The Photo Game

My good buddy Max the Quilt Cat (http://www.maxthequiltcat.com/) tagged me in the photo game. Here's how it works:

-Open your first photo folder
-Scroll down to the 10th photo
-Post the 10th photo and tell the story about it
-Pass along to 5 other blogs

The 10th photo in my first folder is this one:

It's a photo of me and my favorite singer, Gavin DeGraw, talking before one of his shows. I won a contest to get to go to his soundcheck for this show. After the soundcheck he was signing autographs, posing for photos, and talking with his fans. My boyfriend took several photos of us while we were talking. It was one of the best nights of my life!

Hmm, who should I tag so that I can pass along this fun game? I think I know exactly who would like to play :-).

http://mookiepig.blogspot.com/

http://jazzydacat.blogspot.com/

http://confuciuscat.blogspot.com/

http://stunningkeisha.blogspot.com/

http://mattiedadog.blogspot.com/

Have fun guys! Can't wait to see your photos and read the stories behinnd them!

Do You Think Michelle's Getting Too Thin?

Yes, that's a question that one of my acquaintances posed to another acquaintance of mine. In the beginning this person was really gung-ho about my weigth-loss efforts, but now that I'm hovering around my goal, she's not quite as happy for me. In response to the question, Acquaintance #1 replied, "No. Why, are you jealous?" Of course Acquaintance #2 had to backpedal and was like "No, I'm not jealous!" But you know what? She is, or else she wouldn't have brought it up. This woman is 15 years older than me and is married with 2 children. Our lifestyles are completely and totally different, so there's no reason at all for comparisons.

When people, especially certain types of women, are used to you being a certain way, they can't handle it when you make a change. When I was heavier, I'm sure there were some who perceived me as cute, non-threatening, and in no way competition in any regard. Although I've never considered myself ugly, by any stretch of the imagination, I know that lots of women don't want the "fat chick" to start looking better than them. I'll say right now that I'm not competing with anyone for anything. From Day One this has been for and about me. I didn't want to be another statistic. I have a cousin who had two heart attacks before the age of 30. Although she wasn't heavy, she lived an unhealthy lifestyle.

As women we need to celebrate each others' successes and encourage those around us to strive for better things. When something good happens to a woman that I know, I congratulate her. New, flattering haircut or hairstyle? You look fabulous! Lost some weight? Good for you! Keep up the good work! Bought a new car? Girl, that's fantastic! I know that in life we often want the things that other people have. Guess what? If you really want those things, you can have them, too. It's going to take sacrifice, because we live in the real world, not on TV. Once you're able to get it, the sense of achievement is beyond compare. Instead of tearing people down, build them up. Ask them how they were able to accomplish some particular goal that you're interested in. I can almost guarantee that they put in work to get there.

Rest in Peace, Granny

I don't know very many people who can say that they grew up right next door to their grandmother, but I can. She was my mom's mom and gave birth to 12 children (one of whom died in infancy). She and my grandfather raised those 12 children on a farm in rural Georgia. Unfortunately, he passed away when I was two, so I never got to know him. Those women who have large families today are all about the publicity they can get. Granny didn't have a bunch of kids because she wanted to be on TV (Hell when she had her first kid, there was no such thing as TV!). She had 12 kids because when you live on a farm in rural Georgia, there's not much to do in the winter but get busy, LOL! Just kidding! Trying to raise that many kids during the first 2/3 of the 20th century wasn't easy. I know she and Grandpa made lots of sacrifices because they definitely didn't have much money. She continued to make sacrifices almost until the end of her long life. Initially, we thought that she was 91 when she passed away, but according to the Social Security office, she was actually 93. She saw and experienced many, many things, and was a part of my life for 34 years. My brothers and I used to play football and baseball in her yard with our cousins. We used to eat the teacakes that she baked (I can still remember the taste!). Before we were old enough to go to school, my younger brother and I used to go shopping with Granny and Mama. Those were such happy and carefree days that are very easy to forget about when you move away.

Although I did move away, I never forgot her and the childhood memories that she was a part of. Whenever I came home, I would always make sure that I went to her house to visit her. Over the past year, all I was able to do was sit with her. She didn't talk much. All she did was stare out the window. The last time I saw her alive was less than a year ago when I came home for my uncle's funeral. When it was time for me to leave for the airport to go back to Massachusetts, I stopped by her house to say goodbye. The last words I spoke to her were "I love you, Granny." She told me she loved me, too. I'm glad that those were the last words we said to each other. I just wish that I had known they were going to be the very last words we would say to each other. The very end of her life wasn't easy, but I hope she knows that those that truly care about her miss her very much. You'll always be in our hearts. Rest in peace, Granny.

Something for Your Sweet Tooth

Many of us love our sweets, but don't love what they do to our figures. Here's a way to get your chocolate fix without feeling guilty, courtesy of Weight Watchers. I make these all the time and can vouch for their deliciousness. Enjoy!

Mini Chocolate-Chip Cookies


POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 24
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Go ahead and grab a handful of these bite-size cookies. They might be little, but they pack a big chocolate punch.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 cup(s) packed brown sugar, dark-variety
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp table salt

1 large egg white(s)
3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, about 1/2 cup


Metric Conversions:


30 ml butter, softened
10 ml canola oil
120 ml packed brown sugar, dark-variety
5 ml vanilla extract
0.25 ml table salt

1 large egg white(s)
180 ml all-purpose flour
0.50 ml baking soda
84g semi-sweet chocolate chips


Instructions
Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
In a medium bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar. Add vanilla, salt and egg white; mix thoroughly to combine.
In a small bowl, mix together flour and baking soda; stir into batter. Add chocolate chips to batter; stir to distribute evenly throughout.
Drop rounded half-teaspoons (2.5ml) of dough onto one or two large nonstick baking sheets, leaving a small amount of space between each cookie. Bake cookies until golden around edges, about 4 to 6 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Yields 2 cookies per serving.

Notes
Indulge your craving for an intense chocolate experience. Buy a 3-ounce bar of fine chocolate with a percentage of 75 or higher on the label. The percentage indicates the combined amount of cocoa bean and added cocoa butter in the chocolate. The higher the percentage, the greater the chocolate taste and the less sweet the product. Chop up the bar and use it instead of the chocolate chips (could affect POINTS values).
© 2010 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2010 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved.WEIGHT WATCHERS and POINTS are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

The Honest Scrap Award

Several of my Twitter friends have given me the Honest Scrap Award which is to honor bloggers who put their hearts on display, as they write from the depths of their souls. Thanks to all of you who thought of me. I definitely put my heart on display and have written about many subjects near and dear to my heart. Some have been happy and uplifting, while others have been sad and eye-opening.

The conditions of receiving the award include listing 10 things that others may not know about me, as well as passing the award on to 10 other bloggers. Without further ado, here are 10 things you may not know about me:

1. I'm a middle child, with an older brother and a younger brother.

2. I was born on my parents' 8th wedding anniversary.

3. My mom's birthday is exactly 3 weeks after mine, making us both Libras.

4. Although in most instances I am right-hand dominant, I'm technically left-handed.

5. I have 2 tattoos and am always contemplating getting more.

6. I'm allergic to cats and dogs. (Just found this out last year.)

7. Prior to coming to Boston for college, I had never been to Massachusetts.

8. I've never broken a bone and have only had stitches once, in my mouth when I got a tooth pulled.

9. I got to shake Carly Simon's hand at my college graduation.

10. The actor Brian Dennehy's brother, Marty, was one of my college professors.

As for passing this award on to 10 other bloggers, almost all of my blogging friends that I follow have received this award. There's one that I can think of that may not have. Her name is Sue Tanida and her blog is http://angelicinsights.blogspot.com/. You can follow her on Twitter as @angelicinsights. Her blog is wonderful in that it helps to guide others on the path of spirituality. She shares her beliefs and feelings regarding Christianity and invites you to explore and form your own opinions. Check her out!

This Really Hurts My Heart

It saddened me to read that a high school student in South Hadley, MA committed suicide after being bullied online and in school. You can find details here: http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/02/s_hadley_reside.html.

The article gives us scant information about what precipitated the bullying and what type of tactics were used, but it does tell us that the guilty parties are still allowed to attend school. Why is it that a student can get suspended or even expelled for bringing a gun to school, but can continue to attend school after bullying another student to the point of suicide? Not only that, but apparently these kids are "proud" of what they did!

There is a streak of cruelty that runs deep within the youth of today, not only in the US, but all over the world. These young people think that they are untouchable because they never really have to suffer the consequences of any of their actions. It's almost as if they're living in an alternate reality where the rules don't apply to them. With the advent of the online community it has become easier to say horrible things about other people without ever having to look them in the face. Not only that, but those horrible things can, theoretically, stay in cyberspace forever for all the world to see. No one wants a constant reminder of how many people hate them. The teen years are very rocky and kids are constantly having to make adjustments in order to make it through every single day.

When I think about what Phoebe Prince must've been going through, it makes me want to cry. All she wanted to do is live her life, go to school, and be with her friends. Some thoughtless kids took that away from her because they didn't feel that she had a right to it. I don't have children, and when I hear about something like this, it makes me glad that I don't. It scares me how cruel people can be. The desensitization of the world at large has produced a generation of mean-spirited individuals who don't give a fuck. This type of behavior also worries me because I have nieces. Jade is the one that I'm closest to, and she's experienced bullying. People have spread rumors about her and picked on her. Luckily she's strong enough mentally and spiritually to hold her head high and let it roll off her back. For those that aren't as strong, life can be torture.

When I was in high school I was made fun of for not being "black" enough. It only went as far as the occasional taunting, and, truth be told, I can't remember exactly what was said. If I were in high school now, I'm sure that my life would be a living hell thanks to the internet, and parents' lack of interest in what's going on in their children's lives. To all of you parents out there, please pay attention! Don't fall into the "Boys will be boys" or "That's just the way kids are" trap. There's nothing normal about that kind of behavior. For parents that suspect that their kids are being bullied, sit them down and talk them to get to the bottom of things. For parents that suspect one of their kids might be a bully, get the kid some help. Just imagine how you would feel if you found that your daughter killed herself because she was being bullied in school. Above all else, I want Phoebe Prince to rest in peace. My heart goes out to her family and friends.

A Birthday Shoutout

Today is my niece Jade's 12th birthday. I can't believe how quickly time has flown. She was born a few months before I graduated from college and at the time I had no idea how big a part of my life she would be. I moved back in with my parents after college and stayed for a year and a half. During that time, Jade spent a lot of time there, which means I was there for the most formative years of her life. She and I built a very strong bond, and after a year and a half I was sad to leave her.

She's a great kid who has had to deal with some very tough times. At 12 she's probably seen more than I had at 24. She's been in situations that no child should ever have to find herself in, and has come out of them as a very kind and loving child. She's very considerate of others and would never intentionally hurt anyone's feelings. She will fiercely defend those that she cares about, even if sometimes they don't seem worth defending. Her wisdom goes far beyond that of her peers and many of her elders. Having a conversation with her can sometimes really blow your mind because she already has such insight with regard to the world around her. Her faith is strong and she knows that only by the grace of God is she still here on this Earth. I feel that Jade is destined for great things and I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to witness them.

Baby J, I'm wishing you the very best birthday ever, with many more to come. You know your Aunt Shelly loves you and will always be here for you. I pray that you continue to spread your love and joy to those around you. Happy Birthday, sweetie!