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Scroller: Wife, Parent & Veteran(Try right clicking on photobucket graphics if they aren't open.)
Slideshow of Picture Album Covers (Friend Viewing Only):
Graphic: Animated Italian Rain
Graphic: Gatti Italiani (Italian cats)
Graphic: Deutsch blüht (German flowers)
Graphics: Il Manarola, Italia (Manarola, Italy along the Italian Riveria & the Mediterranean Sea in the Cinque Terre Region.)
Graphics: Heroines
Graphics: Ideal garden cottages
Graphic: Lovers collage
..These beautiful trees were forever destroyed during a tornado in our town in March 2007.[Last updated: June 2008]: I am a WIFE (22 years), MOTHER (6 years) & ARMY VETERAN (8 years active duty). I was born & raised in West Virginia and currently reside in Georgia. My ancestry includes a mixture from England, Ireland, Scotland, France & Germany. I met a French relative during a genealogy trip in 2000 (See WV newspaper article in Foreign Pics). I collect travel postcards & photographs the way some women collect jewelry. I am a person who was raised in poverty conditions and chose to pull myself up by the "proverbial bootstraps". I know what it means to be poor - on childhood welfare and the only meat in the house coming from what my male relatives secured during hunting season (ie Deer, turkey etc). As a child I lived in homes without running water or indoor plumbing (gasp!). Little wonder I left home at age 17 after high school graduation for the Army (Refer also to blogs regarding family abuse).In what often feels like a prior life I used to be ultra-organized and my first profession was as a soldier & I SERVED IN WA State (Where I met my GA husband), SC & South Korea as a truck driver and office clerk. I am presently 2 - 4 courses away from my Bachelor’s in Criminology or Criminal Justice if you prefer. And that would have happened years ago had I not lost or had to retake courses from all my roving about. Between 1985 - 2005 I moved at least 18 times these last twenty years. What amazes me is that I still own anything as the military hires the lowest transportation bidders to relocate your stuff & your best will be broken or stolen. But I would live through it all again because I got to travel - a passion I may have never discovered if I stayed in WV. As a teen I couldn't wait to leave those mountains & now I appreciate and miss them.
While attending college as a civilian I was employed as a receptionist for Allstate Insurance in Dahlonega, GA, as a paralegal for the biggest attorney jerk in Newport News, VA and as a barista (Professional espresso beverage creator) in Aurora / Denver, CO (Hence my subsequent coffee addiction).
I have also lived in northern Italy near Venice and two different locations in Germany near Frankfurt - my daughter's birth country. (See also My Pics section.)
It was in my late 30’s that I became a parent & joined the worldwide club of Multi-tasker (Wife, Mommy, teacher, maid, cook / caterer, laundress, day care operator, physician assistant, financial advisor, taxi, etc) which according to the recent study at salary.com (I, like all other parents) spend @ 92 hours a week on 10 different unpaid jobs that in a perfect world one would earn @ $138,000 annually. The irony of having a child in your late 30’s instead of 20’s is that your patience has increased but your energy level has not. (LOL)
The biggest challenge for all of us in this position of spouse / parent is the struggle to maintain our pre-marriage / pre-baby self and in my spare time I love to travel, read, learn Italian & French, update my photo albums, garden, write poetry or personal letters or draft a future dream novel. I enjoy British period novels and movies and American southern or Italian TV cooking shows. Perhaps in retirement I can revisit my love of poetry from Keats, Wordsworth or Plath. I am currently saving for more travel - a return to mainland Europe is a given but I would also like to visit England, Australia, New Zealand, India, Africa & China, etc.
I like art that transports place (Impressionism or country landscapes) & exceeds my own basic talent or lack thereof (i.e. modernism) or art that showcases historic brilliance (Michelangelo, da Vinci, etc).
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I never understood the attraction to talk radio (No revolting shock jocks for me!) but it arrived as I matured (The Bob & Sheri Morning Show - saw them in person recently, very exciting!). I discovered a whole new world last year in talk radio between dropping off & picking up my daughter at school - Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, NPR (National Public Radio), Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and even Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I take this as a sign of age & maturity since I now prefer it to overplay of current mediocre Top 40 & often a replacement of TV while working around the house / job. I would have never believed it 10 years ago. And I will admit that there's something satisfying while listening to Dr. Laura (For example) confirm or refresh your moral beliefs while educating the stupid & ignorant. That's as close to reality TV / media as I care to be.I find travel & food networks soothing if I am stressed. And while I am a news junkie I also find comedians like Jon Stewart & Dennis Miller hilarious sexy. But I always wonder if the people who don't keep up with the 'real' (Albeit screened) news - do they consider "The Daily Show" a viable substitue and if so - well....
I am impressed with things that seem to be outdated in modern society – i.e. manners, personal letters / notes, people who know more about local & world events instead of entertainment gossip & parents who actually discipline (Without hitting of course!).
I should also mention my major dislike: the telephone (A tether of evil necessity in modern society). My husband says I would be happy to live in a cave and see no one for a month. That is almost true provided I had Internet & Cable TV but I do enjoy the diversity & cultural high of city life, I just don't want to live there - that comes from being raised in the boonies up a holler I guess. I am a person who can handle solitude & keep myself entertained. But I also enjoy a night of dancing or hanging with friends - It's that yin-yang complex. (Hey, it's a woman's right to be a little contradictive in personality, aren't we all? That's why men find us mysterious, ha ha.)
I also am verbal when it comes to prejudice towards race & gender. After all, I have family members who are gay or of color (And if you are kin to me, so do you!).
For good or ill, I attribute some of my quirks to being a Virgo. For example, I consider excessive cursing to be a sign of the verbally challenged. I am a non-smoker and if I ruled the world cigarettes would be banned. (Sorry Sis!) Living in Europe for 4 years gave me an appreciation for wine and I enjoy the occasional glass while still trying to put my childhood puritanical views behind me. Our country has the craziest hang-ups about alcohol, breast-feeding & nudity that one does not encounter overseas (I mean in Europe, not the Middle East obviously who have their own hang-ups regarding women in general & keep them inferior through "Sharia law".)
When the mad cow mania hit the news while I was living in Europe (Local people were dying!) I decided to stop eating beef. I still believe it's a matter of time before that situation hits America. (I guess you could apply that to anything these days if you listen to the news - to wit, prescription drugs in public water as reported in March 2008.) The decision to cease eating beef products was confirmed a few years later when a downstairs Germany neighbor cooked beef goulash one evening while I was pregnant. And now, nearly 10 years later I still don't like the smell or thought of beef. I have briefly considered becoming vegetarian but I like chicken & fish too much!
I have no tolerance for child predators or their enablers. I am a victim survivor of child molestation by an Uncle whom I helped with other victims to send to prison in Feb. 2007, nearly 30 years after his crimes. Because of this I am now estranged from my parents (aka The deranged male married to the spineless female), two brothers (Cowards) & sister-in-law (Legal Betrayer) & various cousins but I would do it all again in the name of truth & honor for my remaining sibling Cori & my own husband and daughter. Cori & I now refer to these evil family members as the 'hillbilly mafia' if only to make humor out of a very sad & unecessary situation. For more on this specific topic, please see my blog. I hope it may help anyone else going through a similar circumstance. If needed, you may also find comfort in the words of Tori Amos’ song “Cornflake Girl†which I have introduced on my main page. (The song was supposedly written when Ms. Amos read Walker’s novel “The Color Purpleâ€. It has been interpreted as a tribute to ending victimization on women as perpetrated by other ‘cornflake women’ – the type who are narrow-minded & betray the rest of us until we become wiser ‘raisin girls’.)
(March 2007) If you believe in equality than it is morally wrong to vote for someone simply because they are of color or a female (It’s just another form of selectory discrimination after all). I would love to support our first black or female Presidential candidates if for no other reason than to get that part of history behind us but then I would be on that bandwagon I am protesting. With Senator Obama I need more than the feel good promise of ‘change’ – I want the bottom line & I’m not convinced of his stand on important issues. And this recent news regarding his church Pastor / advisor / friend gives me pause. You must sever ties with negative & hate filled people! Remember your friends give clues to who you are. Same pause regarding Senator Clinton & her campaign style. Additionally, I am disappointed in how she’s handled Bill’s disrespect all these years not to mention her use of selective memory. I agree with some of Congressman Paul’s beliefs (i.e. Regarding the Constitution) and feel a kinship with maverick Senator McCain since I too am a Veteran. It appears Senators McCain or Obama are the two best choices at this point as if we have a choice with the way it's all set up. After all, it's those super delegates who decide isn't it? Regardless of who wins I have the same questions - What are you going to do about America's porous borders? Terrorism? Illegal immigration? Substandard public education? The fraud of America's health insurance? Improving military living standards stateside & overseas? Food & water safety nationwide? Sending jobs overseas? Social Security? Deployments? Al Quaeda? Oil dependency? And so forth.
What is my stance on other prickly modern topics of American discord? First, I risk offending the PC (Politically Correct) of this nation and unapologetically proclaim that I LOVE MY COUNTRY America! (Dissenters are free to set up camp in Afghanistan, Iraq or elsewhere & cover up with the burka.) But, if I had to choose a second home it would be northern Italy. Bella Italia! Did I live there in a prior life? It so appealed to me - the lifestyle. I also find the idea of a British Isle cottage quite appealing or a cabin in the American Cascades, Rocky or Appalachian Mountains.
I do believe creationism & science together explain our universe. I believe God is God, regardless of religious affiliation. I have no problem merging Christianity with Judaism, Islam (Not the radical insane in the membrane Muslim extremist terrorists, of course!), Buddhism or Paganism, etc & historical research shows they are all connected. President Kennedy said: "The greater our knowledge increases, the greater our ignorance unfolds." I believe faith and reason can coexist together - I was raised to believe in the creationism theory (i.e. Intelligent Design, faith, the supernatural / deity, etc) but in school encountered Darwin’s evolution and natural selection theory. Personally, I mix both theories in a type of yin-yang complementary blend.
I abhor ultra-conservative religious zealots or their mirror opposites – liberals so open minded they risk their brains falling out. I believe the individual should seek his or her own conclusions without school, church or the state (ACLU) imposing mandated views on either side of the religion versus science debate. I see no hypocrisy in the teaching of scholarly science while continuing to attend religious services – true freedom to me means the individual is presented with opposing theories and choice – let individual intelligence and/or ignorance guide that person’s preference.I believe in legal equality and civil unions for our GAY citizens but I reserve traditional marriage ceremonies to heterosexuals. I used to believe in the DEATH PENALTY but considering the risk of the innocent being slaughtered I now prefer the idea of hard labor with no parole. I feel our country is so HYPER-SEXED in our movies & music that we have lost our imagination. In our post-9-11 world I believe we need specific IMMIGRATION policies with a secured & monitored national border (All four directions) & a fair government system that allows legal immigration from all parts of the world without overburdening our quality of life. Like it or not, our country (And all nations defending democracy) are in a 'war on terrorism.' We can debate (The how, why & assign blame) all day but we still need to remain vigilent because the days of complacency are behind our young nation.
While I dislike the idea of ABORTION I would never deny any woman that right, especially should she be pregnant through rape or incest or in danger of death. I will consider male insight regarding abortion when the other gender too can become pregnant or possess vaginas in their own bodies.
I believe in personal GUN OWNERSHIP because if denied this right, only criminals will posses firearms.
I also lean towards a mandatory, 2-year minimum regarding all 18 year old citizens (Male & female) as regards service to our country - either military, peace corps or similar program before entry to college. I don't mean send them to the front lines (Leave that to the volunteer forces) but I am referring to reasons that are numerous but mostly for: 1) Individual maturity not taught at home or school these days, 2) Appreciation for how good we do have it in this country & 3) The security of our nation in the future. God Bless our volunteer force!
I like to ride bikes in the country and used to jog 5 miles a day (On my renewed goal list, I need to lose weight the healthy way). I loved hiking with our dog in Germany where it is organized (Volksmarching) and taken very seriously. I enjoy watching SPORTS in person but to me it is the most boring pastime on television excepting the Olympics (Thanks to WV gymnast & winner Mary Lou Retton from my childhood). I find it appalling that men’s baseball/ basketball/ football, etc is a higher paid profession than community helpers (Military, teachers, firefighters, police, etc).
While I have stated my own personal opinions above I want to say that I love debating diverse topics and find such conversations most interesting when I am persuaded to think outside my established belief system. Voltaire said in Candide in 1759…â€Let us cultivate our own garden.†That is how we all grow personally & globally. Robert Quillen said “Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument an exchange of ignoranceâ€. What I don’t want to be caught doing is “Leaning on my conscious wall†as sung by the 90’s alternative rock band Bush. In closing, I offer this feeble excuse that if I take a little while to update my pages or respond to your emails it is likely due to one of the aforementioned tasks above and I ask for your understanding and patience because I will respond as soon as wifely / parentally possible and I will extend the same courtesy to you.
MY FIRST POST (Dated @ June 2007): My sister Cori created my page over a year ago and has finally succeeded in getting me to sit down and update this...what can I call it but a super id,...greatest love of all (a la Whitney Houston)...I love me space. But it does speak to my creative side. My latest obsession now as you will see in an upcoming blog involves quotes, which oddly enough is akin to the Bible in that you can find anything to support your position if you look long enough. Anyways, welcome to my own little microcosm that is continually seeking expansion and upgrade in the hopes you will share your island too. Donne (1572-1631) said that “No man is an island, entire of itself...†and My Space certainly supports (Or denies) that theory, a possible debate topic. I am Pandora’s child in search of Lilith (Eve was subsequently framed) and I will be a virago vixen utilizing moxie gumption on this quest. [QUESTIONS ANSWERED, ANSWERS QUESTIONED. Unknown] God Bless!
Hello WV AngieDawn & gullible crew...Once you decide to live your life you'll find it unecessary to continue to meddle in Corinna's or mine.I WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT MY LIL'SISTER! Hey all you closed-minded family members (In WV it's pot-stirrer leader AngieDawn & now in MS it's Corinthia & daughter Charlee, etc) trying to give Corinna grief over the Wiccan / Pagan / Vampire stuff on her Xsyntria / Cori page - research your topic before spouting your unoriginal hillbilly ignorance. It's called "my space" for a reason. (Duh!) If family has trouble understanding that friends leave graphics or comments expressing their beliefs then they shouldn't be on here. The family whiners judge / gossip instead of actually talking to my sister. Ironically Cori emulates more Christian behavior than those behaving like hypocrites. Here's a newsflash - God gave you fingers to turn off the TV, radio & even the Internet, so stop sniveling if you don't like or understand something & turn your focus inward on personal growth! Of course, you're always free to disregard this request but I firmly believe in Biblical scripture on truth & judgement as well as the fact that karma is the great equalizer.