One Day At A Time

As a freelance writer, I write about many different subjects. Most often, my topics are mundane and business oriented. However, there are times when I write about subjects that touch my heart and bring tears to my eyes. I recently had to write a piece on teen suicide. An 18-year-old girl took her life after falling victim to sexual abuse. She gathered the courage to tell others (teachers, counselors, police), but detectives told her they had trouble believing her and it was left at that. A year after she seeks help, justice, and healing she chooses to end her pain by suffocating herself at home. How this turns my stomach, fills my heart with pain, and leaves me to ask why someone did not do more for her. I have a young daughter. I warn her about people with dark intentions. I tell her to protect her body and to always tell someone in the event of the unthinkable. Nevertheless, this young woman spoke out and was ignored. On top of the pain she suffered from abuse she was shamed and s

I never really thought about using proper grammar when writing my blog. I guess I always assumed it is just an electronic journal entry that I allow anyone to read. I started studying a grammar book after having someone point out to me how poor my grammar and punctuation can be. I am guilty of run-on sentences, comma splices, improper use of apostrophes and commas. Wow I feel like a writing mess. Writing is my passion, so to learn that I am performing all of these grammar felonies is alarming. So I am working on grammar self improvement. As I am studying I find that with new media we have new grammar rules. Who knew? This applies to texting, instant messages, emails, Facebook posts, etc. No fear, it's not as bad as it sounds. It's a matter of choosing a "language" so to speak that suits your style, audience, purpose, and self. Are you writing to a business crowd? If so you want to go formal. Are you simply talking to your peers, friends, family, etc.? This writing stl

People are always searching for that certain someone to share the amazing thing we call love. I often wonder why people don't concern themselves more with loving a child or a pet. Sure there is something truly special about sharing life with a partner as we age and experience life, but love should not be meant for one adult human to another alone. Our hearts have a huge capacity to love. When we see a neighbor, child or animal who you know has that need for a hug, handshake or gentle caress we should give with all of our heart. I try to live this philosophy as much as possible, but I will be honest and say that I find it much easier to give love and care to an animal over many people that you encounter today. This is why I am asking the good people of Lexington Kentucky and surrounding cities to open your heart to pet adoption. If you have the financial means to take in a pet please adopt. There are so many cats and dogs that need a home with a loving family. There are four kitten

In April of 2010 a small grey and white cat showed up at our door.I thought she was a kitten because she was so tiny. I assume someone dumped her in the neighborhod as she was friendly, not shy and ate the cat food on the porch right away. Later we discovered she was pregnant and she had her first litter Memorial Day weekend. I made numerous phone calls to find help or homes for the kittens, but it was "kitten season" and no one wanted these babies. I made flyers advertising free kittens. I offered to provide a free kitten kit with a litter box, food and pet dish. No answers and no phone calls came in. After struggling to get help with Oreo's (this is momma cat's name, named by the neighborhood kids)first litter of kittens I felt anxious about finding help for her third litter (Neighbors cared for her second and are uncertain of what happened to them). With prayers and hope the Jessamine Humane Society has taken these new babies in. All six sweet little fury, blue e

I grew up in the eighties and remember mom and dad smoking in the house, in the car, just about everywhere. I remember thinking I was cool just like mom and dad as I blew out the smoke from my candy cigarette. I have flipped through child hood photos to see myself as an infant in my mother's lap as she holds her cigarette between her delicate fingers. The sad fact is that I lost both my grandfather and my mother to lung cancer. Both of them were life long smokers. I did what every kids does after learning that tobacco is bad for you in health class, I went home and gave my your killing yourself speech to my parents, which only aggitated them. After my mother was diagnosed with cancer I watched her slowly drop weight from her already naturally thin frame. I saw her wince in pain and lose enjoyment of life. I remember telling her about the electronic cigarette and how it has no tobacco, tar, carbon monoxide or any of the 4,000 harmful chemicals in tobacco cigarettes. My hope was to

I'm not sure when my passion for documentaries began, but I am officially hooked. I have watched films on food, shopping, religion and more. What I find myself going back to are films about what we eat in this country. It doesn't surprise me that we don't eat right or that we eat too much. What I am surprised to learn is what is in our food, where it comes from and the startling methods for which it is grown and produced. I just watched the documetary Food, Inc. (Available through Netflix instant watch)If you haven't seen it please do. It provides you with information about the how, what, when and why of what we eat in America. It is interesting, educational, frightening and it will wake you up. You will begin to read the labels, ask where those tomatoes that you bought in mid-winter came from. Especially if you have children. You cook a homemade meal that includes lean meat, vegetables, low fat, low sodium thinking you are doing something beneficial for your child. Yo

Now I have my blog with no real focus. What began as a work research project, transformed into an emotional release with my mom's battle with cancer and now it seems to be as lost as I am. What do I write about, parenting, health, womanhood, marriage, life in general? As a freelance writer I have so much information in my brain. There are bits and pieces about natural health, fitness and nutrition that I know, but seldom use for my own good. I am a mother of a bright, beautiful eleven year old who I swear is having mood swings. I fear womanhood is approaching and I find myself unprepared though I myself am a woman. I have been happily married for almost twelve years. We have been through the military, the Iraq war, PTSD, funerals and daily life. It has been a wild ride with so much left to share and experience. I could ramble on about how I have been mildly depressed since the loss of my mother and how alone you feel after both of your parents are gone from this earth. I could touc

I have not posted anything for quite some time. I have put this off, but now think I should just get this out and over with. It was Friday Nov. 19, 2010. My husband, mom and myself were learning just how terrible we were at Trivial Pursuit. We laughed and poked fun at each other. We made plans to go hiking the next day. Sat. 20 mom slept in, it was nearing noon. I knocked on her door, checked in on her. She said she was terribly tired and she was going to stay home and try to catch up on her rest. I didn't think about it too much as she had been battling insomnia for so long. When we returned from the hike mom was still in bed. Abnormally tired I thought. Sunday 21 it got weird, fast! mom was behaving as if she had a stroke. She could not concentrate, she could not tell me if she took any meds or the last time she took them. She was staggering and behaving very oddly. She was sitting outside to smoke, but could not focus to light the cigarette. I called Hospice in a panic and her n