Good Reads/New Year...

Well, tomorrow is the last day of the year...I am already thinking in terms of 2009...don't know why...it's one year closer to forty for me...lol

I have been thinking about all of the things that I have done in this year, and I am proud of a lot of what I have done.

Even the Christmas miracle gone bad hasn't change my outlook on this past year...but I have learned love and forgiveness. At least that is a good thing....chalk one up for Pope John Paul II for teaching us that lovely lesson...and Mother Theresa for showing me how to give and show compassion! This has been an odd up and down year, as all years always seem to be, but it's over and time to move forward.

I have all the preparations for my New Year's Resolutions done and I am ready to begin....I have that gung-ho feeling now...but let's just see what happens by January 2...lol

I have been updating my GoodReads page...I have read a lot since the last time I was on there!! It's fun to see what I have read and what I am preparing to read and what I have read...of course, remembering what I have read in the past is a chore...lol

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1719302 Stop by and see what I have read and am planning to read...these lists are long!! I never realized until now HOW many books I have read in my lifetime! WOW!! That's only part of them...lol

Tomorrow night, we will all throw out the old, and sing in the new with AULD LANG SYGNE...I hope everyone has a safe and happy new year!!

~Karol Lynn

This is Dougie MacLean singing the true Auld Lang Sygne:

Acheron, Writing and Wordpress/Websites

It's been a while, I know. I just got busy with everything and being sick. It's been a real joy ride to be me recently.


I have finally began ACHERON by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I am halfway through the novel, and I am very impressed with this novel thus far. It is different from the rest, very emotional. The foreword said that she will get back to the usual type of writing in the second half of the novel...that fun, sarcastic and witty author we have come to expect from SK.


Acheron makes me wonder what Savitar and Jaden will be like. They are already interesting characters to me, and worthy of epic novels too in my opinion. Of course, it would be better to be able to see Nick Gautier as a huge deal as well...I also think SK is setting up another arc in her Dark-Hunter/Were-Hunter/Dream-Hunter/WORLD series. I just read in her Myspace page about another breed of hunters...it looks like Sherrilyn has a hard time letting go of her favorite characters. That's alright because it's hard for her fans to let them go too...hehe!!

Reading more and more of this series has inspired me to write more often recently...one of the reasons that I haven't been online a lot lately. There's a lot in my mind and I want to get it out before I go mad!!

I am also working on my Wordpress blog-BY THE RAVEN'S PEN, and my web site by the same name. I am trying to get everything in that site as I can. I cannot wait to see either of these mature.

I am also trying to get my LiveJournal updated and get some of the poetry in there that I promised Lilimist I would have there. I want to make sure that I keep all of my promises.

Work has been a pain in the backside, but that is to be expected, and if I could, I would quite and find something that is better than the unnecessary chaos that is my job. I just go to work, do my job, and go home...only home is a pain in the ass as well....

My family gets on my nerves, and I am at the end of my patience levels with them...I am literally counting my money as we speak to see if I can get out of that crazy place!!! The only comfort I have at the moment is knowing that I have been given a bit more privacy, even if the "room" I am in still is out in the basic open...ah well, I am going to knuckle down and do what I need to do....get away from it all!!!

I am going to go out to the park today, it will be warm this weekend, and I want to enjoy it while it lasts....it's also the only refuge I have in this world!

I am also planning to get as much of ACHERON read as I can this weekend. I love this story, and I am very impressed by SK and her work.

I am also planning on working on my own writing this weekend. My backpack is full of the things that I need to help me write. I cannot do this on my computer because of all of the disturbances, but I can write down the things that I need to on paper just to get the whole crazy thing put down somewhere. I will eventually get my work on the computer, or maybe my Writing.com site as I have time and the availability of the computers at the library....

I go to the library to use their computers because I get some form of privacy and quiet to write and check out my forums. It's a lot easier, and I have a young friend here who actually enjoys my company and misses me when I am not here...he could be my son, but I prefer big sister. I do watch out for him, and make sure that he stays safe on Myspace. He's a good boy, just very young and impressive....I just hope that friendship with me helps him in some way.




~Karol Lynn

Ash/Warchild Tributes

Sinc I love The Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon, I thought I would find some great stuff on it.

I give you "ASH" by Warchild:



That song was written for Acheron, and by Warchild himself...who is rather cute, if I do say so myself..

Ok, same song, only just a BABE FEST!!! Although, I am uncertain of some of these guys as our DH's though lol

-

I am in one of those moods again...lol

Have a great evening!!

~Karol Lynn

Dark Hunters And Nickelback-Yummy!!

I just wanted to experiment with newer colors and ideas for today...so bare with me ok...lol

I am not in a better mood today, and it has nothing to do with the elections...they way I see thatis this: in four years, I can fire him, and that is that...lol

Anyway, my job is such that I am starting to realize that the anger, negativity and apathy are what is causing my semi-depressed moods lately, which are resulting in stomach aches and headaches....I can't quite, given our current state of economic abusive affairs, so I have to tough this out, and give in on myself-I have five days' vacation pay coming to me. Instead of using them as sick days, maybe I need a vacation....maybe I need sleep and a bit of time away from everyone and everything!!! Who knows, I just want to rest and pray that will help.

I have been absorbed in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series! I am so far gone, I buy the next two in a series when I am only half way through a book....I figure that I won't be stuck waiting for to go buy the next novel, I will have it in my tbr list. I find this to be a great series that has fueled my imagination (check my review in Awaiting Diana~BookObsession's blog). I also have the links to her pages here and there...and I need to add them to my webroll here soon.

I am also excited because Nickelback has a new song out, and I love it...I cannot wait for the cd to come out or the video! I love Chad Kroeger!!! I am going to put the youtube lyrics up right now for my own drooling benefit, and because Chad is one of my pick-me-ups, right up there with my favorite Dark Hunters...lol

Goddess For President

Alright, here goes nothing....and it's all rant.


Every one of my friends know that I love my country, I am a supporter of all things that are better for the general good of our population. I am proud to vote, and even though I gripe about it, I consider jury duty to be a part of my citizenship....


Having said that, I am sorely ashamed of my country throughout this entire election season! I have been going to the polls to vote since I was eighteen years old...and to be honest, I have NEVER seen anything so disgusting as this entire election.


The lies, slander and general abuse of political powers have made me so sick, that this morning while I was at the polls, I almost did a write in vote for the Goddess as president!


I am sorry, but I realize that on both sides of parties, we will get our fair share of cult like followers of each candidate, but seriously!! To hang a Palin doll in effigy in one state then to turn around and do the same with an Obama doll on a Kentucky college campus is wrong! We make up our minds to vote for the ones we think is best, and it's up to the candidates to change our minds....it's not our place to defile the other because we don't like his or her proposals. It's our place to vote and let them know what we think and what we feel on these issues.


Over the course of the next four years, America will be in the crapper, no matter who is elected, and it's going to take more than the Rotorooter man to get us out of this. So, whomever you vote for, you can honestly know that you WILL NOT be happy with what happens. We are all going to have to shut up and just work to try to make sure that the future will be prosperous...that is the bottom line!


I am sorry, my friends, but I am very disappointed in our country! I am very frustrated because I had to vote down a levy that wasn't asking for much and we need desperately because our economy is so far beyond redemption at the moment that I couldn't! I was angry over this...and this levy only was only asking for very little, and I can't even afford NINE CENTS for it!!


You know what? I heard an interesting story on NPR radio about a year before the War On Terror began about four men in Iraq who had stopped at a red light. One of the men made a joke about Saddam Hussein and a police officer overheard it....they went to prison over the joke....only 1 man came out of prison alive....imagine NOT even being allowed that because you don't have the FREEDOMS that the rest of us have...image NOT being able to tell our leaders to kiss our collective ass!!


Today, in front of me at the polls was a couple. I didn't know that they were from another country until they spoke...they sounded like they were from the Middle East. They were talking about the many times they had been at the polls to vote. My mind kept running towards what it must have been like for them. To fight to come to this country, then to BECOME citizens of America because they wanted to. They don't take this duty for granted, and they didn't gripe or argue for their chosen candidates...they were happy to have the opportunities that we so often take for granted....Even the freedom of religion and speaking out for and against the things they believe in. And here we are-poor examples of how to do things with dignity and grace.



I know I am being harsh against my country, but I think that whether it's "change" or "reform"...Joe the Plumber, or "my wonderful grandmother"...we are not going to see anything productive come out of the next four years-and it's these words you are throwing around for the good of your election campaign.

I keep praying for us, and I keep hoping that millions of others are too.

All I can say at this point, is that I voted. I am proud of the fact that I did, but I am not happy with the choices and the issues on the ballots.

I hope every American got out today and voted. Remember one thing: our military fights for this freedom too...don't take it for granted!

~Karol Lynn

It's Alright To Be Lazy At Work...Yeah, Right!!

It's been a while since I have written. I have had my nose stuck in books for a few weeks, and I guess I just let time run away from me again.

My manager at work told me yesterday that I shouldn't rush at my job or worry over every little thing...that everything will get done as it does, and it doesn't matter if it doesn't. What kind of attitude is that for a manager to take? I am not angry, but seriously, I am not lazy at work either. I like to have the job finished before the owner comes in at 4:30 in the afternoon to take over. I like knowing that I am doing all I can to make sure that the job is done properly. I want a raise and consideration for more later on because of my job performance...what can I say.

I also like to get finished so I can sit arounda and read for the last hour or two of work...makes it interesting.

I can't wait to get this day over with. The weekend looks like it will be a nice one. I am looking forward to getting the opportunity to walk in the park and look at the changing leaves. It's so beautiful, it wrenches at my heart.

I found out the other day, that my insurance plans at work also include vision coverage, so I am going to set it up so that I can go to the eye doctor soon...this is nice, because I won't have to pay huge sums of money to see...lol I also have to start making other appointments for other exams soon too. It seems that I have been getting sick a lot over the past few months, and I want to see if it's due to stress, or from the chemicals at work.

I have never been sick when working in this business before...at least at other companies, but this one doesn't take care of it's equipment, and you can smell the chemical cleaner all over the place...one of our new employees had to quit because it gave him headaches and nose bleeds...he isn't used to that anyway, but if he had been with another company, that wouldn't have happened.

I am contemplating taking my five day vacation soon. I am not sure what I want to do with it, but I want to get away from everything and everyone here soon. I just need to breathe and not feel like I have to go to work, or whatever. I am tired of being around people constantly. I wouldn't mind slowing down, and spending time away.

I applied for a part-time job at this little books store down the street from where I work, called Amethyst Books and Gifts. They don't need help right now, but they also asked if I was willing to dress up in Faery garb once in a while during their festivals, and I said I could try. I don't do theatrics, but it would be fun to dress up and be around people just to be around them....of course, I wouldn't mind working for this place either. It is a New Age style store that caters to many different types of peoples. The incense is so soothing when you go in. If anything, working there would pay for all the lovely things that I want there....lol

~Karol Lynn

Getting In Gear, Breast Cancer Awareness...

It's been a while since I have been here. Life just seems to run away with me this month. I am barely keeping up with September.



With everything going on, it's hard for me to just sit still and write anything!! I am reading a lot, though. Interesting, but boring at time too, I guess.



I would love to write about exciting things that are happening, but so far, that's not the case.



I am going to open myself up to the new ideas that I have in my mind. I would love to get things started in my own way and in my own time. These things would cut into my time in other places, ones that I do love to be, but I need my own thing as much as I need to be there.



I wanted to start a cross-Christian prayer forum. I am in a group on Yahoo for that, but I am not really happy with the way that group runs. It's alright, but cumbersome when you think about it. Although, thinking on this, it may not be a good idea. Maybe I can come up with something more interesting and fun. I feel this call to do more with my faith, and in sharing it. I am uncertain as to how to go about this.



In the next few weeks, I will be making hard decisions concerning a lot of places where I go. There are sites and forums that I am on that are not good for me as a whole. The are also places that derail my Christian self.



I want to be a faithful and devoted child of Father, but being in these places makes it hard for me to do that. It's also hard on me to leave these sites because I have made friends on them. Wonderful and sweet friends that will last for the rest of my life.



I am also instigating some changes in my real life.



First of all, I will implement a routine...one that allows me to get into habits that I need to. For example, a prayer routine, and eating breakfast, lunch and dinner.



Next is keeping in line with all of those changes....eliminating the negative, accentuating the positive, so to speak. I want to get rid of the negativity I am experiencing at work and in my daily walk in the world.



I am also thinking of starting a new blog here, or elsewhere for Prayer and devotional purposes....sounds interesting, eh? I think that if I can do this, and keep it updated on a daily/bi-weekly basis, I can continue on with my life and my world....maybe that is the direction Father is sending me.



Then, I need to work on my writing as a whole. I am still stalled on what I need to do with that at the moment, and have chosen to wait until I start writing something....although, I will work on that.



I like the idea of keeping busy online, but I need to have an organized idea on what I want to do with that, and keep to a plan...for keeps.



I just need some changes in my life and in my heart. I want to enrich my life with my walk, and to document my prayer and faith journey for the world to see. It is very important to me.



Another thing I will try to do is remind all that this coming month is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month....it should be a whole year affair, and we should all remind each other to get check ups and check ourselves. This is important to me because I refuse to allow one survivor to go through this in vain. They have fought hard to live, and I will honor that life, along with the millions of lives lost to the disease! I will honor their lives by reminding us all that we need to take care of ourselves and each other!!! I will try to display the pink ribbon on my blogs as often as I can...and I will wear my pink ribbon proudly all month long!! I encourage everyone to do so!!! It's very important to all of us!!

Writing.Com

I have an idea in my mind to write again. I am sitting here listening to Loreena McKennitt, and I am inspired again. I want to find a good place online to showcase my work....so far, there's not much out there that I find that I can actually use....I am still working on it, though.

I have come up with one site that seems reasonable...but I will have to pay for an upgrade, and the things that would come in handy...like web page, extras and the like. http://www.writing.com/ I might go ahead and do the paid version because that would meant that I will HAVE to use the site, and I will actually write.

I am going to find other places for writing-forums and groups. Maybe I can find a great way to continue to be motivated. I am tired of having my nose in a book, when I can actually be writing a book that others love to stick their noses in...that would be amazing.

Well, I just added myself to Writing.com.... http://Writing.Com/authors/raven1746 I am excited about this, and hope to start writing very soon!! I am so happy that I was able to do this now.

I will start in the old fashioned way...pen and paper, then move on to add it in to the page. It's going to be so much fun! I cannot wait!!

General Things On Labor Day

I have been working on my reading lists lately, putting dents into them so that I can move on to the next stages of my TBR lists. I think my eyes are crossing at times these days...lol

This weekend, I spent a lot of time transferring my things from my storage unit to a bigger one across the way....my sister was moving, and we had no room to store my table and chairs-my sister had been keeping them for me until I had a place to put it, and using it at the same time....with the move, she didn't have any room, and didn't want to transport it an hour's drive when I might need it in the future.

I never realized how much stuff I have accumulated over the years!! It's no wonder I groan at the thought of moving all of that stuff into my own home when the time comes!

I must have countless boxed of books that I have only read one or two times, and wires and cables to things I don't even know what they are for!! It's so funny! l

I found things that I was looking for, and things that I wanted to throw away, but felt it was in my best interest to keep until I could go through and figure out what it all was...either way, when it's time, I think I will have a hard time with moving unless I can find a way to get rid of a lot of that stuff.

I will end up taking the books to a local bookstore and selling them there, and some of the clothes will have to be thrown away along with some of the sheets and blankets that have been sitting in that unit for so long, they are moldy and gross...but some of the other clothing may be able to go to Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul...that would be nice.

I found my RCIA stuff, and most of my Catholic literature that I wanted the other week, and I was happy to find them....but still so much else to get rid of!!

I also found all of my books on writing and on Scotland and my Scots dictionary!! I am soo happy to have found those things, because they come in handy when you are reading Outlander for fun words!!!

This is such a lazy and productive Labor Day weekend, and I am glad it's here.....that means my favorite month is here: September!! I love this time of year. Here comes the Fall, and that is what I am looking forward to the most! I love the changing of the leaves and the changing scents in the air! We have so many family members having birthdays this time of year, so it makes it very festive!!

Pencils, books, teachers, paper....all of this is a signal for Fall as well, and I am glad to see the children getting back to school....they can look forward to Christmas break and Spring breaks...but I look forward to the school supply sales!! Being a writer, all of those things are fun to me!

I have also been getting into snail mail, and letter writing. I love this way of communication, and I am looking forward to having that excuse to use my new stationary from Hallmark!! I love the Hallmark Store!! There are so many things in there, and I love using my card to gain points and coupons!! It's so much fun!

I am also working with a few ideas in my head concerning my writing. I am thinking about joining a forum for that specific purpose...to share my writing with others and see what kinds of input I can get...should prove to be fun!!

Changes Coming Again/A Pleasant Blast From The Past

I am working on other areas of my life, it seems that I have been having a great deal of fun in other places, doing tons of other things.

This blog is going to do a drastic change over the course of the next few weeks....if you see posts missing, it's because a part of that change also includes those posts. I may even get rid of this blog along with the Wordpress and LiveJournal blogs because they are getting too hard for me to keep up and going...I may even move my LJ over here...it seems logical under the circumstances because I am not using it.

I am also changing things in a spiritual way. I am having a lot of trouble making myself believe things just to fit in to one group or another...it's hard to be this way. So, I will follow my heart, and I will go in search of what it is that I truly am.

Anyhoo...I had a blast from the past this week...an old high school classmate found me on my facebook, and it looks like we are hitting it off well. He is a divorcee, and I am sure that he isn't looking for much of anything except friendship, and that's fine with me. I am not on the prowl looking for a husband, just someone to be friend. He is very nice, and very much like myself...just being and taking one day at a time.

September is coming on fast, and I am soooo looking forward to this! I am tired of the heat, and I am tired of working in the department I currently am...I can't wait to get back to normal again, and get the heat of summer over with!!

~Karol Lynn

Natalie Looses, I Quit!!!

I am at it again. I am rearranging my blog. I guess this is from boredom, or from my need to make things as pleasant as possible. Either way, it helps a lot.

I don't think I really needed to learn the lesson of faith last week, because I already have faith....well, you try becoming Catholic, and see how much faith it takes to get there!! It's a hard journey and one that isn't taken without a lot of mountains and rocky slopes along the way...lol

This week has been a bit of a hard one...first, one sister gets married, and then, the other sister packs up and is moving off to Illinois to go to school to get her Ph.D.

Life is rough when you are watching the world moving forward and you are sitting still.

Even another friend is doing what she set out to do...loose 20 lbs by the end of this month....so far, she is one pound away from having lost 10...and when she gets to that halfway mark, I promised to quit smoking, and she will hold me accountable for not smoking..

So, here I sit, knowing that sometime in this week, I will have to quit smoking, and looking up sites and phone numbers to help aid me in this endeavor.

I don't find this such a hardship, because I want to quit smoking, and soon. I am tired of feeling sick, and having yellow fingertips...I am also tired of the mess it makes of my teeth and skin. Besides, I think that the idea of breathing is a nice one at that.

I am thinking that it may be a wise idea to go to a doctor as well, and have him/her help me out. I have the insurance now, and I should go see one soon.

Now I will just have to wait for the email that said Natalie has lost 10 lbs., go to the Hallmark store and find her a great card, and put a picture of Johnny Depp on her webpage as a congratulations (I promised her I would do that for every two that she lost, as well as continuing to "momma" her through-asking if she exercised, if she's drinking water, is she eating healthy), and quit smoking! Then I will have to clean out my car!!

This is going to be lovely fun for me!! Oh well, I will just have to use my forums, and writing as a substitute for not smoking, and hope that I don't gain more than 5-10 pounds myself.

This will work out for me...I may want to get on a plane someday and fly to Scotland, and there's no smoking on those long flights...lol I can also use that money I save from not smoking to go....wouldn't that be fun?!

A Better Week

Wow, what a week this has been! I have been walking in His way all week, not getting angry over the co-workers and their profanity. I have been chanting the word "compassion" like a litany. I have been having a great week.

It seems that when I let go of the worst, and remembered to pray, to go to Father, I recieved the greatest gifts. Patience was the biggest one...

I still plan to do something about the profanity, and if there's nothing to be done, then I will continue to do what I have been doing...putting in my earphones and listening to Christian radio.

I have been enjoying that a great deal everyday on my daily commute to work. The music has definately made an impact on my days....along with the prayers that I am sending out for my day and for my friends and family. It's such a joyful time in my heart to be doing this.

While I was working on the inside this week, I made a deeper commitment to taking care of the outside. I have been doing a daily beauty routine religiously since Monday, and there is a definate change in my skin for the better. This was something I decided to do after getting a haircut, manicure and eyebrow wax last Saturday-did I mention that both the manicurist and beautician are geniuses? Well, I finally felt beautiful because of them, and in doing so, decided to take that one step further and restart my beauty routine everyday. I am feeling good about myself.

Another bit of news: I have a computer at home so that I can get online more often, and that means that I can start writing again on a regular basis and crank out that novel I promised myself I would write, and it also means more blogging and forum posting...I know everyone is groaning over this...lol

I think that everything will be alright soon. I am determined to make sure that my Walk With Father produces many meaningful discoveries for myself, and others. This routine is a special one that requires sitting and reading the Bible (although, I am a bit behind this week because of all of the wedding things that I must do...), prayer, and just talking to Jesus.

I enjoyed my Mass last Sunday, and I am going again. I will listen to Him, and I am waiting to see what next week's motto will be...I find that this is a fun and inspiring way to get closer to Father.

Learning To Love Myself-How I Became The Person You Now Know.....

You know, after reading what I wrote yesterday, I started thinking about things, and the way I used to be.

About twelve years ago, I couldn't look myself in the eye when I looked in the mirror without seeing someone I didn't like, and who was not a great person. I didn't hate myself, nor did I even like myself...and that was the worst feeling in the world to me. It explained why I never had a good day, why I never had any energy to do anything but mope around the house or watch television. It also explained why I never had any drive to be anything other than the slob that I had become.

Well one day, I finally looked at myself and took a very unflattering look at myself, and I knew in that day, it was time to change the outside AND the inside. I couldn't live with that person anymore. I knew it was time to change for the better.

I sat down, and wrote everything that I wanted to change about myself in my journal (I was a pen and paper kinda gal then, no blogging just yet). The list was surprisingly small, considering that there were a dozen little things that could be worked into one or the other of the places I wanted to fix.....

1) I wanted to work on the physical aspect of myself. I had yucky hair, my skin was blotchy, and sooner or later I would be dealing with wrinkles, I didn't want to continue to fight acne too...so, I found a solution. I went to different beauty counters in the mall, asking questions, getting answer until I came upon the beauty regiment that I did. started to use the products religiously....even found regiments for feet and nails. I enjoyed that personal "me time"...my daily routine at night and in the morning became essential to making the outer me feel more confident. Even my showering and hair washing had a regiment to it.

I had also gotten my teeth worked on, and I found a great eye doctor at the time. I did more than just brush and floss when it came to my teeth, I whitened, used plaque and tartar removers, I had become obsessed with my teeth at the time.

I actually started eating three meals a day, taking vitamins and drinking more water, milk and juices, which worked well to make it easier for the other parts of my personal changes:

2) I wanted to change my attitude. I hate the negative aspect of myself. So, everyday, I would find something beautiful about the day.

I started looking at people more closely, I thought that if I could find something good or nice about them-even a stranger-and complimented them on it, it would boost up my spirits, and give two people a good moment. This worked, and I continue on with this today...I can find things about everyone that I can compliment.

My attitude changed a lot because I started seeing the positive things in life. I stopped looking for the worst to happen, and found the good even in bad.

3) I hated the fact that I was not as educated as I should be. I spoke in ignorance and un-ladylike ways, and I knew that this wouldn't do. I wanted to be treated like I was a person of respect and dignity.

So, I started replacing profane words with silly ones, then I started reading the dictionary when I didn't have a better word. Sometimes, I would go through the dictionary and find new words just to have in my lexicon in the future...I didn't want to sound smarter or arrogant to others, I just wanted to be well informed and confident in my speech. If I was going to look more like I was smart, at least I should make myself even more so.

I started reading, and re-reading the classics. I would find new things to learn on the internet, and I would find non-romance authors to read along with my favorite genre. I wanted to have a variety in my life. I wanted to say that when I get bored, I usually go find something new to learn. I tried Gaelic, because I started reading Diana Gabaldon, and I found her to be a great inspiration for how I wanted to sound, and how I wanted to be portrayed to the world in general. I believe that I tried to emulate her for a long time....so I thank her and count her as one of my heroes it wasn't just her writing that inspired me, but herself in general that continued to inspire me to be a smarter and colorfully intelligent human being.

4) This one was the hardest, and by far the one that I am still working on, in a sense....I wanted to have a spiritual base in my life. I believed, and I loved Father, but I didn't know how to go about this one.

I once read a self help book that spoke of the 8 elemental keys that make you a person you want to be, and the author suggested reading The Gospels, The Psalms (yes, this isn't the first time I have read the entire Book), and the Book of Wisdom. By the time I finished I was not only in tears, but I was on a path that I needed to be on, and one that clearly confused me....where was I supposed to fit in, what House of God, or Family of God was I to belong in??

The answer to this is very simple and complicated, and is the most time consuming and frustrating of all, given the fact that I was going to use my intelligence level to get me through life from now on....in this book I read, the author says that in order to find your way in a church, you must visit different ones, go for about 6 months, get a feel for the congregation and the pastor, ask questions, and don't be afraid that you won't be accepted.

I did this, but as I went, I would question, and get no answers, or they weren't even worried about Sculptural accuracy. I would hear the mutilation of the Gospels, and when I would read them myself, the Bible version didn't matter, really, it was always used out of context....so, I would move on, and on, until I just gave that one to Father.

While I was doing this, I would continue to read His Word, ask questions of Him, and pray, and give thanks. At times, I would fall by the wayside, but I would continue on to the best of my ability.

I would take time in the morning at breakfast, or outside with my first cup of coffee and pray and read a book on whatever Christian aspect interested me that week....even books of meditation were a part of that great journey. I would read Scripture in the mornings as well. I was beginning to know the Word, but not fully understand it.

It took me until 2004 at the end of Lent and the week before the Easter Vigil to come to the Catholic Faith. It was there that I found His Family, and my Home with Father. That journey is one that I already promised you I would tell, but I will do that in a later post. I became a full Catholic on 24 March 2005 at the Easter Vigil, and it was the most marvelous thing I have ever done...I am complete in my Faith, but not complete in myself for the moment because I have fallen by the wayside.

The spiritual journey is the hardest of all of my self improvements. It is proving to be one of the most rewarding and educational adventures I am on. I find that Father wants me to know things because there is a purpose for me recent weeks.

So, now, as I have things on all sides battering down on me, I am thinking of that commitment that I made to myself....the one to love myself, I am going to renew this program....I let all of these things fall to the wayside, and now I feel myself slipping back into that hateful place. It's just a matter of creating a routine for myself....

And pray, lean on Christ, and tell myself this: I AM LOVING AND CAPABLE OF LOVING OTHERS!!!

It's not always easy, sometimes I see someone I don't like even now, but I strive to overcome this feeling in knowing that Christ thinks I am worth loving!

~Karol Lynn

Celtic Thunder, My Midweek Pick Me Up!!!

I am in a Celtic Thunder Sorta mood:

Damian McGinty:



Keith Harkin sings his own song, "Lauren and I":



Paul Byrom (who has the voice that an Italian Opera would embrace):




And for my personal favorite, and the one I drool the most over...sighs....

Ryan Kelly:



That is one gorgeous Irishman!!

There is a Scotsman in the group, George Donaldson, who is the eldest of them, but I cannot find a video good enough to share George's talent, except maybe Caledonia or Ireland Calls, but I think I already put those up here somewhere...did I? I'll go check, and if I didn't, I will just have to show you the group singing together...has me drooling everytime!!

~Karol Lynn

Indepencence Day

Star Spangled Banner (all of the verses)

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming

.And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:'Tis the star-spangled banner!

Oh long may it waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,

A home and a country should leave us no more!

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think of this as we celebrate our country's birthday...her battles, her craziness, and for all her faults, you can NEVER tell me that the United States Of America isn't the best place in the world!!

Also, today, I am giving thanks to God for the return of the Columbian hostages of six years! Three were American, and I am so happy that they have all come home, for it gives us hope for better solutions to terrorism and hate in the future!

Have a HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

~Karol Lynn

New Web Page....Disregard The Last Post

To anyone who saw the post that I deleted, please diregard that as ramblings and just apprehension on my part....I am just trying to find my way out of my own messes, and things will be alright soon.

I did post up a web page that I started...and it is put into the side bar here so that you may get see what I have been up to....it's a work in progress, so just keep that in mind.

Everything is going well, except work...and maybe that is why I have had such problems with my faith....you see, my boss and his treatment of customers and fellow employees leaves me questioning his work ethic and his humanity....I am trying to work and keep myself balanced with my faith, and how I was raised....I need my job, and I need the benefits, so I keep my mouth shut, but it's hard to watch him lose customers the way he does, or even treats them the way he has.

Anyway, BY THE RAVEN'S PEN is the name of the new webpage, and it is going to be fun. I am thinking that I want to maintain it as a sweet friendly site for friends and anyone who wishes to have conversations about just about any and everything....from books to what's on Robin Hood tonight! LOL I am hoping that it will be a success.

I may add in a prayers page or something...just in case there is a need. I am also thinking of many other possibilities, but I need ideas and plans....lol

Oh...I just had a thougth for a page...MY FAVORITE THINGS...and yes, among them is yon Robin, dear Mountain Celt!!! LOL

Anyway, I am off to find food...I haven't eaten all day, and pasta salad sounds fun!!

http://raven1746.webs.com/

~Karol Lynn

Remembering With Love-25 June 1924

I often have spoken of my late grandfather...a man that I loved so very much....a man who could love anyone without thought...

Today would have been Grandpa's birthday. He would have been 84 years old....June 25, 1924.

I am thinking of him today, not just because it would have been his birthday or that I am lamenting his death 21 years ago, but for other reasons.

You see, Grandpa could find many reasons to laught...even in his seven year battle against first, colon cancer then the spreading throughout his entire body.

In his day, Grandpa loved to dress in his suits and enjoyed his daily clean up...he loved being a clean cut gentleman. My great grandmother told me about my grandfather as a child that pretty much summed him up perfectly:

"When he was a young boy, he hated getting dirty....he would always have a handkerchief in one pocket and a comb in the other. When he played marbles in the day, he would put down a piece of paper under his hand because he didn't want to get dirty...did the same thing with his knees. He hated getting his clothes muddy and dirty."

My grandfather was half Cherokee. (I think because there is definately Cherokee blood coming from his mother and I think there was some from his father's side...either way, I am 1/8th Cherokee and the rest is a combination of Scots, Irish, English and German, and the unknown which was my father's mother), he had this awesome skin that would tan in the summer and his neck would actually turn red (he was born and raised in southern Kentucky...so that makes a bit of sense..lol), his smile was amazing...I think that my mind always associates handsomeness because of his smile-it reached his eyes and he always found a reason to be happy or to make someone else laugh for a while.

His mother was beautiful. No one believed me when I told them that she still had black in her gray hair in the end...nobody believed me when I told them that her hair was past her waist at the age of 78 years old...until they had to cut it when she died. She was 78 years old, three years younger than her beloved husband, and he was 78 when he passed on to the Summerlands...my grandpa died 6 months before she did, and in my heart I know that she was way to healthy to died when she did...she died of a broken heart, her husband had been gone 3 years, and she had her children at least-until she had to look into a coffin bearing her first born son-even though he was 62 when he died, he was still her baby...her little clean boy and the second love of her heart....

I am thinking of all the things my grandfather has done in his life, and his love for me....and his ability to control a "spoiled rotten little blue eyed brat"....

When I was little I was prone to temper tantrums. When that would happen, my grandfather turned on the old home movie camera and I would jump up, dry my tears and start preening and posing for the camera....funny!! He would also get me just as I was about to smack my brother in the head...sometimes it actually stopped my from hitting him, sometimes not (actually what stopped me was when Len learned to run, and my mother gave him permission to hit me back-and ONLY me-BACK)

Grandma told us how she loved Grandpa, but there were times throughout their lives together that she would wake up in the morning and not like him...even wish he weren't there, but then she would think about how lucky she was because he was the most handsome man in the town, and he had chosen her over all the other women in the town-and there were many that were prettier...and she felt lucky to have him. This was a rare compliment for my grandmother to give anyone, but it was true....even as he aged, Grandpa was a handsome man. She said that marriage wasn't always perfect, and it wasn't just illness that can cause issues in relationships, but many other things...that it's alright at times to not like your spouse, as long as when you go to bed at night, you remember how much you do love them. My grandparents married when she was 17 and he was 18...October 16, 1946, he would bring her red roses every year on their anniversary and never forgot....when he passed away, Mom tried to do that for her, but it wasn't the same. I sent her whlte roses instead of red ones, and she loved that, but it still made her a bit sad, so I stopped (and I was broke half the time anyway lol).

Alright, I am rambling today...it's just that I am remembering a great person who shaped my life and my world.

Am I like my grandfather? I couldn't say...we have the same nose, and the same skin pigmentation in the summer....I wish I had his dark hair (I probably do), and his awesome eyes. I know I have his smile, and his zest for life....I want the world to have a reason to smile, even when the world is spitting nails at you!!

I also have some news to share soon...and I don't think some of it will be surprising to many that know me...the other will be great fun...I think...oi!!!!!

~Karol Lynn

Defying Gravity/Wicked

Everyone knows how much I love Broadway...and the Phantom of the Opera...but Wicked had it beat by a million miles.


I loved the fact that Elphaba-the Wicked Witch becomes a person moved along by circumstance and things beyond her own control, until she stands up for herself.


Glinda was a follower, but Elphaba was not going to continue to try to keep herself into a mold she could not fit herself into...she had to be herself...and that is how I see myself.


I thought that Glinda the Good Witch was a ditz, but she had a heart of gold. She never truly hated the Wicked Witch, they were friends and nothing could have ever change that....it is so sweet!


The other personage of this musical was The Wicked Witch's sister....there was a history and a reason behind her as well. Again, another person caught up in another's grand schemes and unreasonable circumstances....a poor woman hurt by the thoughts and feelings of others...in turn becoming wicked herself....


But the question remains: its there anyone out there who is TRULY wicked? Is there any one out there who is TRULY good? I think we already knew the answer to this, we are witches ourselves, and the truth is that the balance is always inside of us...and this is what I truly believe the message of Wicked was....


Mr. Gregory MacGuire may have twisted Mr. Frank L. Baum's fairy tale, but he gave us something that Mr. Baum didn't...the lesson that there are always reasons behind why things are as they are...there is a story behind everyone....and thanks to Mr. MacGuire who gave his book to become a musical....everyone who sees Wicked will walk away with a lesson in their heart and a great feeling....oh, and a new perspective on the Wicked Witch.


I feel for Elphaba...and I could connect with her right away. I loved her. I loved the fact that she finally took a stand against what she felt was wrong.....


In this video of my favorite song "Defying Gravity", Elphaba takes her stand, and refuses to back down. She wants Glinda to go with her, but Glinda has already made her choices, but their friendship and bond is not broken despite the opposite paths that they will take....


Here is The Royal Variety Performance of 2006 and the cast doing "Defying Gravity"...
AND MY FONDEST WISH IS THAT ALL OF YOU FIND A TIME IN LIFE TO "DEFY GRAVITY!!!!





http://wickedthemusical.com/
http://www.gregorymaguire.com/books/wicked.html

Working On This Site Again/Mists Of Avalon

I have not been here in a while...I just had so many other places that needed my attention, and I really needed to take care of this place. It looked so bare sitting here alone.

I have been having some issues with self lately, but they are being resolved as I realize the truths that I cannot hide from myself. I will probably explain this at a later date.

However, finances being what they are...July 1 is the target date for getting my own place. I have been saving like crazy whenever I can these days...and it looks really good for me.

I have decided to give Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley another try, and I am finding it a very enjoyable read.

I am thinking of starting my own forum in the next few months, for Marion. I realize that the lady in question passed on some years ago, but she has many titles and a co-author that may provide some great conversation concerning the novels...I want to start some sort of reading group to encompass a few authors of the same style of writing and genre-fantasy/Camelot/history/novel...it might be fun. I wouldn't be able to begin this until I have moved into my own place and able to keep an eye on it all of the time, but the ideas are piling up in my head.

This is a very hot day...I don't think that I have not experienced a moment of non-sweatiness all day...all week!! I would keep complaining about it, but why bother...it only makes the situations worse...lol

I will also begin to write again. I am reminded of the things that Diana Gabaldon has written about writing and being a writer, and I realized that it's not enough to want it, but to do it.

So, computer or not, I have been working on my writing. I am putting pen to paper in the old style, and it is so much fun! Eventually I may find a really great site to showcase my work, but I want to take this one step at a time....

Tonight, I plan to sit back, have a cup of coffee, and continue to read-I am torn between my newest love of Mists of Avalon, or Rosalind Miles' Guenevere trilogy...lately, I have been enamoured of Avalon and Fair Camelot!! Either way, they are great authors and I will enjoy my evening after a much needed shower and supper!!

~Karol Lynn

Manic Monday...It's Always Something

Monday was a hectic and frustratingly good day...this is what I was going to tell you about yesterday before the computer that I was working on decided to eat my blog as I finished it...lol
Monday morning, I got up to go to work...I wasn't feeling too well, and thought that if I got physically ill, or I didn't get rid of the upset stomach by 10:30 a.m. I was going home....
My wonderful, beautiful, amazingly awesome (I'm being fecitious here) car had a flat tire...I must have gotten it on the way in to work, because I don't remember having one when I left.
My first thought was that I wouldn't be able to go home right away...damnit!!
I ended up calling my insurance company's "free roadside assistance"...my friends, the call for this service is free, what they failed to mention in those lovely ads is that the "assistance" itself isn't...great!!!


I'll start off by saying that the guy sent to fix my flat tire got lost...and he admitted to living off the major road where I was at...nice....fun, lovely!! I had to talk the guy into the complex.
The guy gets out of his van, one leg at a time wearing flip flops, and I am thinking "great, they've sent a real Boob to do this for me"...I was wrong....the rest of Mr. Roadside Assistance, Knight In Shining Armor gets out....


Ladies, I think my heart skipped several thousand beats!!! This guy was HOT HOT HOT!!!! We are talking 6' of dark hair, huge chocolate brown eyes and a smile that made the sun want to cry!!! OMGDS I was lost!!!


He was very nice, and his name is Michael (a name I can not escape in this lifetime for some reason), and he comes inside about 10 minutes later with bad news.....my SPARE TIRE IS FLAT!! Ok, friends, I had just gone through this with that old car not long before I let it go to it's grave!!! Can you say and embarrassing AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!
Anyway, Michael offers to take the tire to see if it will hold air, and I am thinking that there would be no point, I may as well go ahead an buy a new tire-get it over with. I tell him no, that I would call my Dad (my true Knight in Shining Armor) to see if he could help.
When I asked Michael how much it would cost, he said he normally charged $45 for the service, but since he couldn't do more than put on and take off a dead spare tire, that I should only pay him what I thought was fair...and it would be an "under the table" job for him....
Sucker that I am, I looked into his huge chocolate brown eyes, and he smiled, and I paid the full amount....couldn't help myself. When I did, he blessed me and smiled even bigger...and my brain because fuzz!!!


My dear friends, fellow healthy, normal, red blooded ladies...the man started flirting with me, and I MISSED IT!! I am a shame and a disgrace to my kind...poor Lunawolfseeker bowed her head in shame as she heard that!!! I cannot believe that I totally missed it when he was asking me if the town on the check I was writing to him was my actual home...he was trying to engage me in conversation, and my fuzz brain totally lost it...I blame the man's smile and those eyes!!!!


Well, he left, and I called my dad who was not having a great day with the men who were installing his new furnace (they were supposed to be gone by 4:30 p.m. and were still there around 7:45 p.m.(, so I had to wait for my step mom to get home from work before Dad could come out. He said he would call me later in the afternoon and let me know he was on his way.
Well, around 4:14 p.m., I get a call on my cell phone that I don't recognize...and I have my Dad's number in my address book and in my circle network so his calls come through identified...but I answer the phone...it's Michael...he's on his way over to me and on his way home because he "accidentally drove off with my car keys...he is soooooo sorrrrrryyy!"


I just laughed and said that I hadn't been out to the car yet, and thought that he'd left my keys in the car...to which he told me he would NEVER do that, especially to a woman....
Michael gets there to give me my keys, and I thought that would be a perfect time to rectify my earlier mistake...maybe flex my flirting muscles. My friends, it wasn't meant to be...my boss came in two seconds before Michael, and I couldn't flirt....*sobs*


Anyway, to end this crazy story, I got off work and waited for my dad for about an hour and 45 minutes, and it turns out he couldn't change the tire on Monday night because it wouldn't be ready until the morning...so Dad had to drive me home from work, drive me in the next morning, go pick up that waaaaayyyyy to expensive tire for my car, and put it on my car...I didn't get home until around 7:45 p.m. and didn't get to go to the library to check out my other treasure (the one I will be telling you about soon)...and ran down my cell phone battery checking my favorite sites- WritersCafe.org, Jonas Armstrong Fansite.net...especially that one..lol
You know what? All day Monday, as I was feeling sick, and the flat tire, the missed flirting opportunity...I kept thinking of something.


You may not know this, but Gilda Radner is one of my heroes....she married Gene Wilder (the original Willy Wonka). She was a comedian, and a cast member of Saturday Night Live in the 1970's with some of the original cast...she fought cervical cancer for many years before passing on from the disease.


Gilda played a goofy role...a character named Roseanne Roseanne Adanna who always had a commentary on the news section of SNL...she would always go nuts and say crazy things because she got one word wrong in the news story itself...when someone would finally correct her, she would look at the camera and say "Never mind!" with a silly smile on her face.
However, this isn't what I was thinking about all day long as I was going through my crazy Monday...to which I am now certain that Mondays, vehicles and myself are doomed whenever we meet...it was another catch phrase of Roseanne's.


You see, Gilda had a very loving, funny and sweet Jewish father that she writes about in her book (she passed away weeks after it's release) and she took Roseanne's other catch phrase from him...a phrase she used in her life, even when she was at her worst...and wanting to be funny in the face of her disease...


I know that my situation is not as bad as hers was...or my other friend's are at the moment, but in my mind it was bad...but this phrase got me through Monday...as it has gotten me through other bad times.


You see, no matter what we do, where we go....
"IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING!!"

MEL To Graduate Saturday...Magna Cum Laude

On Saturday, 10 May, 2008 my youngest sister, Mary Elizabeth will be graduating from Kent State University.....MAGNA CUM LAUDE!!!!!!! WOOHOOO!!! There's more, and I will share that with you soon as well...but let's just say, my little sister "done good!"

I miss my "little sister" being little, but my sister is amazing!!



~Karol Lynn

Rosalind Miles, Reading

I have found a new author....Rosalind Miles.

Her novels are set in the times of Camelot and with women in particular....

The difference between her work and Marion Zimmer Bradley, however is that while novels center around women, she does not insult any religion-Christianity and Guinevere come quickly to mind here.

The novel I am currently reading is a trilogy (everyone knows that I am the great lover of trilogies, lol) about Guinevere...Guinevere, QUEEN OF THE SUMMER COUNTRY.

I am enjoying the richness of the novel, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. I will add a blog about the novel and my reviews on it soon...(that just gave me a brilliant idea!!!)

I have joined a new site for reading, hoping to gain something new in my world of reading: Library Thing. I will add it to my side links in a while....but this place proves to be a nice place to find others like myself who love reading!!

~Karol Lynn

Robin Hood

This past weekend, I was able to borrow all of BBC's Robin Hood, season 1 from the library...now I see what so many people are going on about.

This show has a nice message to it. I enjoy the timeless and modern way that Robin Hood is portrayed.

I was equally thrilled by the villians in this series. They are evil and bad, but the men who play the characters do a brilliant job of it, you can't help but love them in their own way.

In a way, I do like Sir Guy of Gisborne...you can see the brilliant way the actor portrays a man who is both bad and in a way wanting to be good for one woman...Marion....who doesn't love him. You can see his struggles in trying to make her love him...the man who plays the part is good.

Then there is hotty Jonas Armstrong playing Robin....I love this guy!! He is so cute! His smile is charming and mischievious at the same time...and his eyes are beautiful! I like the way that Jonas plays the role....charming, selfless, and goodness....

The entire first season was a blast, and I watched the first episode of season 2 this weekend, and I am looking forward to the rest of the season...even though I have heard some very interesting news concerning the end of this season, I will watch anyway. In the UK, they are on the third season, so it will be fun finding out how things go.

I am going to buy the first season of Robin Hood in the next few weeks, as soon as I can come up with the money...I have a feeling that it will be money well spent, and I will watch the series over and over...I love a great love story set in the 12th century...lol

I am looking forward to sharing this with others!!!







I wanted to cry when Robin confessed his feelings for Marion in the last two episodes...and smack him...ah well, that is why it was so fun...the romantic tension (notice-no sexual tension, but romantic?)

~Karol Lynn

The Okinawan Program/Robin Hood

I once read this book on Okinawan Centurians and their diet. It amazed me that these people would live longer simply because they had a diet and exercise program that was natural to their way of life....amazing because when I read the book, I was reading it to find a more healthy way of eating and not to lose or gain weight.

This diet was interesting because there was a lot of things that we can replace in our diets...for example, eating long grains instead of white, and black tea with coffee (I never got the hang of that one, but I do love Oolong tea, so I was able to switch it out once in a while).

I need to go find my book again on the subject, and maybe find the second one that actually has more eating plans in the book. http://www.okinawaprogram.com/

There are three books in this plan, and I just now found the other two online...didn't know about those last books, so I am planning to go get them and read them.

THE OKINAWAN PROGRAM

Excert from the website:

There is nothing more universal than the desire to slow down the aging process, to live a long, full life with health, energy, and independence. The Okinawa Program presents the first evidence-based program, based on a real population, to show you the way.
Written in a friendly, accessible way by the lead scientists of the 25 year Okinawa Centenarian Study, this breakthrough book documents the diet, exercise, and lifestyle practices of the world's healthiest, longest-lived people and reveals how readers can apply these practices to their own lives
Introduces a delicious diet that emphasizes low-Glycemic Index carbohydrates, healthy fats and proteins, resulting in a calorie-lite diet that staves off hunger and maximizes fat loss over weight loss (provides two different eating plans for 4 weeks with more than 80 outstanding recipes)
Teaches you how to: get fit using tai chi, reduce stress using meditation, and bring new meaning into your life by develop your inner spirituality by doing volunteer work, and building a solid network of friends and family

THE OKINAWAN DIET PLAN
Excert from the website:

Written for those wishing to lose unwanted body fat and keep it off--based on the most recent study findings that Okinawans eating a more traditional diet did not gain weight with age
Written in a friendly, accessible way by the lead scientists of the 25 year Okinawa Centenarian Study, this breakthrough book provides timely dietary advice on what many view as the world's healthiest diet--and reveals how readers can apply these dietary practices to their own lives using foods that they enjoy
Neither low carb nor low fat, The Okinawa Diet Plan introduces a delicious diet that emphasizes the right carbs-- low-Glycemic Index good carbohydrates and healthy fats and proteins, resulting in a calorie-lite diet that cuts hunger and maximizes fat loss rather than the water loss seen in many low carb diets
Provides three different eating plans, including Eastern/Okinawan, East-West fusion and Western to appeal to all tastes, including options for vegetarians--with more than 150 outstanding recipes and tools to keep you lean for life

THE OKINAWAN WAY
Excerpt from the website:

There is nothing more universal than the desire to slow down the aging process, to live a long, full life with health, energy, and independence. The Okinawa Way presents the first evidence-based program, based on a real population, to show you the way.
Written in a friendly, accessible way by the lead scientists of the 25 year Okinawa Centenarian Study, this breakthrough book documents the diet, exercise, and lifestyle practices of the world's healthiest, longest-lived people and reveals how readers can apply these practices to their own lives
Introduces a delicious diet that emphasizes low-Glycemic Index carbohydrates, healthy fats and proteins, resulting in a calorie-lite diet that staves off hunger and maximizes fat loss over weight loss (provides two different eating plans for 4 weeks with more than 80 outstanding recipes)
Teaches you how to: get fit using tai chi, reduce stress using meditation, and bring new meaning into your life by develop your inner spirituality by doing volunteer work, and building a solid network of friends and family.

This is a site that shows the Study itself, and how these Okinawan Centurions lived....pay close attention to the charts and where America is on it...it's NOT pretty: http://www.okicent.org/



There are more studies in the books, and in The Okinawan Program there are several types of exercise that they do that helps to give them longevity and healthy lifestyles...it's not just about walking or cardio exercises either...but Yoga, Martial Arts, and Tai' Chi...gardening and meditation as well....we use meditation as Christians to find what we seek from Father, so that won't be a stretch, right? LOL

The books were written by Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig Willcox, and Makoto Suzuki...all doctors and researchers, and the research took over 25 years to perform. This plan was a long time in the making, and not done lightly. The authors are intelligent, well informed and easy to read...a lovely plan if you can get into it....

What is even more interesting about this diet is that the authors encourage you to have some Oriental style things in your home to cook on or with...to use for teas and things...just to keep you into the program...it's nice.

Well, tonight is the night we are all waiting for...the return of BBC's Robin Hood...lol

I will miss the original airings of the first 4 episodes because my family will be replaying the NASCAR race for my stepfather...but I have DVR-ed them, and I will watch them before bedtime...I am looking forward to this!! Even the wait will be worth it in the end.

I didn't get to see all of the episodes of the first season, but I will try to get to them as soon as I can...they aren't on BBC America's On-Demand station, so no luck there...so I will just have to find them online and purchase them when I have some money...lol

I love those old tales, Robin Hood, and the stories of heroes and things...such fun!!!

Everyone, enjoy Robin, and Jonas!!!

~Karol Lynn



Also: If you can, please say prayers for the Maupin Family...they are burying their son this weekend (it will be televised), he was the MIA/POW and his family really needs your love!! Thank you!

Bret Michaels' Rock Of Love

I have to say I am not really into reality shows...it gets annoying watching these people talk themselves to death about this and that...they why's and what happens...yada yada yada...
However, I have to say one thing, I got hooked on both seasons of Rock Of Love with Bret Michaels (of Poison)...I don't know why it was fascinating watching one of my favorite rockers searching out a date a' la The Bachelor, but was.

What gets me was the fact that at 40+ years of age, this man is still hot as July and built like nobody's business, and he has to publically go out and get himself a woman in such a way...
Watching the show cracked me up...20 women between the ages of 22 and 32 (actually, one lied and was 38, but she got her man...lol) all fighting in these competitions to go on dates with Bret...to me it was hilarious to watch them all playing football in the mud and simulated rain and snow in short-shorts and wet t-shirts showing off all of their real and fake assets....I'm thinking that Mr. Michaels was playing out fantasies here, and this wasn't simply for the women to get to know him and his likes and dislikes....you go boy!!

Most of these women were quite interesting and you could tell what they were there for....money and the "rocker lifestyle" that Bret goes through on the road...oh well, Brett gets cilicone, collegin, and little rocker wannabes, and they get the opportunity to put themselves out there.
This whole entire show is funny, every one of these women kept using phrases that had me rolling on the floor in laughter: "I'm here for Bret," "I got one-on-one time with Bret," "I need him, I love him...totally." Makes you wanna vomit or look at your other and start laughing your a$$ off, right?

There was enough tears (mostly fake, mind you) because they were eliminated or there was so much "drama" (another word you get sick of hearing, but it's every where)....the only thing we don't get on this show, which disappointed my brother, was the catfights-the kicking, hair pulling...ah well....at least you got enough yelling in the show to make you crack up!!

Well, in the first season, the girl he picked decided at the reunion show that she and Bret weren't compatible...she was the one I wanted him with to begin with, but in the end, he gave her too much time alone to think....go figure-give a woman time to think, and you are history...lmao.

The second season, he made the right choice, a sweet woman about my age without the implants and injections...gives a gal hope, eh? This woman was very intelligent, driven and ready for a real relationship...I kind of hope it works, but she is a television host of some sort...who knows...but it is still funny. The girl she beat out was mainly fake, and so ingnorant, it was sad to watch her leave the show, crying for the thousandth time that season...my brother called her Frankenstien...covered in tattoos and extensions...weird girl....lots of baggage. Oh well.

It's still funny to me to think that Bret Michaels would put himself out there like that, not once, but twice...it must have been hard for him to choose who he had to eliminated, but you have to give him credit...at the end of the second season when he let go of Frankenstein, he was actually shaking over the whole thing...must have been harder than he thought it would be...

So, I am sitting here wondering why Bret Michaels would put himself out like that....he is a smart man, has money, creative, fun loving, a father of two girls...why would he put himself out there just to find love sans groupies and super fans? Some would say it's ratings, but his new album doesn't come out until June, and I have heard some of the songs on the album so far, and it's awesome...I don't think it's for Poison either, they are still out touring and having great turnouts to their shows...

So, now here I sit thinking that if I were ever to meet Bret Michaels, that is the one question I would definately ask the man...another of life's interesting little things to add to my collection of interesting things I want to know.

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day...it is one of my favorite days.

I discovered and explored a new park this afternoon after work...it was beautiful! There were so many trails, sites and trees everywhere.

This park had the most wonderful areas for children to play, and the picnic areas were awesome. There was even a doggy run area...so cool!

This park even has a volleyball court, baseball fields, soccer fields, and a pond. It's nice.

I must have walked every trail in this park, and it's over 2-3 miles to do so. I will be sore tomorrow...lol I just couldn't help myself, I was having such a nice time on those trails....

Sunday I got my hair cut for the first time in over a year. I have been living with 3-4 inches of blonde hair, under brown roots...well, I am having a blast looking at the past these days...I have had that 3-4 inches cut off, and I have discovered that I do have light brown hair...I haven't seen it in years, but it is a hoot just to look at myself in the mirror! I love the cut and style...and inverted bob for those of us with fine hair to fake a bit of bounce and body...lol

The new job and the new car are going well, even though I am still expecting the car to break down at any moment-old habits die hard...lol I am so used to my used cars being junkers, that I am half expecting this one to be to...but it isn't...just needs to get a check up at the mechanics' shop soon...

I enjoyed Pope Benedict's visit. I am glad that he was able to be in America, and I hope he enjoyed his visit. I will have to go back and find my sites to see everything that he did and said because I got a bit busy on his last days here, and couldn't get online or watch television to see what was up-we were busy moving my brother BACK into the house and me BACK into the living room....uggghhh!!!!

Oh, well, soon this will all be over, and I will be in my own place in the next few months, if certain things and certain people let me do what I need to do.

For today, I am going to bask in the glow of the most beautiful day that we have found for Earth Day, and reflect on all of the wonderful sights that I discovered today in that park....

My family has gone green, mostly for the money, mind you, but it's a selfish act that is selfless at the same time, and I am glad. I will continue on with this when I get my own place....even buy one of those water purifying pitchers and some sports bottles to save on the plastic bottles...my mom did that, and it's the best water ever! We save cans and papers, cardboard...whatever is recycleable...it's a good thing.

I love the earth, and I love it's inhabitants, and I wish everyone a Happy Earth Day!!!



~Karol Lynn

Jane Austen

I feel like an idiot!! It has been years since I read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen...so I forgot the friggin' ending!!

I watched the movie the other night, and got it mixed up with EMMA...can you say "faux pas!!" and "shame on you!!"

This was the 2005 version with Kiera Knightly as Elizabeth...I enjoyed it a lot. Kiera plays the role so well, and it seems silly every time the call her a "comely girl" in the movie when Kiera is beautiful!

My only problem, was that I was almost yelling at Mr. Darcy to kiss the girl!! I fell in love with the story all over again.

I guess I will have to go out and find the other version from 1995...it's been a while since I have seen that version, and my friend, Nej recommends it highly!

However, for the moment, I am going back and re-reading PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, and I think I will re-read EMMA for good measure....lol I may even borrow the 1996 version with Gweneth Paltrow...I loved that one. I wonder how many other versions there are, hmmm....there's something for the researcher in me.

Maybe I will just go on a Jane Austen kick and re-read SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, and watch the movie...although, I do believe I missed the mini-series that came out last March, I am sure that I will be able to borrow it later on. I did enjoy the 1995 version a lot.

My, my, Raven is on one of "those" kicks again...where she insists on reading dusty old novels and listening to the classical radio station on the way to work, while writing her own stories inspired by the distant past....lol

The new car is running well, but I am driving it as if I am expecting it to break down any minute. I am sure I will get over that sometime in the near future...when I realize that I wasn't really sold a p.o.s. car....

New Cars....Lovely!!!

Well, it's been quite a week. I haven't even been able to get online anywhere except to check Facebook.

My car broke down on Tuesday...two days before I my paycheck came in, and I am already broke...it couldn't wait until I got the elation of a first full paycheck into my system before dying...nope, not any of Karol's vehicles, not in this lifetime...lol

By Friday, I found out that my car would never run again unless it had a new or rebuild engine put into it. The repair shop was very kind, and didn't charge me for the work they thought it was originally....except an oil change. The mechanic also told me that it wouldn't be worth my time or money to do that kind of repair on the car because the car wasn't even worth it...I could have saved the money for a down payment on another car....that it is best for me to just use it for a down payment on a newer one.

Well, with the car, my paycheck and my father to help me out...I have myself a white 4 door 1998 Ford Taurus...and $175 a month payments and I only paid out $250 with the trade...the down payment was $500. It runs well, and the few things that are wrong with the car will be taken care of by the dealer, and if anything else happens over the next 60 days, we both go in half and half on the cost.

They were very honest with me, and they treated me like I am a person...and an intelligent one at that...they really wanted my business.

This place will also help me rebuild my credit, rather than being a buy here/pay here kind of place, they are actually sending my money through and to a bank, and that helps re-establish my credit...can you say "works for both parties involved"? LOL

I am just glad that I now have a very decent car, and I can begin the next stages of my life without much worry....I am looking forward to the future.

I have to say that the people I work with are awesome. The guys all looked at my ailing car and told me what they thought...even said that if they could, they would fix it for me. Then they offered to go with me to the repair shop to make sure that I wouldn't get ripped off by the mechanics...even my manager followed me up to the repair shop then drove me back to work...when the car was ready to pick up, she came back to work to take me over to the shop to pick up my car....and the owner has been so kind to me, letting the vehicle sit in the lot at work until the tow truck can take it away, and even giving me suggestions on car dealerships that he deals with that would give me a discount if my credit was good....all in all, I think I like this place, and I believe that I don't want to leave now....just because all of these people have treated me so well. It has become about more than the benefits for me now, and more about working with great people!!

Now, I think I will spend the rest of the weekend gloating over my temporary good luck....

No, I will spend my weekend reading Voyager and going to Mass...I am so grateful to Him for all of the things I have been shown this week....and for the wonderful friends I have found across the world!!

I forgot to mention that I am also now on a new site called WritingCafe.org...it can be linked from my Forums and Fun section here. I just started it, and I am hoping that I can find a great outlet there as well as feedback for my poetry and sometime soon, my writing...DG has once again inspired me...lol

It's been quite a week, but I learned a lot....

Happy reading my friends!!!

~Karol Lynn

Diana Gabaldon/My Jamie

I spent the weekend reading VOYAGER by Diana Gabaldon...again...lol

I love reading outdoors, and reading Diana's work is always a pleasure because she makes it so easy to feel like you are right in there.

But to read her work while outdoors in the warm sun with the smells and sounds of birds around you, it feels even more like you have escaped into Claire and Jamie's world.

I always cry when I read Voyager because there are so many sad things that happen after Culloden...so much we only hear about in history books, and Ms. Gabaldon brings it all to breathing life. The novel is sometimes hard to swallow, but I still love it.

I always cry when reading VOYAGER when Claire and Jamie re-unite, but I also laugh because of his reaction and the ale pot incident...gets me every time. I laugh over the little Chinaman with the fetish for feet, and over Jamie and Young Ian's interactions.

This was when I first fell for Young Ian and his inquisitive ways. I love to read the conversations between him and Uncle Jamie....fun!

I also borrowed the unabridged versions of OUTLANDER and DRAGONFLY IN AMBER by Diana Gabaldon from the library this weekend. I listened to OUTLANDER as I walked through the park, and while I crocheted....which I love to do in the early evenings during the weekend. I felt like I was part of the story.

I love hearing Davina Porter's rendition of all the different characters, and I am so glad that Herself was able to get the audio-books published in their unabridged versions. I loved the abridged version, but you miss out on a whole lot of amazing things when they edit the whole thing...Herself explains something about how this came about on her blog: http://voyagesoftheartemis.blogspot.com/ It's so awesome.

I just love Diana Gabaldon, and since I am anxiously "Awaiting Diana" with quite a few others, this re-read of Voyager raises a lot of questions that I would love to ask other "Outlandish Companions", and I will in a little while...there was so much I had forgotten...lol

That reminds me...some people have thought of their version of Jamie. While, I don't usually play along, I have my visions of Jamie firmly in my head...there is one man who comes close to looking remotely like Jamie to me:

He played Faramir in LORD OF THE RINGS, David Wenham...he is sooo cute!!!




http://www.wenham-wonderland.net/

http://www.david-wenham.com/