Personal Development classes At Millsaps College

Call 601-974-1130 to receive a complete brochure and to sign up for the following courses! Transform your image today!
Looking Great on a Budget: Makeover Your Closet
Many of us are not equipped with a set of instructions to help us look our best on a budget. This exciting class will help you discover how to look amazing, regardless of your size or shape, while on a budget. You will find out great fashion secrets on choosing the right styles, colors, fabrics, and accessories. Discover how to make the right choices on color and quality when shopping for clothes. If you need an instruction manual to shopping for your body, this is the class for you.Cost: $25; Sat., April 18, 1:00-3:00 p.m.; 1 class meeting.
Enhance Your Professional Image
Learn to be at ease during an interview or when selecting your business attire. In this class you will learn about: dressing for an interview, body language at an interview, dressing for the job you have, and/or dressing for the job you want. The instructor will offer many other tips to help you acquire the image of a well-polished and successful person. Have all of your questions answered!Cost: $25; Sat., April 18, 10:00 a.m.-Noon; 1 class meeting.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR, VISIT WWW.SENSATIONALIMAGECONSULTING.COM.

Birds and the Bees

Okay, my oldest child is only six years old and in the first grade. I don't know how much longer we can resist explaining the "Birds and the Bees" from him. Today, he said that a boy in his class tried to kiss him on the lips. What the HELL?!! I am teacher, so I understood when he said the teacher didn't have time to address it because the school day was almost over. However, I hope that she deals with it on tomorrow, but now I am dealing with when is it appropriate to explain about sex. Any suggestions. Looking forward to hearing comments on this one.

Feeling Refreshed

I am HAPPY to report that this weekend was fantastic! Maybe it was the weather or just being away from the hustle and bustle of life.

I started off with an early morning trip to my parents, so that they could babysit for me while I attended the 4Ws Writing Institute in Clarksdale, MS. We had such a great time discussing Tennessee Williams's work. Since I drove myself, I was able to go to the Delta Blues Museum. That was fabulous as well.

Once I got home (my parents' house) the children were worn out from all the playing with their favorite aunt (my thirteen year old sister) and their favorite little cousin. We all just passed out. I always get the best sleep at my parents' house. I don't have to worry about monitoring the kids and their sleeping habits or checking the house to make sure we are still safe.

On today, I spent the morning saying it was time to go. However, I never quite made it out. The weather kept me there even longer, not that I am complaining. My gifted father fixed my horn. All my horn needed was to replace the fuse. I could do that and I did do it. He also helped me do some much need maintenance work on my car. I have to watch my tires. I am so bad about jumping in the car and driving without checking it out. Of course, my dad used this opportunity to give me a lecture on the importance of maintaining my own car. (I really needed that)

Later, my little sister and I had a little fun in Oxford. We did a little shopping and had a great time. Now I am back home. I don't feel as mentally exhausted and do believe I will get some things done since I am so refreshed. There is nothing like going to the country and slowing down. I appreciate my upbringing so much.

Being a Victim

I have to really stop coming home so late. Tonight, I had errands to do and didn't get home until seven. Pulling up in the F-150, I had to park in the driveway instead of the garage. Then, I had to get the crew out leave, leave the truck on, and get everyone into the house safely because the front porch light was off. Talking about trying to get everything organized. What I did was really kind of dangerous. It just so happened that I read an article in Parenting Magazine about being a victim of crime. What have you done to prevent being a victim? What are some things you can do to lessen the change of you being a victim?

Long Overdue

Okay, it's been about 5 weeks since my last post. Boy, do I miss blogging. Anyway, I will try to update you on the happenings around the house. Well, Jasmine turned three on February 6. We celebrated at her daycare. I bought cupcakes from Sam's Club and Capri Suns all for $20. She had a ball. She didn't get all the gifts, but no cleaning up, no party favors, and all of her friends were there. That definitely made up for the shortcomings on gifts. Then on February 12, I turned the big 2-7! I celebrated with some friends at Elixir! We had a ball.

In other news, Jacob had pneumonia last week. Then, he had the stomach virus. Next, I had the stomach virus, and I spent Friday in the emergency room because I was so dehydrated. No complaints though. I was able to get some rest. LOL! Anyway, on the way from daycare Kwandis experienced what I had - throw up in the truck. Jasmine got it. So poor Jasmine and I cuddled and comforted each other in our darkest hour. We recovered together as well. How about that for Mother and Daughter Bonding.

Yesterday was a sluggish day. We stayed around the house. Watched some television and tried to rest. When Kwandis got off work, we turned the television off and read stories. I was so impressed with Jeremiah. I read Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-tale Heart" and "The Oval Portrait." Through all the "big words" and extensive descriptions, Jeremiah understood the plot. I am so proud of little man. The other two listened in until they were asleep. It was nice to see the children so happy.

Today was even more amazing, if you will. We woke up to snow. It wasn't much, but just enough to take pictures of. Thinking it was too cold to take my little man out, we didn't make it to church. However, about 12 noon, I started feeling really good. I mean REALLY good and feeling really impulsive. I had the urge to build bookcases. Can you believe it?

The urge was so strong that I switched vehicles with Kwandis and bundled up my crew. Off to Home Depot we went. Talking to my mom the entire time, I was able to pick out the right wood, have it cut, and pick the right nails. The children, Jasmine, Jacob, and Jeremiah, all helped me unload the wood off the truck. Poor children. They are learning too early how to be great helpers and do things for themselves.

After a few frustrating moments, I realized that the nails were too big and that they needed to be replaced. So, once again, I packed my crew up. This time we hit up Lowe's in Dogwood, which should have been off limits. At Lowe's, I really was in the "building mood." Instead of just getting the nails, like I was suppose to, I picked up more wood to make another bookcase. I also picked up a tube of liquid nails, just in case. As I loaded up everything in the truck, I could just hear ROSS retail store calling my name, beckoning me to come.

I succombed to the beckoning, but I did have a predetermine list in mind. I was only to get picture frames for Jasmine and Jacob's pictures from daycare. Amazingly, I did manage to get the picture frames, along with a sheet set for my bed, two King size pillows, standard pillowcases for the children, and a pillow for Jasmine. I resisted the urge to check out the scrapbooks. I will do that on my next trip.

After our shopping adventure, I returned and finished two out of the three bookcases, changed the sheets, feed the crew, read a Junie B. book, and put them all to bed. Now, I am starting to feel the pain in my back. Evidently, I am not as young as I once were. Who would have thought?
I am excited to be back in the groove of blogging, but now I have to catch up on my list of 77 things in 77 days. I have really been slipping.

A Lot of Explaining

Today was a historical day! Jeremiah was so excited. We are watching the recording of the day on our DVR. I had to do some explaining though. Jeremiah was asking questions about racism. He associated Obama's position as President of the United States to the end of racism. I had to explain to him that racism still exists. The profound innocence of a child just makes you wonder where we, as adults, go wrong. His response was "Mama, I would wish all a shooting that that people like ALL brown people." I just looked at him in amazement. Tears in my eyes, all I could say was, "Jeremiah, I know."

Which Female Icon Are You? Marilyn Monroe

Here is the results to the quiz it took. Thanks, Nicole.

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Marilyn!

You are a Marilyn -- "I am affectionate and skeptical."

Marilyns are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Be direct and clear
• * Listen to me carefully
• * Don't judge me for my anxiety
• * Work things through with me
• * Reassure me that everything is OK between us
• * Laugh and make jokes with me
• * Gently push me toward new experiences
• * Try not to overreact to my overreacting.

What I Like About Being a Marilyn

• * being committed and faithful to family and friends
• * being responsible and hardworking
• * being compassionate toward others
• * having intellect and wit
• * being a nonconformist
• * confronting danger bravely
• * being direct and assertive

What's Hard About Being a Marilyn

• * the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind
• * procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself
• * fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of
• * exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger
• * wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right
• * being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations

Marilyns as Children Often

• * are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn
• * are anxious and hypervigilant; anticipate danger
• * form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent
• * look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel
• * are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent

Marilyns as Parents

• * are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty
• * are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence
• * worry more than most that their children will get hurt
• * sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at No comments:

War In Israel

I don't watch the news often, but as I was folding the laundry, I turned the TV to Comcast. CNN was covering the ongoing war in Israel. Jeremiah walked in just as CNN was showing the air strikes, the flames, and the smoke. He asked what was that. I told him a war was going on. He asked with concern in his voice, "Mama! Where!?" I told him in another country. His reply, "Yeah!" He went back to playing.

Interviews of civilians being reflected didn't help my immediate concern about his reply and what was going on abroad. A mother described the morning of the air strikes. She described how she dressed both herself and her son, reminding me quickly of my morning routine. She sent her two boys walking to go to school. After the boys had walked less than one meter to school, the strikes began occurring. She was able to save the youngest son, but the oldest one was not to be found. CNN showed her saying over and over again, "God Bless His Soul."

All I could think about is my family and our life here in America. America isn't perfect especially now with the economy and the prevailing presence of racism, but we do feel safe. I had to explain to my son the inappropriateness of his response. Subsequently, it made me think. How many more Americans responded to the dire situation of Israel near Gaza?

Having compassion towards those we don't know is so important. The strong message of caring for others in other countries must be taught to our students.

Wilson Family Barbershop/Beautyshop

Thanks to Sandi. The children have been playing with their new family career - barber and cosmetologist. Here are pictures from the Wilson Family Barbershop/Beautyshop.

Starting The Year Off Right

Today, I was able to see my good friend, Sandi. We met at Mazzio's for lunch and went to her home afterward - thanks to my begging. Jasmine immediately feel in love with "her new friend." I was able to see the phenomenal job the Chef did as well. Her freezer looked so inviting and organized. The house smelled like my favorite restaurant. I am so jealous. I am working on finding out how I can get him here. I might need to sell some Mary Kay Cosmetics asap! :)

She was so kind to have me and the crew over to her house unannounced. Jeremiah can't stop talking about making potholders. He called my sister and my mother to tell about his new accomplishment. He was so proud. He wants a potholder loom for his birthday and a camera, like "his new friend." Sandi also taught me to knit. I am so proud to say that I know how to use a knitting loom. Sandi is the greatest! She is so sweet! It was so great to be around her and her daughter.

Jasmine begged her way into getting a hairstyler's chair. When we got home, she refused to leave it at the house. She took it in the car with her to Sams Club. When we came back, she wouldn't let "her chair" out of her site. At one point, Jeremiah had a sheet around her neck and a comb. I felt like I was in the Wilson's Barbershop. Next time, I will get photos.

Today was confirmation that things are going to get better. It motivated me to clean up my house to be able to have my friends and family over. As soon as I came from Sams Club - I bought a new heavy duty mop - , I started cleaning. I cleaned the main bathroom door, cabinets, and even the baseboard. Each day I will clean and decorate a room. Stay tuned for an invite. I plan on doing a lot of entertaining and facials at my home. 2009 is my time to shine.

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?

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!

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.

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.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

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!

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

Do You Have Gaps in Your Knowledge?

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.

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.

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!

1. Maggie Reads



2. Living to tell about it



3. Suburban Wife



4. Empower Me to Write



5. Little Nothings

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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?

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.

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
Image Consultant
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www.marykay.com/cwilson77
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Irony

Guess who's sleep and it's time for me to get ready to go to work?
Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
Image Consultant
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www.marykay.com/cwilson77
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This is what jacob does at 4 am

Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
Image Consultant
www.sensationalimageconsulting.com
www.marykay.com/cwilson77
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Always on call

Listening to my husband and other children snoring, I realized I probably should be sleeping. However, as you can see me and Jacob at playing basketball @ 430 in the morning. He use to sleep during the entire night, but now he awakes at 3 something every night. Normally I would turn Sprout tv on and they would put him to sleep, so after typing my test, I let him walk around. Instead of him acting tired and sleepy, he decides it is time to play. I quickly realized a mom is always on call. Gotta go. He is playing with his sister' s kitchen now! :)
Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
Image Consultant
www.sensationalimageconsulting.com
www.marykay.com/cwilson77
Order online and receive 10% off your order.

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
www.sensationalimageconsulting.com
www.marykay.com/cwilson77
Order online and receive 10% off your order.

Bedtime story

Your child deserves fifteen minutes of your time a day. Please read to your children!
Cassandra Hawkins Wilson
Image Consultant
www.sensationalimageconsulting.com
www.marykay.com/cwilson77
Order online and receive 10% off your order.

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!

Are You Kinky?

Driving illegally

Refusing to stay on the road, this is why underage driving is not allowed!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Driving illegally

Refusing to stay on the road, this is why underage driving is not allowed!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Learning her lesson

Knowing that she shouldn't roll to the bushes, she did it anyway. All you could hear was owww!!! Sometimes you really have to let them learn on their own!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Reading the newspaper

Your heart overflows with joy, when your child is eating dinner and reading the newspaper. You have so many wants and desires for your children. However, when you see them imitating the positive things, you are immediately confirmed that you are on the right track.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

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)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile