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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 |
| Tuesday, July 12 2011 It's hotter than Hades in August, and you're at the beach. You run out into the ocean waves, jump to get over that big one, and on the way back down. Something bumps against your leg. What would you do? Would you dive under the water to see what it was? Would you yell for help? Would you swim toward shore in the same direction as the bump? Or something else? Well, I've only been to the beach once and only went into the water no further than up to my knees. I kept thinking I was going to come in contact with jellyfish. I'm much more comfortable in swimming pools. So the answer to the question would be to get the heck on up out of that water. Sister of Mercy |
| Monday, July 11 2011 The prompt taking the Christmas tree down in July reminded me of the open house a nearby town had one year. My mom and I went too it. All of the stores that participated were decorated as if it were Christmas with big Christmas trees decorated perfectly with fancy, high price decorations. They had good food and punch too. The stores had some pretty good sales, and mom and I bought a few things. It wasn't the things that were bought that made the day good; it was just being able to spend time together. I know this isn't really about taking a Christmas tree down, but I figured all of those stores took those trees down when the open house was over.  Sister of Mercy |
| Monday, July 11 2011 The first three authors who inspired my writing were VC Andrews, Stephen King, and Clive Barker. I remember the first time I read VC Andrews. I was 12 years old. A classmate of mine gave me Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind (the sequel to Flowers in the Attic). She told me the books were supposed to be weird and only someone weird like me would probably like them. LOL! She was right! LOL!  I loved them! I started writing my first short stories after reading those books. All of those stories centered on dysfunctional families, but I always added a supernatural/horror touch to them. The stories weren't any good, but they got my creative juices flowing.  I kept one reading Andrews too. I even did an oral book report on Flowers in the Attic, and my teacher flipped out. My mom even started reading VC Andrews, and she loves the books as much as I do.When I was 13, my love affair with Stephen Kings writing began. He inspired me to write horror. The first book I read by him was It. I thought the character, Penneywise, was brilliant. I was so inspired to write great and creative villains after reading this. Later on, I was delighted by The Shinning, Needful Things, Bag of Bones, Salem's Lot, The Stand, Eyes of the Dragon, The Girl Who Love Tom Gordon, ect. If you ever read any of my stories or my novel, you will probably be able to tell that I read loads of Stephen King, especially when you get to the villains. My dad also reads Stephen King and loves to discuss the books with me after he reads them. When I was 14, I checked a book out of the library that I wasn't supposed to be allowed to check out because of the very adult content, but the librarian knew that I was interested in horror novels and creative writing, so she bent the rule for me (she also thought I was very mature for my age since I was also helping raise my brother who was 4 at the time). That book was The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker. I thought this novella was beautifully written. This book inspired me to write very violent and racy stuff at times, just read my novel (the part about Deacon). As I got older, I started reading HP Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Bentley Little, Shirley Jackson, and JK Rawling. The authors have also inspired my writing in various ways. I believe that it shows up in various places in my writing. The western that inspired the western elements of my novel was The Haunted Mesa by Louis L'amour. This is a pretty good book! Sister of Mercy |
| Saturday, July 9th 2011 Dec 21 2012 is supposed to be the end of the world. Do you think it will be a cataclysmic shift of Earth itself, a transformative shift in human consciousness, or something else? There's a song called "Going By the Book" by Johnny Cash that came out in the early 90's. I know this is going to seem very weird, but I've always thought of Johnny Cash as a genius and a prophet. I also think the same of his late wife, June Carter Cash. This song sums up the end of the world for me. You can see it in the movies and the paper and the TV news Somebody's army is always on the move There's gonna be a battle the lines have been drawn They've got guns and tanks and planes The wells are gone dry and the water is bad and the rain is acid rain There's war after war and rumors of war from the East There's a rumblin' in the ground and they're talkin' about the beast Good mothers cry cause the rivers run high with the bloood of too many sons Some people say peace is on the way but the worse is still to come Cause the prophets wrote about it and Jesus spoke about it and John gotta take a look And he told us what he saw and it's easy to see It's goin' by the book it's goin' by the book There's armies in the cities and the missiles stand ready for flight A pale horse rides like the wind across the night And that rumblin' in the desert like thunder gettin' closer And the trumpet's gettin' ready to blow There's gonna be a shout that will wake the dead we better be ready to go Cause the prophets wrote about it... and Jesus spoke about it and John gotta take a look And he told us what us he saw and it's easy to see It's goin' by the book goin' by the book Now, I don't know if this is going to be Dec 21, 2012, but for some reason, I really doubt it. I believe God doesn't want us to know the date. He will come for us in the blink of an eye or when that trumpet blows. Sister of Mercy |
| Saturday July 9th 2011 If you could give yourself a call on a past birthday of yours, what would you tell yourself? I would call myself on my 24th birthday that was April 15th 2000. I was feeling really depressed. I had lost my job at the daycare, my other job at H&R Block had ended for the tax season had ended for the year, and I was broke and depressed. I was also having seizures more often too. I would call myself on that day and tell myself to chin up because I would meet the most handsome and wonderful man on this Earth, and I would fall madly in love  with him. He looks like Glen Campbell with a dash of Chuck Connors. That will be just around the corner too (April 27th 2000 at 3:30pm) . We also have a beautiful daughter named Josette. I published 27 poems and working on the final draft of a novel and final drafts of poetry collections. I also obtained a two degree in Accounting. I would end the call with telling myself there are loads of reasons for living so getting off the couch and start living.Sister of Mercy |
| Thursday, July 7 2011 Music can be inspirational. Has music ever insipired you to write or create? If so, what music inspires you the most? Any particular songs or artists? Music inspires me so much that I mention certain songs in my novel. Here are the songs I mention in my novel. 1. Dream, Dream, Dream- Everly Brothers 2. Carolyn- Merle Haggard 3. It's All In the Movies- Merle Haggard 4. Country Bumpkin- Cal Smith 5. Tall Dark Stranger- Buck Owens 6. Ring of Fire- Johnny Cash 7. Tight Fittin' Jeans- Conway Twitty 8. Rainy Day Woman- Waylon Jennings Here are other songs that inspired certain lines, scenes, or ideas for chapters. 1. Leather and Lace- Lee Hazlewood and Nina Lizell 2. Dang Me- Roger Miller 3. The Nights- Lee Hazlewood 4. Some Velvet Morning- Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra 5. Skip a Rope- Henson Cargill Here are songs that inspire me to write everyday and songs that I enjoy. (well, some of them) 1. Sisters of Mercy- Leonard Cohen (where I got the idea for my username) 2. Waiting for a Miracle- Leonard Cohen 3. Winter Lady- Leonard Cohen 4. Bird on a Wire- Leonard Cohen 5. Thousand Kisses Deep- Leonard Cohen 6. If It Be Your Will- Leonard Cohen 7. Man in Black- Johnny Cash 8. Hurt- Johnny Cash 9. Mercy Seat- Johnny Cash 10. I See a Darkness- Johnny Cash 11. Rusty Cage- Johnny Cash 12. Jackson- Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash 13. If I Were a Carpenter- Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash 14. Help Me Make It Through The Night- Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash 15. Rose of Paradise- Waylon Jennings 16. Losing You- June Carter Cash 17. Gatsby's Restaurant- June Carter Cash 18. Freedom to Stay- Waylon Jennings 19. Summer Wine- Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra 20. I Walk the Line- Johnny Cash 21. One- Johnny Cash 22. God's Gonna Cut'em Down- Johnny Cash 23. Paris Summer- Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra 24. Arkansas Coal- Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra 25. Me and Bobby McGee- Kris Kristofferson It's been great writing about the music that I love. Maybe I'll write more about it sometime. Sister of Mercy |
| Wednesday, July 6 2011 If life had a redo or rewind button, would you use it? If so, what situation comes to mind? If not, why? I would go back and turn the other way when I saw that occult store that was a front for a cult. They messed with my head and caused me to hurt people that I love very much.. I have thought about other things, but then, those would be like crying over spilled milk. A person often learns from mistakes. I'm not saying that people should go around doing things that are wrong, so they can learn from something. Learn from the past, live in the present, plan and look toward the future. Sister of Mercy |
| Tuesday, July 5 2011 When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion. Abraham Lincoln I find this to be an interesting quote that really applies to my life because I've had my ups and downs in my life. I'm Bi-polar, and I go up and down in my life. I've done very well in my life, and I've hit rock bottom at times. Right now, I'm getting my act together. I'm eating healthy, on a realistic budget, going to church when I can, doing my best to get along with my family, and editing my novel. Whenever I think I'm going to slip, I think of my love, Big Daddy, and my babies, Gizmo and Josette. Keeping my family together and doing my best to please God are the bases of my religion. Sister of Mercy |
| Monday, July 3rd 2011 Same sex marriage has been considered a controversial topic for a long time. The question is should we as a society go with the idea of same sex marriage or against it. I say go with it because I would rather see two people who are in love be able to have a loving monogamous relationship that would certainly be encouraged by being married. Now, I'm not saying that marriage guarantees monogamy, that it just merely encourages it. I would hate for someone to tell me that I couldn't freely be with the person I love. I would simply want to die. Sister of Mercy |
| Sunday, July 3 2011 Traditions in my family are simple but better than good. They are great. There's nothing like going to the snow cone place every week with Josette to get a silver fox snow cone. Silver fox taste like sweet almonds. Renting movies on the weekends with my parents when we have they money is another great one. Going grocery shopping with my mom every week is another thing I enjoy. The first Sunday in May, my mother's side of the family comes down and we go to the homecoming at a little country church and have lunch together afterwards. The second Sunday in May, my parents and I go to another little country church for their homecoming and have lunch on the grounds there. The first Sunday in June, the church I go to has their homecoming, and my family attends that every year. In August, my mother's side of the family gets together again to celebrate my grandmother's birthday every year. Then at Christmas, we all come together again and have a big meal and exchange gifts. Yes, the simple things are the best for me. The things I look forward to the most and wouldn't trade for anything. Sister of Mercy |
| Sunday, July 3rd 2011 Continuing with the Got Debt? series, I'm going to discuss how to handle creditors and bill collectors and how to repair your credit. 1. Answer their calls. The bills will not go away and neither will they. 2. Instead of just saying that you can't pay anything, try offering to pay something even if it's only a few dollars a month. They will usually take it as a sign that you're trying to work with them and not trying to welch on your obligation. 3. If one customer rep won't work with you, then hang up and call back. You will always end up speaking to someone else, and that person may work with you. You can always ask to speak to a supervisor too. Here are some things you need to know. 1. If you tell them not to call you at work, they have to honor your request. 2. You can also write to them and tell them to only contact you in writing instead of calling you at home. They have to honor this. 3. They can not call you before 8 in the morning or after 9 at night. 4. Depending on what state you live in, if the bill in question is over 3-7 years old, they can not legally collect on it anymore. Check your state law to see how many years it is. In Mississippi, it's 4 years. Sometimes collectors known as zombie companies will try to collect on these. Just hang up on these individuals because they are just trying to scam you. Also bear in mind, these are bills that you have not made a payment on in this time frame. How to repair your credit. 1. Check all three credit reports for mistakes first. The reports come from Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. 2. Then check for entries over seven years old. Anything over seven years old has to be removed. The exception is bankruptcy. It is removed after ten years. 3. Pay your bills on time. 4. Do not close any accounts. If you do, it will make your debt to credit ratio higher. 5. Other than that, it just takes time. Don't bother paying credit repair companies to repair your credit. You can do what they do. In Got Debt pt4, I will discuss mortgages. Sister of Mercy |
| Saturday, July 2nd 2011 Have you ever just looked up at the stars and felt almost invisible compared to their brillance? I have because there are so many stars up there, and I'm just me, a person who is virutally unknown by all...... There are times when I do feel like my life has an immense affect. When I look into the eyes of my babies (Josette and Gizmo), and those eyes are looking back at me. There's nothing like the bond between mother and child. Then there are those times when I'm with my love and I feel like the most important woman on Earth. There's nothing like being in love. Well, I guess what I'm saying is...... It's okay to be just a minute part of this Earth. It's what your life is made of is what counts. Sister of Mercy |
| Glory Days Although the year is only half way through, I have had some “Glory Days” that I will treasure for the rest of my life. This first one happened on Saturday, January 27. I adopted my daughter, Josette. She was only five months old. She is the light of my life and my heart. Here’s a pic  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** The second one happened in Feb when I finally found out that I’m allergic to wheat and corn. I know that sounds like bad news, but to me, it has given me a new lease on life when it comes to my health. I’ve finally been able to start losing weight in a healthy way and have totally changed my eating habits for the better. The third and dearest to my heart is April 27. I celebrated my eleventh anniversary with the love of my life and my soul mate, Big Daddy. I know this may not sound like very many “Glory Days”, but without them, I would be incomplete as a person and a woman. Sister of Mercy |
| Thursday, June 30 2011 In the second part of the Got Debt series, I will give tips on handling and paying off credit card debt. Handling Credit 1. Don't apply for too much credit at one time. For example, if a person applies for 5 different credit cards in a period of under six months, it tends to make creditors think that you're a credit risk because they will think that you are planning to rack up a bunch of debt. 2. Keep your debt to credit ratio low. For instance, if you owe more than 30%-50% of your credit availble, it will hurt your credit score. This is also known as your FICO score. 3. Check your credit report and FICO scores often. You can get a free credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com once a year for free. You can also get a free credit report within 60 days after being turned down by a lender. Some lenders are even providing the FICO scores too. 4. Do not have too much revolving credit. This will also appear as a red flag on your credit report and will lower your FICO score. 5. Pay on time! Every payment you miss will appear on your credit report. 6. Try to pay off the balance every month! Paying off Credit Card Debt 1. There are two ways a person can do this. Paying off the smallest debts first, then applying those payments to the next lowest debt you have. Another way is to pay off the debt with the highest interest, then applying that payment to the debt with the next highest interest. 2.Always pay more than the minimum. Even paying only five dollars over the required payment will save you tons of money in interest over the long run. 3. If you see that you are going to fall behind with your payments, call your creditors to make other arrangements. Most will be willing to work with you if you call them before you fall very far behind. 4. If your debts are already in collections, try calling the collection agencies to make arrangements. Many of them will work out a payment plan, but the payments will be much higher because they are on a deadline to collect the full amount for their client. Some may offer a settlement. If you can afford the settlement, go for it because it will appear on your credit report as being paid. It also looks better than having an unpaid bill on your credit report. In the third installment of Got Debt?, I will discuss how to deal with creditors and how to repair your credit report. Sister of Mercy |
| Wednesday, June 29 2011 Debt is something that most of us seem to land in after we turn 18 years old. The first type of debt I would like to address is student loan debt. It's usually one of the first debts we get into as a result of attending college. Here are some tips on how to handle it properly. 1. Only borrow what you need. 2. Go for substized loans (where the government pays the interest) first (if you qualify) 3. Perkins loans are also good because there isn't any interest while in school and the interest rate is lower than a Stafford loan. (however, not everyone qualifies for this loan) 4. Try not to take out private educational loan unless you do not have any other options. They usually don't have forbearance or deferment options. 5. Consider consolidating your loans after graduating. Instead of paying several payments and interest rates, you will only have to pay one payment and one interest rate. You will save money on the interest you will pay over the long run. William D Ford Direct Loans is a great loan company for consolidations. 6. Remember to report the interest you pay on your student loans on your tax return. You don't have to itemize to do this. Just file a 1040A. 7. Do not default! This is a debt that can't be discharged in bankruptcy. You income tax refunds can also be seized until your loan is paid. Your wages will also be garnished. 8. If you see that you are having financial difficulty, call the loan company (s) immediately. Most of them have alternative payment plans, but you have to call and ask. Also the lenders would rather work with you before you fall far behind. My next Got Debt? entry will discuss credit card debt. Sister of Mercy |
| Tuesday, June 28 2011 I'm continuing the discussion about being a movie buff. I also have DVDs besides fantasy/horror. Here's a list. 1. Mamma Mia 2. Letters to Juliette 3. Once Upon a Texas Train 4. Beulahland 5. North and South I-III 6. Dallas Seasons 1-4 7. Dynasty Season 1 8. House season 1 9. Memoris of a Geisia 10. It's a Joke, Son! 11. Otherside of the Mountain 12. Otherside of the Mountain 2 13. Open Range 14. Pride of Jessie Hallam 15. Blue and the Gray 16. T-Men 17. Walk the Line 18. Best Laid Plains 19. Unfaithful 20. American Beauty 21. Cat Ballou 22. Molly and the Lawless 23. True Grit (the original one) 24. Beautiful 25. Stagecoach (1988 version staring Johnny Cash) 26. McClintock 27. Proud and the Damned 28. Son of Lassie 29. Happy Ending 30. Legally Blonde 1-2 These are just some of them..... I have way too many to list here........ I got to go now! Sister of Mercy |
| Friday, June 24th 2011 One of my hobbies is watching movies. I have so many DVDs that I could probably open up my own rental store. LOL! I love fantasy/horror, musicals, westerns, and tv mini-series. I also have a collection of tv shows on DVD too. I would have to say that movies and tv shows in the fantasy/horror genre are my most favorite. Here are some of the many fantasy/horror movies and shows that I have in my collection. 1. Troll 2. the first 6 Harry Potter movies 3. Motel Hell 4. Dark Crystal 5. A Whisper Kills 6. Phantasm 1-4 7. Soylent Green 8. V 9. The Fly (the orignial staring Vincent Price) 10. Return of the Fly 11. Night of the Living Dead (both the original and the 1990 remake) 12. Carnival of Souls 13. The Tingler 14. The Last Man on Earth (the one staring Vincent Price) 15. Dementia 13 16. Face of Evil 17. Charmed seasons 1-3 18. Supernatural season 1 19. The Stand 20. It 21. Tommyknockers 22. Desperation 23. The Langoliers 24. Resident Evil 1-3 25. She Wolf of London 26. Dominque is Dead 27. Dark Shadows (the complete remake series) 28. Shaun of the Dead 29. Bay Coven 30. Cry of the Banshee I have many, many more............ In my next blog entry, I'll tell y'all my other favs. Sister of Mercy |
| Tuesday, June 21st 2011 I love watching cooking shows, and I love to cook. I feel as if I have grown as I home cook by watching them. I've also learned more about different types of food. The cooking shows I watch are the following (the most often). 1. Master Chef 2. Chopped 3. Dinner Impossible 4. Iron Chef America 5. Next Food Nextwork Star 6. Hell's Kitchen 7. Restaurant Impossible 8. Kitchen Nightmares 9. Paula Dean's Best Dishes 10. 30 Minute Meals 11. Everyday Italian with Giada 12. Cupcake Wars I also watch other shows too since my tv is often on Food Nextwork. I'm just as crazy over reading and collecting cookbooks. I have cookbooks by Paula Dean, Rachel Ray, and ones on southern cooking, Italian cooking, cooking for diabetics (my grandmother is diabetic), ones on appetizers, desserts, casseroles, ect. I also have cookbooks put out by Taste of Home and the popular red gingham printed Betty Crocker one. I started cooking when I was 18. I started with desserts. The first cake I made was a strawberry cake with a cream cheese icing. I got the recipe from a Duncan Hines cookbook. From there, I went to making homemade cakes and icings, pies, cookies, pastries, ect. The next step in the cooking journey was pizzas. I made the crust and sauce from scratch very often. I would often play with cheese and herb combinations on the pizzas too. From there, I graduated to pasta. I took to pastas quite easy. You would have thought I was Italian from the way I cooked. I have went through some ebbs and flows in my cooking. There have been times when I haven't cooked very much and lost the desire to cook almost completely. However, my desire has returned full forced. I would have to say it's because of my food allergies and my overall knowledge of foods. I've had to learn a lot about food since I found out that I'm allergic to wheat and corn. I'm also mildly lactose intolerant. Here's a recipe that I want to share with everyone. Cheesy Chicken Rotini 1-1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cups water 3 cups rotini pasta (gluten-free pasta works too) 1 pkg (16oz) frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrot blend (if you only like one or two of these, that's fine. Just use according to your taste.) 1 can (10oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained 1/2 lb. velveeta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes Cook and stir chicken in large skillet sprayed with a no cal cooking spray on medium high heat for 5 min or until no longer pink. Stir in water. Bring to boil. Add pasta; Cover; simmer on medium low for 10 min or until tender. Add remaining ingredients, stir; Cook, covered 5 to 7 minutes or until velveeta is completely melted and vegetables are crisp tender, stirring frequently. Enjoy! It's time for me to make another attempt at going to sleep. I came down with a bad cold today, and I'm trying to get well. Have a good one! Sister of Mercy |
| Monday, June 20th 2011 I have so much that I want to talk about..... I just don't know where to start! I guess I'll start with some good news.... The love of my life, Big Daddy, who is the most important person in my life, gave me the most beautiful diamond earrings. They are the most gorgeous earrings in the world!!!!!!!Josette (our daughter) and I wished we could have been with Big Daddy on Father's Day.... However, Josette and I were with my dad on Father's Day. I did have a great meal yesterday. You see I have to cook special foods because I'm severely allergic to wheat and I'm also allergic to corn. I had a hamburger without the bun. I cooked it using a no cal cooking spray, and the meat was extra-lean ground beef. I also melted a fat-free slice of cheese on top of it. Then I cooked some carrots with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and a little lactose-free/fat-free butter. I also had some baked potato salad that I bought from the deli section of the grocery store. I've made a daring decision  .... I've decided to take the plunge and start sending query letter and ect to agents to see if my novel even has a chance on being accepted.Here's the link to my novel
I have some chapters that are not included in this book item though. I'm working on putting all of the chapters together in my word processing program. I also want to put together some poetry collections. Roses and Thorns will be the first one. There may even be two volumes of this. Check out my port, and you will see a folder called Roses and Thorns. I will go for now.... Have a great day! Sister of Mercy |
Here's a yummy glutten free dessert that anyone can cook that will put a smile on your families' face! No Flour Peanut Butter Cookies 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla Preheat oven to 325 F. Combine peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla; thoroughly blend. Drop by teapspoo 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet (I roll them into balls). Flatten with fork or glass dipped in sugar. Cook 14 to 16 minutes until lightly browned on top. Cool on rack. Makes 2 dozen. Your friends who are allergic to wheat (gluten) will thank you for this dessert. Have a good one! 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.
