Jeanette Cook: A Post-Death Account

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dnj/obituary.aspx?n=jeanette-ada-collins-cook&pid=188364353

Above is the link to Jeanette Cook’s obituary. Below is an account of what she saw and felt shortly after her death.

I watch as my husband cleans out my closet. He piles all my dresses onto what used to be our bed in an attempt to find a nice outfit for my funeral tomorrow. Even though it will be closed casket, he is the kind of man who makes sure that I am always looking my best, even when I am dead. I watch as a single tear falls down his cheek as he prepares for the day he has to say goodbye. I know this has been hard on him, and that is why I am here. I cannot pass over to heaven until the funeral is over, and I know that my dear Henry will be okay. He always wanted us to go together when we were a hundred and had lived a full life, but the universe had other plans.

Now, do not be mistaken. I am not blaming the universe for my death. I am just saying that I did not plan for that doze on the park bench to be my last act on Earth. I just thought I would get some fresh air at the park, and I happened to fall asleep on our favorite bench. I told Henry that I was going to go to the store afterwards, but that never happened. It was finally my time to go, but Henry stuck around. Now, it is my job to make sure he keeps sticking around. He needs to live, not only for his sake, but also for our five kids and twelve grand-kids. They need a father and grandfather in the wake of their mother’s and grandmother’s death. For my family’s sake, I will sit her and watch as my Henry makes the final preparations for the ultimate goodbye. Eventually, I will slip away after he has fallen asleep tomorrow night. By then, I will know he can make it without me. Because while we were each others’ halves of a whole, he can survive as a half just as we both did before we met many years ago. Until we meet again my dear Henry, this is goodbye.

My Favorite Person in the World

Mylie-Jane

I am going to kick off this entry by saying that I am not actually writing about a person. My favorite person in the world is actually my dog. Now, I know what you are thinking. What about her parents? Her best friend? Anyone in her life that is an actual human being? To that I say, this post is about the being in this whole world who brings me the most joy and good times, so this post will not be about an actual person. Now, I do love my mom and my sister. I do have a best friend. However, these people are not who I am choosing to write about. I am choosing the “person” that I have the best, positive relationship with. I still love all the people in my life, but today, it is all about my dog.

My favorite “person”, Mylie-Jane, is the center of my world. Every time I come home, there she is. She is either sleeping from her long day of resting, or she is right at the door, waiting to hear the sound of my bus dropping my off after school. I walk in and have a solid five minute catch up time with her. She jumps, licks, and plays with me, all with the intention of letting me know that she missed me VERY much that day. Of course, I reciprocate this love just as much back because she is my very favorite person. I love her. However, after school is not the only time she is my favorite person.

In the mornings, she is so excited to see me. She wags her tail in greeting, and we have a quick minute of play before her morning walk. She prances around all day, and demands attention wherever she goes. She gets treats (dog or human) basically whenever she turns the smile on. She is not a big “puppy-dog eyes” dog. She much more prefers to stick her bottom teeth out into a smile in order to get what she wants. Also, she follow you just about anywhere you go. You are on the couch, so is she. You are going for a car ride, so is she. You are lying in bed, so is she. Even when you walk into the bathroom, she is trying to follow. The only way you can lose her is to make a loud noise or drop something, and she will run away like there is a fire. Otherwise, you are stuck with her. Watch out, though, because in a storm, you will have her glued to your side. She wants to be with you the entire time. You have to comfort but not smother her at the same time. You need to be close, but not too close. Basically, she is a princess who gets EVERYTHING she wants. She is even my Mom’s favorite, and I am only one of two of her kids!

Moral of the story, Mylie-Jane is a chill but high-maintenance doggy who gets what she wants and how she wants it, but she will always give you so much love, that you will do just about anything to keep happy.

 

The Greatness that is Snow Days

Snow Days:

We all know them, and almost all of us love them. If you are a student, it is practically criminal to hate snow and the days off of school it allows for. Now, I cannot speak for everywhere, but for schools in the South, we get days out of school for just the lightest dusting of snow compared to the snow piles of the North. Typically, we get out more because of ice on the roads and the danger it poses to the buses than snow, but hey, students are not complaining. We are just thankful that we get a day off with snow, which we almost never get down here.

However, this year we have only had one day out of school for snow. This lack of snow is not what kids here are used to. Students are used to getting about six to eight days out of school for snow. Usually, the school uses a little less than the ten inclement weather days that have been set aside in order to avoid the danger of snow and ice. This year, however, we have gotten out three days for flooding and only one day for snow.

While this excess rain is not as great as playing in the snow, it will suffice. It still allows kids to get out of school, so I am on board. Although it does not allow for playing outside, you get to stay inside and have fun staying in to watch a movie, read a book, or whatever else your heart desires. However, I think I speak for many students when I say that we wish we had gotten out of school for snow. There is something about sledding, building snowmen, having a snowball fight, ice skating, snow angels, and hot chocolate that cannot be matched by splashing in puddles. While we still appreciate the extra days out of school, we wish it had been snow that had gotten us out.

In the end, this is a post is about how the rare occasion of snow in the South allows students to have a fun day out of school in the snow, so I, and many other students, look forward to the day when snow finally comes back, and we get out of school to play in it once again.

The Holidays: Is it Really the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

The holidays are known for being the best time of the year, but are they really?

When you think of the holidays, what comes to mind? Do you think of Christmas trees, Thanksgiving turkeys, or Easter egg hunts? These, among others, are the notorious answers people give, but what about the truth? No one ever mentions the family fights, the stress of preparing the food and house for guests, or the relatives pushing your buttons. All of these are part of holidays, but no one ever talks about them in connection to the holidays.

People like to idealize the holidays. Act like there is nothing  wrong that happens during these days because people need something to look forward to. However, this is not the truth. Family’s fight, stress, and have all kinds of extra issues when it is the holidays, but there is no denying the positives of the holidays. Family celebrations, time off work and school, and plenty of good food.

However, the question still remains. Are the holidays the best or the worst time of year? Do the sweat potato casseroles out weigh the passive aggressive comments about your new “alternative” hair cut? Do the Christmas light shows cushion the blow of your parents yelling at you about how the house is a mess because you never clean the house? Does the pile of candy you have after trick or treating make up for the stress of the past month from trying to find the perfect costume? I guess that is up to you to decide.

This Song Goes Out To…

While this post is not actually about a song, it does go out to my Mom because she is the only other person in the world who understands humor the way I do. I know most teenagers struggle to find anything that both them and their parents can see eye to eye on, and my Mom and I have the same struggle. However, when it comes to humor, there is almost never a dispute.

Humor is important. I would argue that it is one of the most important parts of life. People often say that honesty, love, and many other fundamentals of life are the most important, but what is your day without laughter. A day without even  one singular laugh. I cannot picture a single day of my life when I have not at least laughed once. Now, it may not have been the best laugh I have ever had, but at least it was something. I had a moment of pure joy at least at one point in my twenty-four hour day. Just imagine a whole day without a laugh.  You being serious all day, sad all day, mad all day, or any other possibility besides laughter. No rest from the intense, constant flow of  life. You having no decent chuckle, no crying laugh with your friend. Now, I cannot speak for everyone, but to me, that sounds just about the most depressing thing that I have ever heard.

Yes, I know people get sad. That it is healthy to have those sad moments in life. It is important to have those angry, elated, depressed, serious, and every other emotional moment in life, but without daily laughter, where would we all be? Laughter is one of the true joys in life, and I do not want to picture the world without it.

Now, I believe we all need laughter, but we all do not have to have the same sense of humor. Some people prefer the traditional “knock, knock” joke. Some love a good cheesy “dad” joke. Some even love a funny political cartoon, and there are so many other forms of content out there that cause laughter to ring throughout the world, but my personal favorite form is sarcasm. I enjoy the sarcastic presentation of everyday facts, particularly the depressing, maddening facts. The truths of life that are turned from a stressful, depressing connotation to one that causes you and others to find joy in it. These truths may be an issue that is going on in your personal life, a societal issue, a work/school issue, or anything else in between. Basically, this form of humor allows you to turn a negative thing into a temporarily positive thing, and I think we could all use a break from the awful moments in life with a good laugh every once in a while.

However, this does not mean that you have to only find joy out of your pain. You can laugh at those classic, cheesy jokes, those silly cartoons, and even some of the darker humor. No matter what you laugh at, all that is important is that all people involved feel better at the end. All that matters is that the laughter did good for everyone because there is no other purpose for laughter other than to make people feel better and happy.

I dedicate this post to my Mom not only as a reminder to her of the laughter and joy that we share every day, but also to remind others not to neglect the laughter in their lives.

Amazon: The Site Where You Can Have it All

To start off this review, I am going to go ahead a tell you that this will be about a ninety-five percent positive review of the online shopping website, Amazon. Most people by now have heard of the site where you can buy just about anything, often with the promise of free two day or less shipping with a prime membership, but just in case you have not, here is your chance. In this review, I will be discussing this well-known site’s product variety, delivery time, product quality, and purchasing options. Now, let’s jump into all the reasons why Amazon offers you a superior online shopping experience.

Product Variety:

You can find pretty much anything your heart desires on Amazon. Clothes, beauty, hair, cleaning, electronic, jewelry, arts and crafts, shoes, purses, movies, T.V. shows, posters, records, and almost anything else you could name, Amazon has it. Not only can you just find it, you can find these items from highest to lowest price, in large color ranges, in various ranks of starred reviews, from different companies, and many other options. Amazon provides you with what you want, how you want it, from whom you want, and from where you want it.

Delivery Time:

I cannot make promises for the average Amazon customer, but for customers who pay an annual fee to be a prime member, many of your products come to you within two days or less for free. Many product types have at least one product that qualifies for prime, and if you are a prime member, you get that product faster than most companies could dream of delivering to you. Now, occasionally products sell out or simply do not qualify for prime. In these cases, free two day shipping does not apply. Other times, the seller may sell out of your desired item, and your promised delivery date is then altered. Sometimes your item gets lost, and you have no idea when it will finally arrive. However, most of the time, Amazon prime will delivery your package in record timing. Every once in a while, they fail, but that is the risk you take with online shopping from any company.

Product Quality:

While other websites do give you product ratings written by past customers, Amazon also shows you their personal best product choice out of all the search results. The company also shows you other customer viewed items, customer opinions, and customer questions with responses for the product. They take away the concern that the product is poor quality simply because you cannot see it right in front of you in a store. With their effective system, you can be sure your order with be of good quality.

Purchasing Options:

Amazon gives you multiple ways to order your items. You can order them from Amazon directly. You can order it from multiple other sellers. You can buy it new, like new, used, and various other options. Whether you need the top of the line product from the original seller or the item used from another seller, you can get it how you want from Amazon.

After learning about all of the above features, it is clear to see that Amazon is the place to shop for all of your needs.

10 Things You Should Know About Attending a Small Town Dance Studio

Things to Know 1: Attendance

You always show up for class. You unless you are really sick, have family emergency, or some other legitimate reason for missing class, you show up. You do not get to miss because it is your birthday, you were up late from a party the night before, or have taken a spontaneous Saturday trip with your family. You cannot just blow off going to class.

Thing to Know 2: Costumes

Costumes are serious, but that doesn’t mean that you get a perfect costume. You cannot lose your costume, you must try it on right when you get home to make sure it fits, and you pay a hefty price for them. However, do not be fooled by the importance of costumes. While it is important that they look good and that you have all the extra accessories to match, you do not get a perfectly fitting, comfortable costume. More often than not, the costume is itchy, clingy, or does not fit. The straps are too long, the torso is too long, the shorts are too tight, the center is too tight. You name the issue, and most dancers have had to deal with it. The costume does not get sent back for these small inconveniences. You are expected to throw more money into the costume by either altering it yourself or through a professional. You only send your costume back when you absolutely cannot fit in it.

Things to Know 3: Bathroom Privileges

You do not go to the bathroom during class. Little kids get to go, but older kids are expected to hold it. You raise your hand in class for questions about the choreography, not to ask if you can leave to handle something should have done before class. Now, if you’ve established yourself to the teacher as a non-chronic user of the bathroom, you may get the occasional bathroom break in cases of emergency. Otherwise though, you’re expected to suck it up and wait till the hour is up.

Things to Know 4: Participation

Always participate with a hundred percent. Whether you’re feeling it or not, you show up everyday ready to work, and give it your all. Your teacher showed up and is giving his/her best, so you are expected to do the same.

Things to Know 5: Practice Clothing

You cannot show up to practice wearing whatever outfit you think is cute or comfy. You show up in tight but not revealing clothing so that teachers can see you form easily. Typical practice clothing includes leggings, some type of athletic shirt, and any warm ups you want to wear . Now, ballet class is a whole other story. You are expected to show up in pink tights, leotard, ballet shoes, and a bun. Very rarely is an exception made too this rule. You are frowned upon if you do not show up in the proper attire. Granted, you can wear warm ups if you are cold at the beginning of class, but it is best if they come off soon because warm-ups are not part of the ballet “dress code”.

Things to Know 6: Make No Enemies

Cattiness is not attractive. You may not get along with everyone at your studio, but broadcasting and acting on your feelings is not in your best interest. If you have any hope in moving up in the studio as an advanced dancer with the support of your teachers, keeping your catty, dramatic comments to yourself is best.

Things to Know 7: Do Not Disrespect Teachers

Respect of all teachers is of the utmost importance. Showing disrespect in any form or fashion teachers is an automatic strike. Talking while they are talking, making faces, ignoring instructions, and any other offense you can name are a dangerous play in the studio. Avoid it at all costs.

Things to Know 8: The Studio is Not Your Home

Treat the studio as a guest, not as a permanent resident. You do not get to lounge in the lobby, eat a four-course meal, leave your trash around, or any other messy habits that you would do at home. It is not your room, and there is no maid to come up behind you to clean up your mess. Treat the studio with respect.

Things to Know 9: Make No Enemies

While you are somewhat competing with the other dancers for better roles in dances, awards, and other highly praised positions, your peers are not your enemy. Helping another student or even receiving help from that student is not something to avoid. On the contrary, collaborating with your peers will not only get you brownie points for knowing what you are supposed to be doing, you will also get points for helping out another student. Moral of the story: Work with your peers.

Things to Know 10: Practice Outside of Class

Showing up for class without knowing your dance is unappealing to everyone. Teachers despise it because they have to reteach. It annoys fellow students because it holds back the class and will most likely result in all students getting yelled at for a few’s failure. Lastly, you will hate it too because you will be behind and lost, which is the worst of all.

Solitude: An Inspiration for Writing.

Backstory:

Now, I will be the first to admit that I am not the most avid writer. I didn’t usually sit down and write essay, short stories, or even a short summary of my day in a journal for anything other than a class assignment. However, that all changed when I signed up for a Creative Writing class this year.

Writing Development:

For some background, I was always in a writing class that was focused on doing the minimum amount of work to pass a state test until about 8th grade. Now, I did have a rigorous course in 7th grade to catch students up on essay writing, but 8th grade was when the writing expanded just the tiniest bit out of the analytical world. I continue to take these now common English/Writing classes, but I wanted something more. I liked to write and was looking for a credit for high school, so I decided to take a class for writing that I thought might be fun and at the very least, would expand my writing skills for English class. However, this class was more than I could have expected. For the most part, we write what we want and how we want, with just a few guidelines in order to maintain an academic setting. The world of writing I thought I knew was expanded farther than I ever could have imagined. You can write in bullets, slang, bubble charts, and so much more outside of the strict, grammatically correct format of a standard English class essay. My newfound discovery of creative writing’s freedom led me to a whole new way of how I express myself.

Inspiration:

So, now that I have gained the tools to write with freedom, it is time to talk about what inspires me to write. While I do vent most of my thoughts, opinions, and complaints to my friends and family, sometimes they are not with me, or I don’t feel comfortable sharing the opinion or thought aloud, yet. For whatever the reason, sometimes I am either physically or mentally in solitude with my thoughts, and this time alone urges me to write down instead of verbalize my thoughts.

Who's writing their wish list here? ANBerlin via Compfight