I’ve read a lot of books but I don’t just have one favorite childhood book. I loved the Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Swiss Family Robinson and Charles Dickens just to name a few but my favorites were the ones that featured fairies, little people and talking animals!
I had a thing about fairies. I would look for them under the wild mushrooms or just about anywhere. The woods behind my house gave me a wonderland to explore and as a young girl I would be out there talking to the trees, the animals, singing songs I made up in my head and playing with the ducks in dirty puddles of water when it rained. The books I read further nurtured my love for fantasy and mom threw up her hands and gave up on raising the “lady” she wanted.
I don’t have one particular favorite book because I read voraciously and my appetite for books were all-consuming. I am no longer where I used to be since I write now and the written word no longer has the same appeal it used to have. One day I will get back to reading again and I hope that it will still hold “magic” within its grasp like it did a long time ago.
Daily writing prompt
Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?
Maxwell Anderson has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Robinson’s family spoke during the sentencing and called him a “demon” and suggested that “everything that he did should be done to him.” Justice in this case was served but it is never enough. The brutality of the crime and the fact that parts of her body have never been recovered speaks of the horror that Sade Robinson endured and the terror she must have felt.
There are some cases that make you sit up and take notice and this is one of them. The sheer brutality of the crime and the violence perpetuated on an innocent human being is beyond belief but there are monsters that walk the earth and here is one prime example.
Sade Robinson was 19, a criminal justice student and a beautiful girl enjoying being young and all that it entailed which included dating.
Maxwell Anderson was a 34-year-old bartender at the time with a lengthy criminal record which included domestic abuse, drunk driving, and disorderly conduct.
The two met and went on their first date on April 1, 2024. They first went to a restaurant, then to several bars, I lost count, and later to Anderson’s home. Video footage shows the young couple enjoying their time together and nothing seems out of the ordinary. However, in the early morning hours of April 2, 2024, her phone is located leaving Anderson’s home and traveling throughout Milwaukee County. Later that morning, her 2020 Honda Civic is found on fire and a male is seen exiting the vehicle before setting fire to it.
Around 5:30 p.m. the same day reports of someone finding a human leg belonging to a Black woman at Warnimont Park emerges. On April 4, 2024, Anderson is arrested and a search of his home reveals blood in one of the bedrooms and on the walls leading to the basement but it will later reveal that it didn’t belong to the victim. However, the true horror of the crime slowly unfolds. A human foot is found on April 6, 2024 in the city’s north side and it matches the leg found in Cudahy. Human flesh was also found in the area. Several body parts are found the following day. Robinson’s torso and arm are also discovered in another part of Milwaukee County but her head and neck have never been recovered.
The suspect is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson in the death of Robinson. If found guilty, he faces life in prison. However, he has pleaded not guilty to all counts and is currently in jail on a $5 million bail.
The criminal trial began on May 27, 2025 and is currently underway. In a legal system, “a person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until the prosecution proves their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.” It is hard not to jump the gun on this one because the evidence being presented is overwhelming and it points to one person and that is Maxwell Anderson as the sole perpetrator of this horrific crime. However, one other question arises. Was Anderson the sole perpetrator or were others involved in this horrific crime which insulted in the loss of life and in such a brutal fashion? Whatever happened that night, it was evil at work and there are no ifs ands or buts about it.
Monsters walk amongst us and sometimes they appear normal until they longer are.
I love books and as long as it had romance in it, I considered it a good read. Then I met these three and in some ways they did change my life.
The Thornbirds
I’ve written about this one before. It is a sweeping saga centered on the love between Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph de Bricassart, a priest who is torn between his love for the young Meggie and his faith. This bittersweet love affair has several themes but the most poignant is that of ambition, sacrifice and the consequences of sin. You can’t help but root for them but the relationship is doomed from the start.
The impact it had on me was incredible. Here was someone, Colleen McCullough, who wrote with such grace, beauty, expertise and had the power to take you on a journey until the very end. Her words had the power to touch something deep within and I wanted to be just like her!
Wuthering Heights
It was written by Emily Bronte and is a story that revolves around a troubled relationship between Heathcliff, who is adopted by the Earnshaw family and Catherine Earnshaw. However, Catherine marries Edgar Linton for social status which in turn drives Heathcliff to plot revenge against those who wronged him. An intriguing story of class differences and the destructive power of love. A toxic relationship that keeps you enthralled to the very end.
The impact it had on me was that “love” is a painful thing and it has many facets. I still feel that way.
The Diary of Anne Frank
This one was captivating, heart-wrenching and it chronicles man’s inhumanity to man. Anne Frank and her family hide from the Nazis in a “Secret Annex” above a shop in Amsterdam. She goes on to detail her daily life with others in the annex and of her fears and hope amid the war. However, after years in hiding, the family is captured by the Gestapo and sent to concentration camps. Her father, Otto Frank, will be the sole survivor.
The impact it had on me was mind-boggling. I lived her journey right to their capture and later cried when she along with her mother and sister died in the concentration camp. It is a powerful firsthand account of life in hiding and one young girl’s will to survive under unimaginable circumstances. It also taught me that life and people can be cruel.
Daily writing prompt
List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?
The little macho in the fur coat does have a softer side and he has decided to show me his feminine side.
He has toned down his cat antics and now, it’s all about taking “lovey-dovey” to a new high! I’m loving it but it is also a tad scary. I see a “mini-me” in the making. I used to be fearful and a clap of thunder would make me jump. We had a thunderstorm two days ago and when it rolled in, Mr. Macho was nowhere to be found! He only came out of his hiding place when things quieted down and the coast was clear and then he looked at me as if I had caused all that racket!
Working out is getting to be next to impossible. My “workout cat” not only joins in but weaves in and out between my legs making it impossible to continue and then decides it’s “kisses galore” time! Try resisting those puppy dog eyes! Yes, he’s got that one down pat. If you can’t beat them, join them? Exactly what happens. It is only a matter of time before we are down on the mat in a lovefest exchanging snuggles, kisses and hugs! Not that I’m complaining.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that Little Einstein is not what he makes himself out to be. He’s a scaredy cat in every sense of the word! Our morning routine hinges on going down together. He waits patiently until I’m ready to go down and then he dashes down the stairs but not before. I wanted to see if I was just imagining it so I went down with him this morning and left him in the kitchen and went back upstairs. Unbelievable! Within minutes, he was back upstairs “mommy meowing” until he found me!
To top it all, his fur is accommodating his new-found softer side! Suddenly, he is soft as silk and holding him close is a joy indeed. What happened? I don’t know but his new nickname is “Softie!” It suits him just fine and I’m loving this sweetness and gentleness he is showing. However, I know that this softer side will not last. It is only a matter of time before the little guy who wears the pants in this household will show up with that John Wayne stride and with that grin plastered on his face and believe me, it will be sooner than later!
Two things that happened changed how I viewed life and brought fear into it. The first one I’ve never talked about here because whenever I look at it one question comes to mind, how much of what happened was my fault?
I was an undergraduate at the time. Life was great and I was enjoying my freedom. Then one day he walked in. I was at the university and talking with my boss when he strolled in. Our eyes met. I smiled and he smiled back but his gaze never left my face after that. It was uncomfortable so I looked away and worked at the other desk without looking at him. He was good-lo0king and more like the Ted Bundy type!
The next day I was walking through a hallway when I saw him again. His eyes lit up and he said, “Hello!” I smiled and we talked. Then he asked me, “Would you like to go out sometime?” I was surprised but I shook my head and told him I was seeing someone. He smiled and said okay. A few days later, heavy snowfall meant the university was closed. I decided to take a walk in the snow, it was a beautiful day. Suddenly, he was beside me and asked, “Do you mind if I walked with you?” I said no. We talked about the weather and I found out he was a psychology major and that he was from Wisconsin. That was about it.
Then it started. Roses started appearing outside my door and the phone would go off at all hours of the day and night but especially when I came home from a date late at night and the minute I walked in, the phone would ring incessantly. Then one day there was a knock on the door and I opened it to find him standing there. He had tears rolling down his face and he said, “I love you!” I was shocked. No matter how I pleaded with him, my life was not my own from that point in time. The police couldn’t help because he hadn’t done anything!
He followed me around and wherever I was, he was there. He would bring me a cold drink, walk into the office and leave it on my desk. He would leave flowers outside my apartment door, some left whole and some crushed, with love letters attached to them , and the worst part was when I was on a date and wherever we were, he would be right there! I recall one time when we had taken an evening walk and the next day he told me everything we had talked about! He had been that close.
It continued for six months and it felt like I was living in a glass house. Fear gripped my insides and going out became a terrifying event. Six months to the day it stopped! He went silent and my life was mine again. I don’t know what happened to him but I could breathe again but the fear never left me. Even now the fear is there and perhaps it will never leave but I am glad that I survived that ordeal.
An estimated 13.5 million people are stalked in the US each year and I was one of the lucky ones because stalking usually escalates to rape and murder. What did I learn from it? Stop smiling! That was my first reaction but deep down I knew that the smile was friendly nothing more. He had a problem or problems and there was nothing I could have done about the outcome. I still smile because it is part and parcel of my DNA and I wasn’t going to let someone with mental issues wipe it off my face!
The other fear factor, I will talk about at another time.
A friend sent this a few days ago and it got me thinking.
“If life doesn’t feel like a fairytale,
If every beautiful sentence seems like ridiculous madness to you…..
Take your existence by the hand,
Be the artist of your own future,
Don’t wait for toads to turn into princes, or pumpkins into carriages,
Remember that everything that was conquered with effort, smells of joy that knows no limits,
Be your own fairytale.” Unknown
I would love to take that last line to heart but fairytales are made of fairy dust and all things nice. The guy gets the girl, a pair of glass slippers has the power to snare a prince and a fairy godmother who orchestrates the whole shebang! How far from the truth can it be? These days things just don’t work that way. I am not sure if it did work that way in Fairytale Land but make-believe is just that, you can work magic into anything and parade it as the truth and have people swallow it lock, stock and barrel!
These days you pick someone out of a dating site, whichever it might be. Then begins the excruciating task of deciding if it’s a “yes” a “no” or it lands in the maybe pile. It all boils down to as the saying goes from the Frog Prince, “You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your handsome prince.” Not appetizing is it? And even then, you might just walk away with nothing to show for it and that is the reality of it.
Life is not a fairytale. The girl doesn’t always get the guy in the end and there is no walking off into the sunset and happily ever after either. More often than not the shoe doesn’t fit and heartbreak follows in its wake. I could go on and on but I am going to stop right here and lighten the mood a little. I hope these quotes help to keep you company as we go through life searching for that needle in the haystack.
“Someday my Prince Charming will come. Mine just took a wrong turn, got lost and is too stubborn to ask for directions.”
That hasn’t changed much, you know what I am talking about if you’ve ever been in a car with a guy and he refuses to admit that he’s lost. Nothing new there.
I love this next one from Ms. Oprah Winfrey.
“Mr. Right’s coming, but he’s in Africa, and he’s walking.”
Ms. Carrie Bradshaw had a lot to say on this topic.
And just like that:
“A relationship is like couture. If it doesn’t fit perfectly, it’s a disaster.”
The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you that you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”
“Sometimes we need to stop analyzing the past, stop planning the future, stop figuring out precisely how we feel, stop deciding exactly what we want and just see what happens.”
“As we drive along this road called life, occasionally a girl will find herself a little lost. And when that happens, I guess she has to let go of the coulda, shoulda, woulda, buckle up and just keep going.”
Don’t despair. As the Fairy Godmother said:
“Even miracles take a little time.”
If all else fails,
Ladies,
Please stop wasting your time looking for Mr. Right.
Just find Mr. Left and drag that sucker to the right!
It is not expensive, I don’t have to buy it and it is not materialistic. The one simple thing I do each and everyday that brings joy to my life is to simply smile and to give out smiles. It’s as simple as that.
There are people who go around with the corners of their lips turned down and they don’t even realize it. A smile is something I wear when I’m out there or on those rare moments when I get myself out and rub shoulders with the human race! I call myself a recluse so it doesn’t happen that often but when I do, I make sure that the smile is front and center.
It is not a fake one where you flash it once and it goes off in the blink of an eye. I’ve been told that I smile with my eyes and I suppose that is a good thing. I say I give out smiles because if I make eye contact with someone, I flash that smile. It just happens naturally, however, do not underestimate the power of a smile because it has the ability to jump start your day and to the person on the receiving end, it says, “I see you and you are worthy of my smile!”
Smiling “increases mood-enhancing hormones while decreasing stress-enhancing hormones, including cortisol, and adrenaline.” It also produces more endorphins-the chemical that relieves pain and stress.
So smile for all you’re worth!
Daily writing prompt
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.
When my body and mind tell me that it is time to let it all go, that’s when I know that it’s time to unplug and relax. Sometimes it’s a subtle nudge but at other times it is a loud scream.
Unplugging means diving into meditation, staring into space with no thought in mind or just watching something on TV. I love comedies so I look for those and with a nice cup of tea in hand, it’s my go to method for unwinding. Sometimes I listen to Katie Melua or Norah Jones, two beautiful voices that have the ability to whisk you away and keep you there for a while. Add sitting outside in the garden and it is paradise in the making.
It doesn’t take much to unplug. Just a nice shower, I don’t like baths, getting into my comfy PJs, flips-flops on my feet and I’m ready to go. Add some dreamy music, the sounds of the garden all around me, the blue skies above and it happens without me pushing any buttons. Oh, the scent of roses in all their glory is a plus and right now, they are blooming everywhere I look!
Daily writing prompt
How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?
The Duchess of Sussex shared this quote in an interview and how right she is.
How many times have we questioned if we are really enough? How many times have we said if only I was thinner, prettier, more popular, had more friends than life would be better, simpler and I would be enough. More times than you can count on your fingers right? I know I have.
I think to be enough you have to start by loving yourself first. It is not about what society expects of you, the impossible goals it puts out there so that achieving some of them takes us to never never land and leaves us wanting but never quite attaining what is the norm or considered the norm in today’s society of much ado about nothing.
Beyonce said:
“Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.”
I will add, love yourself first and you’re halfway there. Look in the mirror and give yourself a big hug and say, “I love you warts and all!” Yes warts because we do carry those unseen warts around with us. Just the other day someone said to me, “You are your worst critic.” He is right but more appropriately I am my own worst enemy. When I look into that mirror first thing in the morning, I see all that is wrong and those warts, those invisible ones take shape and have the power to obliterate if I allow them. These days, I see someone genuine with potential staring back at me. I smile, give myself a hug and go on my way.
So many of us go through life carrying the burden of I don’t measure up. It is easy to do in this world of ours where perfection and beauty are key buzzwords and measuring up is an uphill task. However, these are just two words. Honesty, integrity, dependability, good-heartedness, helpfulness and so on are all words that carry so much worth that they have the power to blow those two other words, beauty and perfection to kingdom come! Look at you, the real you and you will know that you my friend are enough as you are.
Someone close to me said, “I don’t know if I can make it.” Despair, frustration and a fear of the future are the monsters he will have to slay. He’s at a standstill but this is nothing new. I’ve been there and so have you when the day seems unfathomable and all you want to do is turn out the light, shut out the world and go within yourself and stay there for awhile.
“Today I feel like putting on the “OUT OF ORDER” sticker on my head and going back to bed.” Unknown
However, the trick is in knowing when to crawl out of bed, remove that sign and take life by its reins and to say, “I am enough as I am. You won’t defeat me!”
You are capable, you have the power within you to achieve the impossible and you my friend are stronger than you think!
YOU ARE ENOUGH!
“My mission should I choose to accept it, is to find peace with exactly who and what I am. To take pride in my thoughts, my appearance, my talents, my flaws and to stop this incessant worrying that I can’t be loved as I am.” Anais Nin
A good question because I’ve asked myself that same question many times over. I tend to be a stickler for rules so being my friend is hard because those expectations I have of how a friend should be is sometimes a barrier to true friendship. However, I don’t ask for more than I am willing to give.
As I friend, I am loyal, trustworthy, there when you need me and if help is needed I am ready and willing to do whatever is necessary but sometimes that willingness opens up the door to someone taking advantage of you. It has happened and some of those people are no longer in my life.
“Some people will only be there for you as long as you have something they need. When you no longer serve a purpose, they will leave. The good news is, if you tough it out, you’ll eventually weed these people out of your life and be left with some great people you can count on. We rarely lose friends, we just gradually figure out who our real ones are.” Darren John Maxwell
I had posted something the other day. In the article I made reference to something I was dealing with. The phone rang and there he was, someone who was close to me because at one time we were more than friends. Anyway, he asked, “What is going on?”
ME: “How did you know?”
HIM: “I read your post and I know you better than most people.”
So I told him and it was a good talk. I was thankful for the caring he showed and that folks is what friends are about. They show up when you least expect them to. Showing up is one very important aspect of friendship along with all the other things I mentioned.
“Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there.” Christy Evans
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