Dear Naive Creative Nonfiction Writer,

If only I could tell you before you register for this class that Professor Renfroe's expectations of you will be tough, and no matter how much you complain or give excuses, he will not cut you any slack. In other words, his overall objective for you will be that you become a better and more confident nonfiction writer who also uses creativity as part of the process, ultimately resulting in a written work that will be enjoyable for others to read.

At times, you will think that there is no way that you can do all of the work. I mean not only does Professor Renfroe "ask" you to write (and rewrite) your essays, he also requires you to read a lot about creative nonfiction writing techniques and well known essays that incorporate those techniques, and then you will be quizzed on the readings at the most unexpected times. Oh, one more thing, he will also request that you blog, blog, blog every week. If you are like me, you must prepare yourself for the big shock of learning how to blog and then writing about various topics that you think others will want to take their time to read about.

If you get through the class, you will have learned so much. You will have refined your writing to a point that you will feel good about it and also will have developed a thought process where you will have selected topics that could be personal, profile, or immersion (topics you know a lot about) essays. The essay title will need to be good enough to "draw" the reader into a strong introduction; and if they read the whole essay, they will need to feel good about your conclusion. Your writing will reflect timely and timeless information. It will tell a story, contain some humor when appropriate, be informative where the reader will learn something, and, most of all, it will be factual. Detailed descriptions and dialogue will be important in any essay, as well as smooth transitions from one paragraph to the next. You will also see that you will typically use too many words to say even the most simplest things, when only a few words will easily suffice. One last, but very important, thing to remember: If you do not use good grammar, you will not be a successful writer.

Your classmates will also play a big part in helping you get through the class and also become a better writer. They will be required to review your essays and note your strong points as well as any constructive feedback. Be ready, if your classmates are excellent reviewers like mine were, you will be editing your essays a good bit.

All I can end with is this: I am glad the class is ending soon, but the skills I have learned will go with me into my future writings. Thank you, Professor Renfroe, and classmates. Good luck to you, naive writer. You will need it.

Excitement Is Growing!

I am now getting frequent e-mails from Queens about Hayworth College’s graduation events, and I am getting so excited. I have heard that there are about 100 of us adults graduating on Thursday, May 7, at 7:00 p.m.; and with good weather, the ceremony will be held on Burwell Lawn, a tradition in the traditional undergraduate school.

My cap and gown have been ordered, and I should be able to pick them up in a couple of weeks. I debated about whether to order announcements, but I decided to order twenty-five. I plan to send them to my family and my close friends. Etiquette tips say that you can write “No Gifts, Please” on the announcement, and I will do that (even though I hope my husband surprises me with a gift of jewelry – my favorite thing). I decided not to order a ring, but I can order one at a later time if I change my mind.

Besides my husband, of course, I have invited my son and his family, my mother, and four of our best friend couples. Yes, that is fourteen people, but at this point, there is no guest limit. Hey, I have been going after this degree for around thirty years, so I am glad that those who love me the most can help me celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event.

After the graduation ceremony, we are planning to celebrate at either Zen Asian Fusion or Providence Cafe (two of my favorites dining places). Yes, it will be around 8:30 p.m., and most of this group usually goes to bed early, but, HELLO, it is the perfect time to P-A-R-T-Y! I can’t wait.

Change – Is It Good or Bad?

It is interesting how quickly things change. Remember how countertop microwaves were the rage and now stores only have a few models to choose from because the built-ins are the thing now. And, look at how cameras and camcorders have evolved over the last few years. The change in these electronic devices has been dramatic – from big to so small, from film to digital, from heavy to featherweight. The list could go on and on, but today the message is on big business. Recently, I learned that Blockbuster Video probably will not stay in business through the end of the year. Another big company “bites the dust.”

I recall how wonderful it has been to walk around a Blockbuster store, select a movie at your own pace, and rent it using your “special” Blockbuster card, and then watching the video in the privacy of your home. I have not heard about how other video rental businesses such as Hollywood or Netflix (mail-order) are doing, but it has been nice to have the neighborhood Blockbusters, making rentals so convenient. I rarely see a Hollywood store, and no matter how convenient they try to make it, Netflix is still work on a customer’s part. They do have the instant TV showings, but the selection is poor.

Just yesterday, I ran in MY Blockbuster store and rented the newly released Bedroom Stories and The Tales of Despereaux, and a real oldie, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. We are taking our grandchildren to Blowing Rock over the Easter holiday, and the place where we are staying does not have pay-per-view selections. They only have a collection of DVD’s that guests can borrow, and I don’t recall seeing any new releases on the list. I guess we could live without looking at movies for a few days, but the children do enjoy it (and so do I), especially before bedtime.

We have Time Warner’s On Demand feature at home, and we do use it. However, it takes a while for the new releases to be available, and then they do not stay out there for very long. I could also purchase movies on-line, but, frankly, I do not usually watch a movie more than once, maybe twice, and I don’t want to start a collection of DVD’s to have to manage.

I know I’ll cope with this change, because, knowing how things work in our country, there will be something new to replace the services that Blockbuster has given us, making the company a distant memory in a short time. Thank you, Blockbuster, for a great service to me.

There’s No Way That I Can Live Without It...

I have truly tried to stop using dry cleaning services, but I just can’t do it. I do worry about what is happening during the dry cleaning process. What happens to all of the used chemicals? How is the air affected by the dry cleaning process? Some times, when I get my cleaned clothes home and take off the plastic cover, the smell is so strong I cannot stay in the same room with them until they air out.

I think there are state and federal regulations on dry cleaning air emissions, hazardous waste disposal, etc. I read recently there are around 36,000 commercial dry cleaners in the U.S., with about 85 percent being “mom and pop” businesses with less than ten employees. I do not know if dry cleaners are inspected like restaurants on a somewhat regular basis. I hope that all of these small dry cleaning businesses are following regulations, but I do wonder if they are.

I also read that California is trying out “wet” dry cleaning using a hydrocarbon process that has very little air emission issues and no hazardous chemical residue that can get into the ground water. It sounded like most people do not like the results of this process, because their clothes don’t turn out the same as with the routine dry cleaning process. Speaking for myself, I know that I have to have my clothes dry cleaned, and I expect them to turn out a certain way.

I take my clothes to a small operation, and they do a wonderful job using the dry cleaning method. My hope is that they are following regulations, and that I am not contributing to another environmental issue that is going to be “the end of us all” one day.

Not My Favorite Doctor or TV Show

Almost every time I land on the USA channel, the Dr. House series is on. I have tried to watch this show, but a couple of things really bother me. One is the way that everyone accepts his drug addiction, and the other is his rude and nasty treatment of his patients, his team, and other doctors and administrators. I know if I had a drug problem, I would be told at work that I must get help or else, so this one premise of the show is just not logical, and especially so for a doctor. I also know that if a doctor were to treat me the way Dr. House treats his patients, I would be considering suing him and the hospital for unprofessional cruelty. Now, when I see that Dr. House is on, I just keep moving to another channel.

Today, I could not believe it when I read that the topic at the May Mecklenburg County Medical Society Annual Meeting is “Media, Morals, & Medicine: The Dr. House TV Phenomenon.” This show must have made an impression on the medical community for it is to be the topic of an annual meeting.

The speaker is going to analyze the show’s popularity, and talk about how Dr. House’s character was inspired by Sherlock Holmes, who was also a brilliant diagnostician and a lonely drug addict. The speaker feels that Dr. House appeals to the viewing public because he is portraying a competent (right!), yet irreverent doctor, and he disgusts viewers with his impertinence and meanness. The speaker then plans to discuss how doctors can learn from what I would call Dr. House’s idiosyncrasies or just plain craziness.

What is the world coming to if the professional medical community spends its valuable time discussing a weird TV show?

I Should Have Been a Doctor

Don’t let the blog title confuse you. There is only one way I could be linked to being a doctor, and that is my horrible handwriting. Have you ever tried to read a prescription written by your doctor? That is what my handwriting looks like all the time.

Most of my friends and family write beautifully. One of my best friends, Mary Ann, has the most beautiful handwriting. It is straight, smooth, and you can read every letter without having to strain to ask whether an “a” is an “e” like you do when you read my writing. Our Aunt Billie, who is around 90 years old, sends us handwritten notes, and she has a wonderful handwriting. It is slanted to the right a little, fancy-looking, and very readable. My son, David, is a leftie, and he writes neater than I do.

I have thought seriously about taking handwriting lessons, but at this point in my life I am having to pick and choose priorities, and handwriting lessons seem like such a luxury to me. Anyway, I would not even know where to start looking for such lessons.

I have read that our handwriting makes us unique so I’m just going to stick with my own “special” handwriting. For now, I am going to try to write slowly and deliberately and hope that if I can read my handwriting, others will also be able to.

Signed: Annette Mason (Doctor-In-Waiting).

Betsy, The Greatest Softball Player Who Ever Lived

My seven-year-old granddaughter, Betsy, is playing softball for the first time ever this spring. She really likes sports and watches basketball, baseball, and football games with her daddy all the time. Yet, on the other hand, she is a girlie girl. She loves dolls, jewelry, buying clothes, and, most of all, getting her nails done. So, how can you be a softball player and be a girlie girl?

Well, the first step in the process is buying a glove. Not just any glove, mind you, but a lavender one with pink trim. I just know that this accessory is going to help Betsy do well this first season. She does have a mind of her own, so when her daddy took her shopping and tried to talk her into a regular glove, she would have no part of it.

I took her to her second practice a couple of weeks ago, and it looks like the whole team is a bunch of girlie girls. Betsy’s glove did not stand out among the other pink and purple gloves, and it looked to me that Betsy was more into the game than most of her teammates (that’s her Mimi talking). She does like to practice with her daddy so maybe that will help her get out of the girlie mode and into the softball player mode.

She had her first game this week, and they lost eleven to nothing. I didn’t get to go, but she called me and told me the score and said that she was sure that they would do better next time. I asked her if she enjoyed playing, and she said she loved it. It would be good if as a grown-up I could feel that optimistic so quickly after a bad situation.

GIANT CHEETOS

I read an article in the Tuesday, March 31, USA Today that was titled “Don’t worry, buy happy (Cheerful stuff sells well these days).” It talked about how the savviest consumer product manufacturers are making happy stuff, products that make people smile, and they are selling extremely well. The manufacturers/marketers include Frito-Lay, Kraft, Proctor & Gamble, and Denny’s; and the target market is grown-ups. People are looking for things that might relieve stress, even for a little while.

Here are some of these HAPPY items:

Giant Cheetos (Frito-Lay) – shaped like a golf ball, can be eaten whole or in several bites (coming soon)

Pancake Puppies (Denny’s) – doughnut hole-sized appetizers served in a sundae cup (now available) – the article didn’t say how much fat is in one serving of these puppies

Oreo Fun Stix (Kraft) – straw shaped sticks that can be used to drink milk and then the milk-soaked stick can be eaten (coming out this month)

Bubble Calendar – a four-foot tall wall calendar with bubble wrap-like bubbles that can be popped each day ($20.99 at bubblecalendar.com) – this sounds more stressful than relaxing to me

Please be kind, Professor Renfroe!

Essay #2 has been painful. i have changed the essay to concentrate on the "life" of the currency processing operators vs. all of the misc. Federal Reserve information. It is still "dry" to me, but I think it is now more of a creative nonfiction essay vs. a term paper. In doing the essay, I came to realize how much appreciation I have for the job that the operators do so I guess one good thing came out of it.

See you tonight!

O K R A (not an acronym, just a vegetable)

Most people “hate” okra, but I happen to love it. I can eat it cooked anyway, whether its boiled, in stews, or in casseroles. However, my favorite dish is fried okra (with fresh tomatoes on the side). I grew up eating okra so that is probably why I like it so much.

We planted a garden every spring, and okra was always included. Picking okra is definitely not as much fun as eating it. The okra plant is lovely. The flowers are big and white and look like hibiscus, but picking okra off the plant can require perseverance because the plant is very prickly and the okra itself is so sticky. You have to wash your hands and arms thoroughly and immediately after picking it, or you will be itching and scratching for a long time.

Nutrition-wise okra is high in dietary fiber (6 boiled pods have 2.5 grams), and it has a lot of vitamins such as A, C, K, B6, and minerals such as folate, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. All of this nutrition would surprise most people because who would think that it has any good value to it?

Now, fried okra is probably not the way to get the best nutrition okra has to offer, but since I don’t eat many fried foods in general, surely a little fried okra every now and then is okay. Mama makes the world’s best fried okra, cut into little round circles and coated with corn meal, salt, and pepper. She fries it just right until it is golden brown. Oh, it is so good.

Since Mama is older now, and she doesn’t cook very much, I have tried fried okra at several restaurants. I have found that The Charlotte Café in the Park Road Shopping Center cooks their fried okra very close to the way Mama cooks it. They also serve a “mean” okra and tomato stew that is so good. I would highly recommend trying their okra dishes, especially if you want to live dangerously and try some of that awful, yucky okra.

JUST OLDIES

Thanks for the song lists, Antoinette and Lauren. I will listen to those that I’m not familiar with on iTunes and will probably add some of them to my collection. Since you started something neat, I thought I would share my top 25 with you.

Keep in mind that I’m from a different generation, and I can’t help the fact that I like some disco and mostly soul/beach, in other words, just oldies for the most part. And I love easy listening like Frank Sinatra and Diana Krall, plus movie soundtracks such as The Phantom of the Opera and Out of Africa. I also like some classical, and my favorite is Vivaldi’s “Winter” from The Four Seasons. Oh, and as I mentioned before, I do so love Christmas music.

Try to listen to a few of these and see what you think (in alphabetical order, not favorite).

1. Bein’ Green – Frank Sinatra
2. The Best Things in Life are Free – Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson
3. Cool Me Out – Lamont Dozier
4. Far Away Places – The Embers
5. Games People Play – The Spinners
6. I’ll Fly Away – Allison Krause
7. I Can’t Make You Love Me – Bonnie Raitt
8. If I Were Your Woman – Gladys Knight and the Pips
9. It Only Takes a Minute – Tavares
10. Let’s Groove – Earth, Wind, and Fire
11. Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
12. Little Girl Blue – Nina Simone
13. The Look of Love – Diana Krall
14. Love Machine – The Miracles
15. Lovergirl – Tina Marie
16. Never Can Say Goodbye – Isaac Hayes
17. One Less Bell To Answer – The 5th Dimension
18. Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
19. Sleigh Ride – Johnny Mathis
20. Someone to Watch Over Me – Willie Nelson
21. Silent Nacht – Mannheim Steamroller
22. Summertime’s Calling Me – The Catalinas
23. There Is – The Dells
24. Yeah – Usher
25. Yes, I’m Ready – Barbara Mason

The Federal Reserve is Getting on My Nerves (Essay No. 2, That Is)

I agree with Andrew that Essay No. 2 has definitely been more difficult to write than Essay No. 1. Frankly, I’m disappointed in both of my essays, but at least I felt a little creative with the first one. It is easier to write creatively about something that is personal to you vs. writing about a subject that is impersonal, even though you know a lot about the topic.

I have been thinking about revisions for both essays, but mostly the second one. I think I am going to highlight the major cash operations, add more “stories” and personal memories, and definitely come up with a better introduction and closing. The good thing about this topic is that I know a lot about it. The bad thing is that I’m thinking like a manager or auditor when I write about it. I need to take those hats off, put on my writer’s hat, and just make it an enjoyable but also informative piece for the reader.

Thanks for all the feedback.

The Elderly Always Get the Shaft

As you know from my first essay, Mama lives in rural South Carolina. I make sure that she has regular doctor’s visits in Charlotte with a practice that she has been going to for a long time. Until recently, she has not had any dental problems. She hasn’t been to a dentist in a few years, but her doctor has been checking her mouth and gums routinely to see if she has any problems.

About two months ago, she lost one of her wisdom teeth. She said that just “out of the blue” the tooth got loose and came out within a couple of weeks. This really worried both of us. Mama has never lost a permanent tooth, and she is very good about brushing and flossing so for this to happen is unusual.

I started calling around to see if I could set up a dental appointment for her only to find out that Medicare does not cover routine dental visits. I decided to make her an appointment with my dentist and to pay out-of-pocket for it. She went week before last and most everything in her mouth looked good. However, she did have another loose tooth and an abscess in another wisdom tooth which was not bothering her at all. The dentist said that aging brings about tooth loss and recommended that she have both teeth extracted so he arranged for an appointment with a dental surgeon.

The hardest part of all this for me was not realizing how apprehensive Mama had gotten over this. Since she had never had a tooth pulled, she was very emotional. But in the end all went well, except for the pain of the long needle putting the anesthesia in her gums. She has recovered from this just fine, and she is scheduled for a tooth cleaning in early May.

Back to the issue of no dental coverage for an 86-year-old who does not have the money to go to the dentist. Since dental health is an important part of overall health, I am struggling with this lack of coverage and struggling with the fact that if I could not help Mama with this $650 expense, she would probably have had severe problems from these bad teeth.

I am going to research this further so I may report back on this so that we will all have the facts when and if we need to help an elderly person with a situation like this.

That’s Just Nasty

I have a fetish. It’s not anything bizarre, but before I get seated in a restaurant, I have to check out the sanitation rating (SR). If I’m a “regular” at a restaurant, I still check the SR. I feel okay if it is 92 rating or above, even though I start getting weary if it stays at the lower rating over time.

I have walked out of restaurants before if it has a 90 SR because I feel that something is just not right at that point in time. I don’t want to get sick or have food poisoning, or just not enjoy my meal.

I routinely check WCNC’s website for the “Eat, Drink, and Be Wary” section, and there are many small restaurants that get higher SR’s (100 or higher rating) than the more established restaurants. Then, there are the lower SR’s at around 79 or 80, typically due to unsanitary conditions or food preparation, bugs, or staff cleanliness issues. YUCK!

Yes, it is my choice to eat out, and I don’t know if the rating system is what it should be so I try to be as aware as I can be of what is going on in the places I eat. By the way, my favorite restaurants are Red Rocks, Harpers, Providence Café, and Zen. Out of these, only Providence Café still allows smoking in their restaurant. But that is another fetish and a story for another day.

Just Do It

Alright, you will see that I have been blogging like crazy today, but I wanted to get it done so that I can relax this next week. After this, I plan to go ahead and read our reading assignments plus the three essays and then write feedback. I am a "last minute Sally," but since I need a break, I am going to do it (I will do it). No, I have not been drinking at 10:00 a.m. on a beautiful Saturday morning.

By the way, since I only need five credit hours to graduate, my other class is a piano session so I also plan to practice for that. I have been trying to get into a piano lesson for a couple of years now, but because I need to have lessons after work, there were no teachers available at that time. I go on Tuesdays, and it is a challenge for me.

I took lessons when I was around twenty-five years old, because I have always wanted to play the piano. Well, here's the thing, I do not have any natural music ability in my body. I cannot seem to make my brain talk to my fingers, or to my vocal chords. When I go to church, I sing the hymns wholeheartedly, but I only mouth the words because my alto, off-key voice is not pleasant at all. My piano teacher is wonderful, and who knows, maybe I will be able to play a couple of songs when I complete this class.

Happy Break to all my fellow bloggers!

WINTER BLAHS

I am so relieved to have a week of no classes (and just a little bit of studying). I don’t know why, but I feel so tired during January through March. It could be I need more sunlight than I get during these months.

I am looking forward to April and May, and then in early June, we go to our favorite place in the whole world—Hilton Head. It is the one time of the year when my husband and I have a whole week of special time with our son and his family.

We like to stay at South Beach in Sea Pines at the very end of the island. We can walk to the South Beach Marina, which is such a nice area with interesting shops, boat rentals, bike rentals, and couple of really good cafés. The place where we stay offers free tennis at the South Beach Racquet Club, where they have around 25 courts. All we have to do is call in advance to reserve a court/time, and we get to play “free” each day for one hour. We usually play every day we are there.

As for our water view, we can look right out to the Calibogue Sound, where we watch plenty of dolphins bobbing up and down right off the beach and so many fishing boats. It is only a few steps to the beach, and I take an early morning walk with my grandchildren almost every day we are there. We find many treasures, such as starfish, jellyfish, sand dollars, and interesting seashells.

We have two favorite restaurants: Truffles is near HarborTown in the Sea Pines Resort, and Red Fish is just outside of Sea Pines. Both have wonderful little shops with very unique items so it is fun to go and browse while we are waiting on our delicious food.

Hilton Head, here I come (and it won’t be soon enough)!! Now, back to real life--mid-March and the winter blahs.

Looking for Good News Somewhere

I don’t think I can take anymore bad news of any kind. Today’s announcement that the unemployment rate is up to 8.1% (from a norm, if there is one, of around 4.5%) is so scary. I read that the number of unemployed persons in the country at the end of February was 12.5 million, up 851,000 from January and up 5.0 million over the past 12 months, and that the rate has increased by 3.3% over the past 12 months.

It seems that companies think that the only way they can save money is to reduce staff. Some companies could probably tighten up the number of staff they have, but others, especially small ones, are going to have to close their doors and will probably never open them again.

I am hoping that the new Administration can turn things around more quickly than anticipated. Of course, it takes people working together to get this done, and there is definitely a problem when it comes to that in Washington. All I can say is that we need some good news, and we need it fast.

SLIPPING AND SLIDING

Snow is beautiful, but why can’t it ever happen on a Saturday or Sunday? It was a terrible weekend weather-wise, and I had things to do that I could not postpone. So I was out in it, wet and cold all weekend. Then, the snow came Sunday night, and I had to stress about getting to work yesterday. I got up around five times during the night to “check things out,” and the only thing that was good for was interrupting my sleep, putting more stress on me, and being exhausted on Monday.

Luckily for me, my husband cleaned off my car yesterday morning; however, his work was closed all day so he was at home all comfy and cozy. So, I left home around 7:15 a.m., driving like a little old lady (which I am, but I don’t usually drive like one), and worrying all the way that something could easily happen to my car. I made it, but I slid a couple of times and had some other drivers irritated with me for driving so slowly.

Please let this be the last of the ice and snow for several months, and the next time it does snow, please let it happen on a weekend so that I can ENJOY it.

Money, Money, Money

I have the credentials to write about the what happens to money when it is processed at the Federal Reserve Bank since I worked there for over 30 years. But, as I told Professor Renfroe, I hope I can get creative about it. It is certainly an interesting process that one doesn't hear about all of the time, and there have been some interesting situations with money handling over the years.

I will try to to make the essay interesting, informative, and add some humor as well. Here's a little tidbit of information to entice you to read it next week...at the Charlotte Office, over $20 million is destroyed every weekday. That's enough for now.

Note to myself: think creatively.

Two Annette Mason's in Charlotte, N. C.

I just had to share with you something weird that happened yesterday. I was in a small gift shop and ready to make a purchase. I walked up to the counter and the sales lady was helping someone else. She said, “Well, Annette, how are you doing?” I looked at her, but she was looking at the other lady, who said she was fine. Of course, since there are not many Annette’s in the world, I said to the lady that my name is Annette also. She said that it was certainly unusual to run into another Annette. Then she said, Well, I’m glad to meet you, Annette; I’m Annette Mason." I almost fell to the floor. Was she joking? No, she wasn’t. I said to her, "My name is Annette Mason as well."

We were both in shock, and especially so, when we found out that we live in neighboring neighborhoods, and we shop at a lot of the same places. We could have been “sisters” except for the fact that she is twenty or so years younger than me. What a small, unusual world!

Essay Feedback - Thank You!

I have read all of the feedback from you, and I agree with your comments. The main thing is that my essay, as it is, means absolutely nothing to the reader. I need to have a distinctive focus instead of various little, disconnected memories from my childhood.

I did some research about how important essay titles are in drawing in readers. Right off the bat, I have a problem with my current title, “Childhood Memories.” Boring, blah, and definitely uninteresting can best describe this title. I would not want to read what follows any more than anyone else would.

I am going to take the route of focusing on a few of my family members by showing how strong they were for living each day, working for the family’s welfare over their own needs. I will also incorporate some of my childhood memories.

These were good people who need to be remembered by someone, in writing, versus fading memories and thoughts. I hope my essay will accomplish that.

THE BEST GIFT

I love Christmas!! I have always loved it. My mother was the one who made me love Christmas so much because she loves Christmas so much. As a child, though we did not have much money, my mother would make things special, even fruit, candy, and nuts. I believed in Santa, with all my heart, until I was around 12 or 13 years old. Those were special times.

Today, I try to temper my holiday enthusiasm, but it is hard to do. You will probably think I’m weird, but I play Christmas music year-round on my i-Pod. I love Christmas Time is Here (Charlie Brown), Silent Night by Mannheim Streamroller, White Christmas by the Drifters, and, above all else, The Best Gift by Barbara Streisand. This song has a lovely melody and has a lot meaning to me since my only child/son was born around Christmas. See what you think of the song’s lyrics…

The best gift
That I ever got
Didn't really weigh a lot
It didn't have a ribbon 'round
And it sometimes made the terrible sound
The best of all it seems to me
It wasn't beneath the Christmas tree
And yet, I guess I'd have to say
That it made all the otherpresents twice as gay
The best gift that I've ever known
I'd always wanted most to own
Yet in my dreams of sugar and spice
I never thought it could be so nice
The best gift that I ever got
Was sometimes dry and sometimes wet
Was usually pink but oftentimes red
As it lay so innocently in its bed
The best gift of the year to me
The one I hold most dear to me
A gift that simply drove me wild
Was a tiny new born child...

Oh, those words “tug” at my heart!!

ENLIGHTENED PERSPECTIVE

Well, it seems that 2009 is looking like a year of enlightenment. I recently talked about Mary Tribble's nonfiction reading bringing her enlightenment in one of my blogs, and now I recently received an e-mail from a dear friend who shares the following words from Andy Rooney, a man, she says, who has the gift of saying so much with so few words. My favorite ones are in BOLD.

I've learned... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned... That when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
I've learned... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned... That being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I've learned... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned... That money doesn't buy class.
I've learned... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I've learned... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned... That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
I've learned... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I've learned... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I've learned... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
I've learned... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Life is short, too busy to really think about things most times, but it is nice that someone can send you an e-mail and make you stop and think about what really matters. Thank you, dear friend, Mary Ann.

CK's Viewpoint of The Real World

All I can say is "God, help me get through this book before class tonight."

In Chapter 3 of S,D, & CP's, CK talks about Roger Ebert's point about whether film characters are aware of other movies and film characters. He gives several examples of this, e.g., whether Sly Stallone's character, John Rambo, could get "personal inspiration" from the movie (and character) Rocky. Most actors' portrayal of their movie characters are so very different from each other (except for sequels); however, the characters are brought to us by the same actor.

CK goes on to say about the MTV series, The Real World, has this same problem, that each season started over, without any reference to the past seasons. He says that "they have a nonfiction situation that is supposed to have no relationship to the other nonfictions," and that the "kids" on the shows are required to behave like this is the first show of this type.

I have to admit that this is an interesting thought that I would have never pondered, especially since I have never seen The Real World. However, throughout the book, CK does get you to think about out-of-the-ordinary things like that.

Carissa's 2/2/09 Untitled Blog

Carissa does a great job of telling about her love of old, brown and white photos and how looking at them prompts questions about the people in the photos. I loved her recap of visits to the website of the 70's wedding. After reading her comments on this, I pulled out photos from the late 60's of my own wedding, and I know exactly what she is talking about. I can't believe that we wore what we wore or that I had long straight hair and my husband had long sideburns.

She also presents an interesting thought in wondering about what happened to this couple. She ends the blog nicely with a funny line about all the plaid clothing she saw in the photos.

Susan's "My Rant about Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs"

Susan's "rant" is so honest and direct. I feel her stress, her love of good writers, and her concern for all of us who watch too much TV. Her analogy is very interesting...of how people think they want more drama in their lives but when drama actually happens, all people want is their routine, boring life back. I like the way she describes her thoughts on Klosterman's use of typecasting his friends with on-screen personalities. I am hoping that Susan got through all of the cocoa puff mess to feel good about her presentation.

Antoinette's "This is my rant."

I've just read Antionette's "rant" blog, and I really enjoyed it. She uses clear descriptions of both what is going on and her emotions. I can actually visualize the whole thing and can empathize with her feelings because I know exactly what she is talking about after many similar and irritating experiences at the airport. My favorite two parts of her blog were the sections on the phone call describing the conversation and lisp and also the ending, where she realizes, too late, that she could have just moved away from this exasperating situation.

From Charlotte to Heidelberg and Back

During the Vietnam era, around 1969, my husband served in the U. S. Army and was fortunately sent to serve in Heidelberg, Germany vs. into the war zone. After being there for several months, he arranged for our 9-month old son and me to join him, and we were there for around one and a half years.

Upon arrival in Frankfurt and during the whirlwind 40-minute trip on the autobahn to Nussloch, a small town around 20 minutes from Heidelberg, I could already tell via interaction with just a few Germans that this was going to be a somewhat difficult and confusing experience. First, the language barrier was a problem, and secondly, I got the impression immediately that every German we spoke with was irritated with us.

Once we arrived at our new home, on the third floor of Herr Rupp’s guesthaus (part hotel, part grocery store, and part café), it was quite an adjustment getting specific rental information from the Rupp’s and also learning our way around the guesthaus and the town of Nussloch.

A couple of examples come to mind right away that show our confusion and concerns. Because we had the impression our German neighbors were unfriendly and “gruff,” we mostly kept to ourselves. After several months of sharing a window clothes line with one of our neighbors, we heard one of them say something in English and then learned that all along they were also a U. S. Army American family. They had felt the same way we did about keeping to themselves because of our perceived unpleasant German temperament. Needless to say, we became best of friends, since as far we know even today, we were the only two American couples living in the town of Nussloch at the time.

Since we did not have an automobile, one snowy day my son and I had to ride the strassebahn (strasse - street car) to Heidelberg to go to the PX for groceries. Even though I smiled at the other German passengers, there was no response back to me. All of a sudden, the strasse came to a sudden, jolting stop. I did not know what was going on, but the driver was motioning for everyone to get off quickly. I was very scared and finally asked, as best I could, a couple of German ladies if they could help me understand what was going on. It was as if I had not said anything to them. They just looked at me in an agitated way, in my opinion at the time.

Finally, the driver came over, and I was able to interpret that there was a loss of power on the line and that the street car was not going to be able to go for quite a while. The two ladies then flagged down a car and signaled for me and my son to come over. They forcefully motioned for us to get in the front seat with the driver, and they sat in the backseat. I was not sure what was going to happen, but I knew we would have frozen in the terrible weather otherwise. I did not know if we were headed on to Heidelberg or back to Nussloch or even where otherwise. Thankfully, we did end up safely back in Nussloch.

After a while, we determined that many of the younger Germans spoke very good English, but the older Germans did not. We also learned that these people are very caring and that a language barrier can cause all kinds of misinterpretations about people.

Tennis, My Favorite (and only) Hobby

When our one and only son, our life at that time, graduated from high school and left for college, we were devastated. So much of what we were all about at that time, e.g., studying with him, going to baseball games, spending time together, etc., was disappearing, and we would be left to ourselves--to do what??

We thought about what we could do together to replace this big hole, and we finally narrowed it down to a hobby, either tennis or golf. I will tell you right now that this was a big undertaking for me since I had never in my girlie life done anything in the way of sports. We finally decided that we would go with tennis.

My husband is a natural at most things (as most guys are) so I was going to be the problem with this choice. At first, I took lessons at CPCC but soon realized that group lessons were not going to work. We were lucky that one of our best friends was a tennis fanatic. He suggested that we take lessons from his tennis teacher, who was a previous Davis Cup player in Indonesia. We both decided to take lessons with Joseph, and it was a great experience. My lessons went on for several years--once a week, rain or shine.

I eventually started playing in the Parks and Rec league. The first year I played on a team, we won and went to Pinehurst for the state tournament. What an experience!! It was like being in a movie, everything was wonderful. Of course, we lost in the first round, but it was so exciting.

Since I have been concentrating on my Queens' studies for the past year or so, I have not been playing as much. I miss it, and once I get the "heck out of Dodge" in May, I am going to play as often as I can. I can't explain the feeling of hitting the ball inside the court (most of the time). I love that feeling of control and accomplishment.

“Enlightenment” For Her Now

“Enlightenment” For Her Now

I was reading an article in the The Charlotte Observer a few days ago and came across an article about Mary Tribble, age 48, of Tribble Creative Group. The article was titled, “King Bio is Timely; Buddhism Enlightens.”

During the holidays she was in a bad auto accident and has been recovering at home since then. Her friends and family know that she likes to read, typically fiction in the past, but one friend challenged her to read Bearing the Cross, the 800-page Pulitzer-winning biography of Martin Luther King Jr., by David Garrow, “to get a better handle on social justice and the continuing racial divide,” which she considered very timely in view of the inauguration of our nation’s first African-American president.

Tribble’s reading tastes have shifted from novels in the past few years to books “that bring me some kind of enlightenment.” One such book is Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living by the “prolific Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön.” She has found this book to be very helpful, especially with the recent loss of her father. “She's really trying to teach you how to change your life by changing your patterns of thinking, your default reactions to adversity,” said Tribble, whose Tribble Creative Group handles events for big business and nonprofits.

After reading this article, I thought about how, with age, I have also changed my reading preferences to more meaningful reading vs. novels. This book sounds like a good read to me.

That’s Makes Me SO-O-O Mad…

As a vegetarian, eating out can be a very frustrating experience.

I changed my eating habits around 25 years ago because my husband’s cholesterol was extremely high; and we needed to stop regularly eating hot dogs and beans, South 21’s double cheeseburgers (and onion rings), BIG steaks on the grill, and, of course, Kentucky Fried Chicken with all the fixin’s.

At first we cut back on meat, carbs, and desserts. Then we cut out beef and pork. Then I cut out chicken, and my husband cut back on chicken. Then, I went off the “deep end” and cut out all dairy products as well. For years, my diet consisted of beans, tofu, vegetables, soy milk, veggie burgers, fruits, and nuts. Due to bone density concerns over the past few years, I have added back into my diet some items, such as eggs, cheese, and salmon.

Now, with that little bit of information tucked away, this is what makes me so mad. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to send food back in a restaurant for having non-vegetarian items in or on it. In the past when I placed orders, the food would come to me with butter, mayonnaise, gravy, cheese sauce, chicken broth, etc., even though I explained up-front that I am a vegetarian. This has been so maddening.

Nowadays, many returned dishes later, I clearly speak up and say what I want and don’t want. Fortunately for me, I usually go to the same restaurants, and they know me (and my quirks) by now. Still, I don’t take a chance. I specifically describe what I want and don’t want. If I don’t do it, I might be eating, more often than not, something I just don’t want to put in my body.

Out with the Old and In with the New

Over the next few weeks, we are having a new patio and driveway put in. Our existing patio and driveway are as old as the house which was built in 1972. They are cement (cracking cement, that is), and the patio is flat on the ground. The new patio will be raised around 10 inches and will be built with bricks and pavers.

They started work a little over a week ago, and our whole back yard is torn up. We are very excited about this because we both love to sit outside in the evenings and just relax and watch the birds, chipmunks, and, oh yes, our little racoon, who lives in one of our trees near the patio. He's a sweet boy, but we keep a close eye on him since our grandchildren play in our back yard regularly.

We are losing several very old shrubs and a few trees, but it is probably time for them to be replaced anyway. We also lost a 40-year old chain-link fence that surrounded the back yard, but we were not sad to see it go since it had become very rusty and most yards do not have them these days.

The driveway will be the last thing to be completed, and it will be a mixture of pavers and cement. There will be a small stone retaining wall on the yard side of the driveway since the yard slopes down toward the house.

The project should be completed in about a month, just in time for spring and our evening respite. Keep your fingers crossed that we have good weather and that all goes well.

"You Lied, Lied, Lied, Lied, You Lied to Your Daddy"

It could be considered sad, and bad, that for over 40 or so years I have “lied” countless times to my husband. It has to do with only one thing…the actual cost of purchased items. My husband is a very frugal person, which is fine; but he cannot understand that things cost what they cost. Since he will never understand this, I have to pretend that the purchase was a better deal than it was, even if it was a really good deal in the first place, just so he will feel okay about it. For example, I recently found a beautiful hand-blown bowl that was originally $500 that was marked down to $310. I don’t know why I did it, but I told him it was $250. He loves that bowl, and I know he loves it even more so because of the pretend $60 discount I told him about. Also, I purchased a $60 shirt for him at Christmas that was on sale for around $20, and I ended up telling him it cost $15. In recent years I don’t have to tell him the cost of things that often any more so I do feel better when I don’t have to tell these little “white lies.” It does make me wonder, though, whether he is telling me a little lie every now and then.

AM's Previous Nonfiction Writing Experiences

During the Spring 1997 semester, I took Nonfiction Writing with Dr. Seelbinder. It was a wonderful class, and we concentrated on short personal essays. I was going to include one of my essays from then but could not locate one at this time. I will try to find one and include it later. I do remember a couple of topics. One was about my experiences as a vegetarian, and one was about my fear of taking tests. We were encouraged to be creative in our writing in this class also.

Really, just about every class I have been in at Queens has provided exposure to nonfiction writing. I have written about many topic, including film music, American women, religion, persuasion, nonverbal communications, and on, and on, and on... Through all of this writing, my favorite by far is favorite type of writing is about life experiences written creatively. I feel like I have "free reign" over my writing when I can write this way. It makes me feel good, and it seems as though the words just flow out of me.

Now, you might wonder why in the world I would still be at Queens if I took a Nonfiction Writing course in 1997. Well, I started my Queens "career" in 1978, when the adult program started. It was called New College vs. Hayworth then. I have stopped and started back again over the last 30 years, working with the changes in life, family, work, etc. This is finally my last semester, and I am so happy. My husband bet me I would be 93 years old and in a wheelchair when I graduated. I am going to prove him wrong. I am only ??, and definitely not in a wheelchair (at least not today).

Happy Writing to All.