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 |   All about me and my world! |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** This blog is all about me and my world! I will talk about everything. Nothing will be off limits. Read it if you dare! Check out my novel!
Check out my website! http://www.mycountrygourmethome.com/pcockrell Sister of Mercy |
| Wednesday August 3 2011 Life is pretty good for me right now. I may not have much money. May not be much to look at. However, I've got a man who loves me and two beautiful children. What more could a woman ask for? I'll also get to see my soulmate tonight!   *iinlove* I've also lost two more pounds!  That makes 12 pounds in all. I'm going shopping this weekend for groceries and household items. I plan to splurge on the book The Kind Life by Alicia Silverstone if I can find it at Books-A-Million if not then I will buy it on Amazon.com. I might look for the book Breakthrough by Suzanne Sommers too. The reason I want these books is that I'm getting into being healthier. I've made a realization recently. I'm never going to be a size 2 or 4, not even a 10. I may always be a plus size (I may be able to get down to a 14 naturally and be able to keep it off because of the meds I'm on.). I've already gone from a 20 down to an 18. However, I'm much healthier than I use to be because of not eating wheat and very little corn products. I've cut back on dairy by more than half too. I don't eat eggs either. I'm also flirting with the idea of switching to soy meat and cheese. The only dairies that I will probably still eat will be cottage cheese (just to cook with) and cream cheese. I know that I may never follow all of the vegan rules, but who says I have to. I can do my own thing, but still become incredibly healthy at the same time.  While I'm shopping this weekend, I also plan to visit a healthfood store that I haven't been to. I'm hoping to find a kind of marshmallow that is corn free. I've found them online but would like to save the shipping if possible. I would love to be able to make some gluten-free/corn-free rice krispie treats. Mine are also lactose free because I use the low cal, fat free, lactose free butter. A woman has to have a sweet treat every once in a while. I also want to see if I can find some gluten free breads and tortilla shells/wraps. I will look for the ones made with rice flour. I've seen these online too, but they are quite expensive online. I would like a taco sometimes. My healthy version of one of course. A hot dog or cheeseburger would be nice too, and yes , those can be healthy too. Extra-lean ground turkey is heaven sent. Ground soy meat is also heaven sent. These are both great options for healthy tacos and burgers. Turkey wienner are great for hot dogs. I've been thinking about trying soy dogs too. I wasn't planning on talking so much about food, but I love to cook and figure out how to make delicious foods in a healthy way. I've got to go now and get some sleep. Sister of Mercy |
| Tuesday August 2 2011 Here's the last part of my Got Debt series. Mortgages will be discussed. Here are some tips to consider when looking for the best mortgage for you. 1. Don't be house poor! Make sure the monthly payment will fit your monthly budget. 2. Save up at least a twenty percent down payment to avoid private mortgage insurance known as PMI. Having a sizable down payment will make your application look more attractive to lenders too. 3. If you are looking to buy a condo, you will need to consider housing association fees. These are known as HOA fees. These are in addition to your mortgage payment. These fees normally cover maintance, water, garbage, amenities such as the swimming pool and fitness center, parking, and sometimes gas and cable. The higher the fees the more they will cover. 4. Try to avoid piggy back mortgages. This is where you have two mortgages, one to cover the main loan and a smaller one to cover the down payment. These are very expensive. It is always best to have a down payment. 5. Try to go for a fixed interest rate. ARMs (adjustabled rate mortgage) are usually more expensive in the long run because the interest rates will go up after a period of time. 6. If you can afford if, go for a 15 year fixed interest rate mortgage. These are usually the cheapest, and you will pay it off quicker. However, if you need a lower monthly payment, go for a 30 year fixed interest rate. 7. Make sure you always keep up with the interest you pay on your mortgage each year. This is tax deducitble. Just fill out a Schedule A along with a 1040. Other things to consider. 1. Order your credit report from each bureau before applying for a home loan. You want to make sure it in the best shape possible. 2. Know your FICO score. The higher the score the better the interest rate you will get. 3. Make sure you can even afford a home. Can you afford to pay taxes on a home? Can you afford to maintain a home? Can you afford home owner's insurance? There are more things to consider than just the monthly payment. Sister of Mercy |
| Saturday July 30 2011 Write a story, poem, essay, composition including: Love at first sight and an ideal or an impromptu vacation. Love at first sight when I met Big Daddy. Now, I wish we could go on a romantic trip to the green island called Ireland. I told y'all I'm not a poet, but I really wish I could go on a romantic trip with Big Daddy. Sister of Mercy |
| Friday July 29 2011 Write a story, poem, essay, composition including- summer and mysterious stranger Summer's night was so hot and sultry. As I stared upon, that mysterious man. Gazing into blue eyes of the stranger standing before me with fangs popped out of his mouth. I know I'm not much of a poet, but I thought I would give it a whirl.  Sister of Mercy |
| Thursday July 28 2011 Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as well as think. Ralph Waldo Emerson To me, character is higher than intellect. It takes a very good person who will go beyond intellect and see a person for what's on the inside such as loyalty, honor, strength, honesty, in other words, someone a person that can be counted on in the long run. Then this person will also have a great soul that will be strong and guide the person to live and think as one should. Sister of Mercy |
| Wednesday July 2011 Today is an open prompt day, so I've decided to write about how I've adopted a healthier life style. 1. Since I found out that I'm allergic to wheat and corn gluten, I've mostly cut out all of those bad carbs because of this. 2. I'm also mildly lactose intoterant, so I've switched to soy milk and lactose-free butter. Cheese doesn't seem to bother me, but I try to choose low fat and fat-free cheese whenever possible. 3. I rarely eat pork any more. I may have a some link sausage once a month, but I've hadn't had any in two months, and I don't miss it. I sometimes cut up a hot dog wiener(most of the time, they are mixed with chicken or turkey) in some turkey chill. This is something else I have about once a month or less. 4. I've cut back on red meat too. Instead of eating it a couple times a week, I only eat it about once a week or less. 5. I do eat a good bit of chicken/turkey and fish/seafood. However, I've thought about limiting or cutting these out because I'm thinking about becoming a vegetarian or a vegan for health reasons. 6. I'm eating more fruits and vegetables than ever. I love raspberries. I'm also beginning to like cucumbers because they are a great palette cleanser. 7. In addition to taking a multi-vitamin and folic acid, I've also started taking calcium. 8. I drink mostly water and herbal teas. I will sometimes drink a small glass of fruit juice at breakfast, but only if it's low cal and low in sugar. 9. I do not eat processed foods such as frozen dinners and canned soups (unless they are organic). 10. I've stopped eating condiments like mayonnasise and have limited ketchup and mustard to the organic kinds. What I still need to work on. 1. I need to exercise more. I've been kind of lazy about this. 2. I need to get more sleep every night. Results from my changes 1. I've lost 10 pounds. 2. Dropped 1 clothing size 3. My skin looks great. 4. My hair has improved. Sister of Mercy |
| Tuesday July 26 2011 Describe your favorite fairytale, myth or legend from your childhood. Discuss why it's your favorite and how it has influenced your beliefs and morals throughout your life so far. I remember watching a movie called Dark Crystal when I was about seven years old. It was also a graphic novel. I also had that book and read it over and over again until the pages started falling out. This story/fairytale taught me not to judge a book by its cover, For example, when Jen meets Augora (the lady with the shrill voice, messed up hair, and pot belly), I first thought she was a villain until she gave him a crystal shard and clues to solving the prophecy. I also learned that the "nuclear family" (father, mother, children) isn't always what makes up a good family. Jen was raised by a group called the Mystics. They were gentle and wise, but very brave creatures. The other main character Kyra was raised by the Podlings. They were these little dark creatures who loved to party. In all, this story opened up my mind to new things and ideas. Sister of Mercy |
| Monday July 25 2011 Fukijima, Japan March 12 2011 When I first saw this prompt, I scratched my head and thought to myself "a goggling I must go". After clicking on the first article, it refreshed my memory that it was the place and the date when that nuclear power station exploded over in Japan. This happened a few days after they had that bad earthquake and tsunami. All I could think was "those poor people". A lot of them were homeless, without food, injured, searching for loved ones, and on top of that they had to worry about radiation getting into the air and water. From what I read, their government turned a blind eye. It kind of reminded me of the tornadoes that happened a couple of hours away from my neck of the woods back in April. There's a little town about two to three hours away from where I live. The tornadoes destroyed it. I mean flattened it. That town is still in shambles. I believe the government has pretty well ignored the fact they need help. Now the big college town in Alabama that got torn up received loads of help from the government (now, I'm not saying they didn't need it just that it wasn't fair that some receive help and others don't). I guessed I digressed, but it seems to me that everyone should pull together in times like that. Sister of Mercy |
| Sunday July 24 2011 You've won the lottery! No, not that lottery--The Goodbye Lottery. For some reason, as Death comes to collect you, he gives you leave to write a farewell letter to your family and friends. What do you write? This is a tough one. I know that death does come calling to us all one day... I don't even know if I could compose myself enough to write such a letter... I can't even think because I've been so set on changing my life this past year, especially during theses last few months. I have so much more life left in me. So many more things that I want to do and accomplish. Most of all, I don't want to leave my soulmate and my babies.... I know this may seem like a cop out on this prompt, but writing a letter like that just scares me to death and depresses me. Sister of Mercy |
| Saturday July 23 2011 Write about what you think about that moment before you go to sleep. I can answer that in two simple sentences. I think about how happy I am to have my soulmate and my babies in my life. Then, I close my eyes and hope I wake up to live another day. Sister of Mercy |
| Friday July 23 2011 If you have nothing else to do, look at yourself and see if there isn't something close at hand that you can improve. It may make you wealthy although it is more likely it will make you happy. George M Adams I believe we all have something we can improve on. Right now, I'm working on my weight and my writing. It's been a slow process with both. It has taken me from Feb until now to lose ten pounds and one clothing size. It has taken me five years to feel as if I can even think about writing a query letter and research agents. However, I am happy with the results because it is better to lose weight than to gain it, and it's better to have a finished novel that only needs editing than not to have anything written at all. Working on these things may not make me wealthy, but they do make me happy because losing the extra weight will make me healthier and writing the novel is a lot of fun. Sister of Mercy |
| Thursday July 21 2011 "Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts".- Edward R. Murrow This made me think of the mistakes I've made in my life. The financial ones (I had racked up a huge debt, but I've finally got it paid off). However, history doesn't care that my being Bi-polar caused me to make most of those financial mistakes. My FICO scores and credit reports still pay the price. It also makes me think of the time when I failed my last semester of college. I wasn't able to get the help I needed because I didn't have insurance or money. My illness was getting worse. History sure wasn't accepting any excuses. It was kicking me in the butt! Then I couldn't go back to school to finish my degree because I didn't have the money, and I didn't qualify for any more financial aid because I had taken over 192 hours. Other words my life has been difficult, and I guess history never accepted the excuses. However, I'm trying to get my life back together now. I just hope that I don't fall flat on my face. Sister of Mercy |
| Wednesday July 20 2011 Write about the good times (without bringing up the bad) of a past relationship that went wrong. Thankfully, I've had only one relationship, and that's been with my soulmate, Big Daddy. I can honestly say that my love for him has grown more and more each day.  I guess I can't really write much about this prompt, but I'm glad because I would never want to leave Big Daddy. I would simply want to die if he weren't in my life anymore. Sister of Mercy |
| Wednesday July 20 2011 What does the sea mean to me? The sea holds possibilities for me. 1. Everlasting love is one of them. I've been with my soulmate for a little over 11 years now, even thought our relationship has had its ups and downs (like waves going up and down), we have been able to work things out and stay together. 2. Knowledge---There is a wealth of good information out there that is worth learning. It's like swimming in a sea when you're trying to find what you need. 3. Career--- When you are trying to establish a career, it's like being on a boat and surviving the currents to keep from crashing into a rock to succeed in your given profession. Sister of Mercy |
| Monday July 18 2011 Back in the spring of 2000, I placed an ad in the yahoo personals just to see if anyone would respond. Just a random act on my part and I receive a response that really intrigued me. Now, at that time, I didn't know it would lead to anything. We e-mailed each other a few times and agreed to meet. This was Thursday, April 27th 2000 at 3:30 pm. I was waiting for him to show up, and he drove up in this awesome looking gray cadilac.  When he stepped out of that car, I fell in love instantly. He wore Ralph Lauren (now, that's a well-dressed man). He looked like a cross between Chuck Connors and Glen Campbell ! This just made me swoon!!!!!!!!! I thought that there was no way that he was going to want plain ole me! Lucky for me, he did. That was when I met my soulmate, Big Daddy. You see a random act can lead to something wonderful in life. You just have to put yourself out there sometimes and take a chance, especially when it comes to true love. Sister of Mercy |
| Sunday July 17 2011 Is it hot where you live? Yes, it is how where I live. I live in a small town in Mississippi and sometimes I think that it's hotter than the seventh layer of hades. However, my life is pretty hot too, and I couldn't ask for anything better. My soulmate, Big Daddy, is totally the hottest looking man on Earth, and he's absolutely perfect! My babies, Gizmo and Josette, are the cutest and most well-behaved babies in the universe. My writing is improving, and I'm becoming very proud of the novel that I'm working on. "Invalid Item"  .I have discovered a new hobby that has turned up the heat in my world too, and that is couponing. I have saved so much money and have written several enteries in this blog about the subject. I have also rediscovered my love for cooking that has made my life even hotter. My philiosophy is that anywhere you live can be hot. It just depends on what you do with your life. It can be cold in the hottest of places if you make it that way. Sister of Mercy PS......I'm watching True Blood, and that show is HOT!!!!!! |
| Saturday July 16 2011 In terms of your artistic/writing craft, comment on the following idea. "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious." Einstein "What shakes the eye but the invisible?" Theodore Roethke I would have to say that I experience this while writing all the time since I write dark fantasy/horror. To me, these genres lend themselves well to the mysterious and invisible. There is nothing like writing about what's lurking around the corner or the secrets of someone who may not be what they seem. I guess that's why I created my own little world called Deacon, Mississippi where everything is light on the surface and dark within. I love the first quote especially because an author can create that beautiful experience while keeping the mystery alive for reader, then apply the idea of the second quote to shake the senses by throwing them into the unknown that lurks all round. Sister of Mercy |
| Friday July 15th 2011 You have six weeks to live, what would you do? 1. Spend some good quality time with my love, Big Daddy. 2. Make sure I find some one who will take care of my children, Gizmo and Josette, in the same manner that I do. I would also spend all the time in the world I could with them. 3. I would cook some fantastic meals. 4. Send query letters out to all of the agents that I've researched regarding my novel. "Invalid Item" 5. Go see the last Harry Potter movie. 6. Read Lisley's Story by Stephen King Yep, my list is pretty simple, but I would rather concentrate on doing a few things to there fullest than trying to cram a whole bunch of things and only doing things half way. Sister of Mercy |
| Thursday July 14th 2011 Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.- William James This statement seems like it should be true and would be nice it it were. However, I have been painfully reminded today that no matter how much one changes for the good that the outside world sees what it wants to see. The past always seems to rear its ugly head and haunt you no matter what. It's kind of like Merle Haggard's song called Branded Man. The reminder did hurt today. I've done so many good things to change my life in the past few months, but I was told that no matter what I'm just not a decent person. Sister of Mercy |
| Wednesday, July 13 2011 Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. Mohandas Gandhi Do you think this to be true? What brings you the greatest happiness in your life? What is one of your happiest moments? Yes, I agree with this completely. However, I've haven't felt this kind of harmony in my life before this year, and I'm making sure that I keep it. What brings me the greatest happiness is when I'm with my babies Gizmo and Josette and when I get to see my love, Big Daddy. One of the happiest moments was when I met Big Daddy for the first time on April 27th 2000. It was on a lovely spring afternoon at 3:30pm. A day I'll never forget because it was the beginning of our beautiful love story. Sister of Mercy |
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But, the two good things sure do sound like some luxurious hair products. And, I agree about the whole closing your eyes and learning to leap into the unknown at times. Hoping that the parachute opens at the right moment.
