in Venice
In this novella, an author becomes aware of a darker side of himself when he visits Venice.
Orwell, George
Animal Farm
Animals turn the tables on their masters.
Pasternak, Boris
Doctor Zhivago
An epic novel of Russia before and after the Bolshevik revolution.
Paton, Alan
Cry, the Beloved Country
A country Zulu pastor searches for his sick sister in Johannesburg, and discovers that she has become a prostitute and his son a murderer.
Remarque, Erich Maria
All Quiet on the Western Front
A young German soldier in World War I experiences pounding shellfire, hunger, sickness, and death.
Scott, Sir Walter
Ivanhoe
Tale of Ivanhoe, the disinherited knight, Lady Rowena, Richard the Lion-Hearted, and Robin Hood at the time of the Crusades.
Shelley, Mary W.
Frankenstein
A gothic tale of terror in which Franken-stein creates a monster from corpses.
Solzhenitsyn, Aleksander
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Ivan Denisovich Shukhov endures one more day in a Siberian prison camp and finds joy in survival.
Swift, Jonathan
Gulliver's Travels
Gulliver encounters dwarfs and giants and has other strange adventures when his ship is wrecked in distant lands.
Tan, Amy
The Joy Luck Club
After her mother's death, a young Chinese-American woman learns of her mother's tragic early life in China.
Tolstoy, Leo
Anna Karenina
Anna forsakes her husband for the dashing Count Vronsky and brief happiness.
Weisel, Elie
Night
A searing account of the Holocaust as experienced by a 15-year-old boy.
Biography/History
Angelou, Maya
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
An African-American writer traces her coming of age.
Ashe, Arthur and Arnold Rampersad.
Days of Grace
Biography of a highly respected tennis star and citizen of the world who dies of AIDS.
Baker, Russell
Growing Up
A columnist with a sense of humor takes a gentle look at his childhood in Baltimore during the Depression.
Berenbaum, Michael
The World Must Know: The History of the Holocaust as told in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Brown, Dee
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
A narrative of the white man's conquest of the American land as the Indian victims experienced it.
Cooke, Alistair
Alistair Cooke's America
A history of the continent, with anecdotes and insight into what makes America work.
Criddle, Jan. D. and Teeda Butt Mam
To Destroy You Is No Loss: The Odyssey of a Cambodian Family
After the 1975 Communist takeover of Cambodia, Teeda's upper-class life is re-duced to surviving impossible conditions.
Crow Dog, Mary and Richard Erdoes
Lakota Woman
Mary Crow Dog stands with 2,000 other Native Americans at the site of the Wounded Knee massacre, demonstrating for Native American rights.
Curie, Eve
Madame Curie
In sharing personal papers and her own memories, a daughter pays tribute to her mother, a scientific genius.
Delany, Sara and A. Elizabeth with Amy Hill Hearth
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
Two daughters of former slaves tell their stories of fighting racial and gender pre-
judice during the 20th century.
Epstein, Norrie
Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard.
Gain a perspective on Shakespeare's works through these sidelights, interpretations, anecdotes, and historical insights.
Frank, Anne
The Diary of a Young Girl
The story of a Jewish family forced by encroaching Nazis to live in hiding.
Franklin, Benjamin
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Considered one of the most interesting autobiographies in English.
Haley, Alex
Roots
Traces Haley's search for the history of his family, from Africa through the era of slavery to the 20th century.
Hersey, John
Hiroshima
Six Hiroshima survivors reflect on the aftermath of the first atomic bomb.
Karlsen, Carol
The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England
The status of women in colonial society affects the Salem witch accusations.
Keller, Helen
The Story of My Life
The story of Helen Keller, who was both blind and deaf, and her relationship with her devoted teacher Anne Sullivan.
Kennedy, John F.
Profiles in Courage
A series of profiles of Americans who took courageous stands in public life.
King, Martin Luther, Jr.
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr.
King's most important writings are gathered together in one source.
Kovic, Ron
Born on the Fourth of July
Paralyzed in the Vietnam War, 21-year-old Ron Kovic received little support from his country and its government.
Machiavelli, Niccolo
The Prince
A treatise giving the absolute ruler practical advice on ways to maintain a strong central government.
Malcom X, with Alex Haley
The Autobiography of Malcom X
Traces the transformation of a controversial Black Muslim figure from street hustler to religious and national leader.
Marx, Karl
The Communist Manifesto
Expresses Marx's belief in the inevitability of conflict between social classes and calls on the workers of the world to unite and revolt.
Mathabane, Mark
Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa
A tennis player breaks down racial barriers and escape to a better life in America.
Maybury-Lewis, David
Millenium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World
Profiles members of several tribal cultures.
McPherson, James
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era
From the Mexican War to Appomattox, aspects of the Civil War are examined.
Mills, Kay
This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer, a sharecropper's daughter, uses her considerable courage and singing talent to become a leader in the civil rights movement.
Plato
The Republic
Plato creates an ideal society where
justice is equated with health and happiness in the state and the individual.
Rogosin, Donn
Invisible Men: Life in Baseball's Negro Leagues
Negro League players finally gain recognition for their contributions to baseball.
Thoreau, Henry David
Walden
In the mid-19th century, Thoreau spends 26 months alone in the woods to "front the essential facts of life."
Tocqueville, Alexis de
Democracy in America
This classic in political literature examines American society from the viewpoint of a leading French magistrate who visited the U.S. in 1831.
Tuchman, Barbara
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous Fourteenth Century
Tuchman uses the example of a single feudal lord to trace the history of the 14th century.
Williams, Juan
Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-65
From Brown vs. the Board of Education to the Voting Rights Act, Williams outlines the social and political gains of African-Americans
Yolen, Jane
Favorite Folktales From Around the World
Yolen frames these powerful tales with explanations of historical and literary significance.
Science
Attenborough, David
The Living Planet: A Portrait of the Earth
Various habitats expand the vision of Planet Earth.
Bronowski, Jacob
The Ascent of Man
A scientist's history of the human mind and the human condition.
Carson, Rachel
Silent Spring
Carson's original clarion call to environmental action sets the stage for saving our planet.
Darwin, Charles
The Origin of Species
The classic exposition of the theory of
evolution by natural selection.
Hawking, Stephen
A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes
Cosmology becomes understandable as the author discusses the origin, evolution, and fate of our universe.
Leopold, Aldo
A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There
Leopold shares his present and future visions of a natural world.
Social Science
Campbell, Joseph
The Power of Myth
Explores themes and symbols from world religions and their relevance to humankind's spiritual journey today.
Hamilton, Edith
Mythology
Gods and heroes, their clashes and adventures, come alive in this splendid retelling of the Greek, Roman and Norse myths.
Kotlowitz, Alex
There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in Urban America
Lafayette and Pharoah Rivers and their family struggle to survive in one of Chicago's worst housing projects.
Kozol, Jonathan
Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools
Kozol's indictment of the public school system advocates equalizing per pupil public school expenditures.
Terkel, Studs
Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession
This kaleidoscope covers the full range of America's views on racial issues.
Drama
Beckett, Samuel
Waiting for Godot
Powerful, symbolic portrayal of the human condition.
Brecht, Bertolt
Mother Courage and Her Children
A product of the Nazi era, Mother Courage is a feminine "Everyman" in a play on the futility of war.
Chekhov, Anton
The Cherry Orchard
The orchard evokes different meanings for the impoverished aristocrat and the merchant who buys it.
Ibsen, Henrik
A Doll's House
A woman leaves her family to pursue personal freedom.
Marlowe, Christopher
Doctor Faustus
First dramatization of the medieval legend of a man who sold his soul to the devil.
Miller, Arthur
Death of a Salesman
The tragedy of a typical American who, at age 63, is faced with what he cannot face: defeat and disillusionment.
O'Neill, Eugene
Long Day's Journey Into Night
A tragedy set in 1912 in the summer home of an isolated, theatrical family.
Sarte, Jean Paul
No Exit
A modern morality play in which three persons are condemned to hell because of crimes against humanity.
Shakespeare, William
Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet,
Macbeth, Twelfth Night, others.
Shaw, Bernard
Man and Superman, Saint Joan, Pygmalion, others.
Sophocles
Oedipus Rex
Classical tragedy of Oedipus who unwittingly killed his father, married his mother and brought the plague to Thebes.
Wilde, Oscar
The Importance of Being Earnest
Comedy exposing quirks and foibles of Victorian society.
Wilder, Thornton
Our Town
The dead of a New Hamshire village of the early 1900s appreciate life more than the living.
Williams, Tennessee
A Streetcar Named Desire
Blanche Dubois' fantasies of refinement and grandeur are brutally destroyed by her brother-in-law.
Wilson, August
The Piano Lesson
Drama set in 1936 Pittsburgh chronicles black experience in America.
Poetry
Angelou, Maya
And Still I Rise
Poems reflecting themes from her autobiography.
Brooks, Gwendolyn
Selected Poems
Poetry focusing on the lives of African American residents of Northern urban ghettos, particularly women.
Cummings, E.E.
Complete Poems, 1904-1962
Prepared directly from the original manuscripts, preserving the original typography and format.
Dickinson, Emily
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
A chronological arrangement of all known Dickinson poems and fragments.
Donne, John
The Complete Poetry of John Donne
Poems distinguished by wit, profundity of thought, passion and subtlety.
Eliot, T.S.
The Waste Land
A poem of despair by one of the most important modern poets in English.
Frost, Robert
The Poetry of Robert Frost
Collected works reflecting both flashing insight and practical wisdom.
Ginsberg, Allen
Howl and Other Poems
Works from the leading poet of the so-called "beat generation."
Giovanni, Nikki
My House
The poems in this collection deal with love, family, nature, friends, music, aloneness, blackness, and Africa.
Hughes, Langston
Selected Poems
Poems selected by Hughes shortly before his death in 1967, representing work from his entire career.
Keats, John
Complete Poems
Among the greatest odes in English, written by a genius who died young.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
The Poetical Works of Longfellow
Includes "The Song of Hiawatha" and "The Courtship of Miles Standish."
Sandburg, Carl
Complete Poems
Sandburg celebrates industrial and agricultural America and the common people.
Thomas, Dylan
Poems of Dylan Thomas
Poetry by a "word magician" with a powerful imagination.
Williams, William Carlos
Selected Poems
Williams' poetry is firmly rooted in the commonplace details of American life.
Wordsworth, William
Poems
Poetry revealing the extraordinary beauty and significance of simple things.
Yeats, William Butler
The Poems
Leading poet of the Irish Renaissance.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Spending time together
This weekend was a very great one. It' been months since we had a weekend of no conflict. Even though I was sick, we decided to take a mini vacation to the Gulf Coast. The ride was comforting both going and coming back. On the way there, after listening to my iPhone and talking, I read from Black Boy by Richard Wright. It was so nice to actually have a conversation with no arguments. Even the shopping was unconfrontational! He hates to shop! Of course, I love to shop! This morning I realized that my marriage is truly worth saving! We have been through so much but I now realize that something has brought us together for a reason! It is not about the children as I love to say, but it is about sooo much more. Marriage is hard and a lot of work. This weekend I prayed for an answer. Now it is up to us to make this work. We can't say we are doing it for the children because that won't fix anything! We have to want to fix it for ourselves!
Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
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Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Irony
Guess who's sleep and it's time for me to get ready to go to work?
Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
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Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
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This is what jacob does at 4 am
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Always on call
Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
Image Consultant
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Friday, September 12, 2008
Racism still exists
Having decided that we would eat out, we decided to eat at China Belle on Lakeland drive. Being the only blacks, we were escorted away from the the customers to a booth in the back. Not thinking anything about it, we got our food! However when two the other black families were escorted to the apparent designated area, I became angry. After approaching the lady at the counter about the obvious segregation, I was told "to have a seat. Quietly I will take a seat but the necessary actions will be taken! This is 2008 and a have the undeniable right to be treated as a citizen!
Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
Image Consultant
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Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
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Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Bedtime story
Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
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Boredom Quizzes
Here is a very fun quiz to take when you are experiencing a bout of boredom! Enjoy!
You Are 70% Kinky |
 You are a very kinky person. You are completely open minded about sexuality. You're up for something different from time to time, and you don't have many hang ups. And while you're not into everything, you don't judge people who are. You figure that anything between consenting adults is fair game! |
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Driving illegally
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Driving illegally
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Learning her lesson
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Reading the newspaper
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Sunday, August 31, 2008
Listening to the Radio
What do you say when your oldest son repeats a son from the radio?
Jeremiah: mama, guess what?
Me: what?
Jeremiah: that baby don't look like me.
Me: (mouth open)
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Jeremiah: mama, guess what?
Me: what?
Jeremiah: that baby don't look like me.
Me: (mouth open)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Cleaning up
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Lipstick
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Friday, August 22, 2008
Jacob's birthday dinner
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Thursday, August 21, 2008
Diva in the making
Jasmine: don't mess my hair up.
Me: washing jasmine off
Jasmine: (leaning away from me) don't mess my hair up momma
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Paying attention!
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Homework time
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008
What Olympic Sport Am I?
I thought this was really cute (Thanks, Deanna). Deep down, when I was in high school, I wanted to play football and wrestle. However, I knew I wasn't going to get my parents approval.
| You Are Weightlifting |
 When most people would give up, you press on. You can deal with pain and setbacks easily. You have a will of steel. |
http://www.blogthings.com/whatolympicsportareyouquiz/">What Olympic Sport Are You?
True success
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hard day@ work
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Jasmine's second day @ day care
Jasmine: She spits on table
Little girl: "teacher, she spit on the table"
Jasmine: (looking mean and pointing finger) "I am going to get you! "
My princess isn't as innocent as I thought.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Working on Potty Training
Today, I decided to sit Jakie on the big kids potty. Amazingly, he used it. I couldn't believe it. I will start working with him now to get him to be potty trained. He will be one year on the 22nd. He is my miracle baby. Every day he amazes more and more. I am so blessed that he lived through his traumatic experience. I know that there are great things for him in store for him in the future.
Monday, July 21, 2008
1930s Husband Test
I don't know whether to be appalled or offended. What are your thoughts about his test score?
 | 55 As a 1930s husband, I am |
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
DH Appreciation Day; My First Cake
DH left his lunch on the counter. When he asked if I would bring it to him, I said sure. Then I came up with the idea to have a surprise picnic. Placing his lunch bag in the refrigerator, I concocted a nice picnic surprise. Taking care to cook close to his lunch time, which for us is dinner time, everyone had their meal in a nice Ziploc plastic container. With that done, I decide to bake a cake. Well, if you know me, I don't like to cook (but I have to) and I definitely don't bake. Since I had a cake mix, I decided to do it. This would be my first cake. The only other cake I made, DH actually coached me through it all. I was really kind of nervous. I wanted it to be perfect. I followed the directions carefully. Being paranoid about mixing the cake, I mixed it for three minutes instead of the recommended two minutes. Then the baking of the cake. I put the timer on the oven and turn the light on. Since I was baking cream of mushroom chicken, I put the cake pans on the top right (just in case). The toothpick test was done the first time, and it came out brown with goo. OH! NO! I just knew I was in for disaster. The second time though it was clean. Taking it out, I let it cool. My heart starting throbbing. Is it right? Does it look right? I couldn't tell. After turning it over on the plate, I realized I hadn't let it cool all the way. Scared again, I just knew I was in for failure. But, things quickly turned around when I started putting the frosting on it. It actually looked like a cake. The soccer pro even helped put the sprinkles on, while the princess decided it was easier to stick both hands into the frosting container and lick herself clean. Feeling really proud of myself, I proceeded to pack the ice cream, sweet tea, utensils, and baby food. Then it hit me. How am I going to transport the cake? Paranoid, I called my mom (which is nothing new.) We brainstormed and brainstormed. Punch bowl...nope. I really need to purchasing cooking supplies, ie. cake cover, bigger punch bowl...Brainstorm again... flat deep pan...nope...box YES!!!! I had actually bought some boxes to organize my clutter filled office (I need Clean House). It worked perfectly. Packing up the crew, we headed to Comcast in Madison. After picking him up, we headed to Strawberry Park. Before we could get there, the princess kept saying cake cake cake. It's a good thing she knows how to talk, but she is so honest. I also learned that he had figured it out that it was a cake I had made. I told him I bought it. He told me he could smell it. If it was store bought you can't smell it. UMMM...I didn't know that. Anyway, it turned out to be a wonderful surprise. We told him it was his appreciation picnic. He went back to work happy and full from our love and my first cake.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Jeremiah letting his light shine!
Sending emails, I heard Jacob crying and then I heard silence. After a while, I heard Jeremiah singing, "This little light of mine..." When I came into the room, Jeremiah was singing to Jacob. He had put Jacob to sleep.
I use castille soap to wash my hair. It's great because it doesn't strip my hair of its natural oils. Having different scents, it causes a calming affect. I also use it to bathe in, bathe the children, and wash their hair. Now, I have found a new use. I poured a small amount into the washer along with the washing detergent. Amazingly, it had the same affect as a fabric softener. My sheets and comforter smell amazing. Castille soap is a great organic product.
Jacob's Asthma
This morning as I was bathing my youngest. I heard him wheezing, and I almost panicked. He has asthma, but we haven't had any problems, since he was released from home health in April. After the bath, I set him up for his medicine. A funny thing is he is wayyyyy to big for his old car seat. His little feet were hanging over. Anyway, now that he is older, it was a wrestling match to get his mask on. I felt so bad. How can you feel bad for doing something that can potentially save his life? Anyway, once I turned it on. It was apparent that he needed it because he stopped fighting. I am so afraid that he will start having problems again. It's so sad to see him having difficulty sometimes breathing. Being the paranoid mother that I am, I will have to watch him closely.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
New Family Hobby
Finding cheap and fun family activities can sometimes be a big challenge, but since my husband's vacation was this past week, we have discovered a new family hobby. This hobby is fishing.
Having never been fishing before, I just knew I would be board stiff. To my surprise, it has turned into something I am growing to love. The first time we went, my little princess was the only one, who caught something. Funny thing was that we all had professional fishing rods and reels. She just used a barbie doll fishing rod from Bass Pro Shops.
The next time we went fishing I was upset and didn't want to go. I had a list of things I could have and should have been doing. So amidst studying and pouting in the truck, I couldn't resist. Before I knew it, I was carrying rod in hand walking to the pier. That day we decided to compete. Two of them were given to us. I caught three and had to throw a small one back. The soccer pro caught five and threw a small one back. Daddy Wilson caught six and threw one back.
Today, we went and tried a new location. I was amazed at how disappointed I was when I caught nothing. I wanted to stay and keep going, but it was late and we had to leave. It is nice fishing. You bond with each other. You leave cell phones in the truck. The kids are happy. The family is just happy. I love it. I can't wait until this Saturday to do it again. Maybe we can go on Friday and Saturday.
What is even better we had a great meal. I had to make a special trip to the store to purchase a bag of french fries. Even though gas is expensive, I didn't complain. It was worth the trip.
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About Me
- Style Expert
- Cassandra Hawkins-Wilson is Founder & President of Sensational Image Consulting, a professional image consulting firm based in the Metro Jackson Mississippi Area. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in English and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology with a minor in Political Science from Jackson State University. As a instructor with Millsaps College Enrichment Program and an experienced public speaker and seminar leader, Cassandra is experienced in image training. Working with individuals from business executives to universities. With over 12 years experience in retail/fashion industry, education, and Mary Kay Cosmetics, she has designed and delivered workshops and seminars on appearance, communication skills, and business etiquette. Cassandra’s loves working with individual clients to assist one-on-one with professional development, visual, nonverbal, interpersonal communication, and presentation skills. In addition, she is a frequent contributor to various journals and published author.