Best of 2008

I have to give props to my Sass Family/MySpace friend Laurel-great idea and way to wrapup what 2008 meant to me. Thanks Laurel! Whoever reads, I would be interested in reading your response-copy and paste, replace w/ your responses and email me at carters6@hotmail.com
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What was the best memory of 2008?
Sorry I have two-going to Europe this summer and my mom's wedding.

What was the worst memory of 2008?
The deaths: the grandmother I hardly knew and the passing of a high school classmate just last week (RIP Kennedy Crawford).

If you could go back in time & change anything, would you?
Probably not-my screw up something that's meant to be and lessons I needed to learn.

Did you have a boyfriend/girlfriend this year?
Let's just say a companion

How was your birthday?
It was wonderful, although I had to work. People really helped make it special for me though...celebrated for about a week and a half.

Were you depressed the whole year?
No, won't allow that.

Did you have a valentine?
I did not, but was working on it. Pampered myself as usual. If I don't, who else will?

What's one memory you will never forget from this year?
Along with the ones I mentioned above, the election of our first Black president elect, President Obama!

What did you do for July 4th?
I was still in Europe...London, England to be exact. Although I wasn't celebrating Independence Day, I felt pretty darn independent!

What were your grades like this year?
My first year in my doctorate program and I have like a 3.5 GPA.

Did you achieve your new years resolution?
I wrote them down...let me check...I did good either the first part of the year (or vice versa) and then slacked of on them the rest. 2009 for me means full effort in my goals.


This or That [2008]
The new happy Britney Spears, or the old crazy Britney Spears?
Who cares?!

Cheeseburgers or Tacos?
I have to say cheeseburgers-had the best cheeseburger of my life in Ireland this summer.

Skinny Jeans or Flare?
Flare

Vans or Flip-Flops?
Flip flops

Myspace or Cell phone?
Cell phone

Dark Night or Twilight?
Dark Knight, if referring to the movie w/ that memorable Heath Ledger performance

Hancock or Iron Man?
I love Will Smith, but Iron Man was the shiz-nit!

TV or PS3?
TV b/c I am going blank trying to figure out what PS3 is...what is it..Play station? TV most def!

Winter or Summer?
Summer, although Fall is my favorite

Spring or Autumn?
Just said it...

This year did you:
Kiss over three people?
No

Kiss under three people?
Yes

Try something new you regret?
No

Try something new that your proud of?
Yes

Get into a physical fight?
No, but could've cussed out some folks.

Get kicked out of home?
No

Throw up because of being drunk?
Not even close!

Throw up because of eating to much food?
Not even...

Get in trouble with the police?
No

Go shopping 3 times a week?
Not 3 times within a week but I did add a few things to the wardrobe. Long overdue.

Do something for your birthday?
Me? OF COURSE!

Fall in love?
None-Ya's!

Get a broken heart?
I got a lil sensitive sometimes, I admit, but had no reason to be.

Do something to help the community?
Unfortunately not, but that's a 2009 goal

Read the entire dictionary?
Uugh, no...

Go to the zoo?
No

Fail a class?
Heck no!

Retake a class?
No, although I was worried about this last one!

Vote for a president?
Definitely

Distance from a friend?
Had to step away from a couple who weren't exactly friends


Random 2008:
Did you go to a funeral this year?
Yes

Did you feel like you deserved christmas presents this year from Santa?
Always!

Do you even believe in Santa?
Naw

Did you change at all
YES, and for the better

Do you have resolutions for next year?
I do...going to call the goals, because tha will make me work on them even harder

Wishing everyone a wonderful and blessed 2009 New Year ahead...be safe tomorrow (New Year's Eve)!

November: Month of History, Dr. Carter, and Family

I've been gone for too long but wow, so much has happened in the month or so since I have last written. First, we are now a part of history as we have witnessed an election in which our new President Elect is a Black man. Unbelievable!

I am not much of a political person, and to tell you the truth I did not follow the debates and such. What I have usually done in the past when voting is look in my Sunday paper before the week of voting, read up on the views of candidates and see which ones match more of what I believe in, and then go vote. This year, I opened my ears up a bit more as I constantly heard family, friends and associates go back and forth about this year's election. It seemed that this time around, more people in my circle wanted their voices to be heard, and it appears that many of us went out to the polls to make sure our votes did count.

I was actually online that evening working on schoolwork after I went to vote; would have loved to had been at a gathering or party to celebrate what would become a memorable Nov. 4th, but then again I cried so many tears of joy in seeing our new President and his family on that stage giving his acceptance speech I was happy I was alone! I took a few moments to call my mom to celebrate this moment, and then I took a few moments in prayer to thank God and ask Him to protect President Obama and his family.

Second, after a rough eight weeks of getting through my research class, which was the beginning of my working on my dissertation, I am happy to say that I JUST passed it with a B-! In the program, the lowest grade I can get in these courses is a B- so I just did it. Like I mentioned in earlier posts, I was just in a place where it took me some time to bounce back and decide that I was going to do this and not let any obstacles get in my way. I have decided, after some research of my own, I am going to stick it out with this doctoral program I am in, and I am going to do my best to make sure things work out financially where I can pay for school and not have to worry about depending on anyone but myself to do it-and assistance I get along the way is welcome but I will be prepared from this point on for any sudden changes like the obstacle I was faced with a couple of months back that got me to the point of almost quitting. Instead of worrying about it, I will leave it in God's hands and just follow His lead. For now, I am on a break until mid-January working on myself and some ways to make sure I get started definitely complete this program and earn the title Dr. Carter (or Dr. "New Last Name" if I get married by 2012!).

Finally, just returning from Montgomery, AL from the annual Thanksgiving road trip there to visit my sister who is in her second year at Alabama State University (some of the pics are in the post). We had a lovely reunion with my sister who we had not seen since the summer. Also, it was a reunion with my god-brother who I haven't seen for an even longer time. He is in graduate school in Huntsville, and he joined us in Montgomery as well. I can remember when days when both my sister and my god-brother were babies and now to see them on their own, in their own apartments, working and going to school-I am so proud of them. I was able to have moments to connect with both of them, not just as a "big sister" but also as a trusted confidant. I hope they know they can always come to me and open up when they need to. A very blessed Thanksgiving indeed with family and loved ones, and it brightened me up even more to get a surprise phone call from that someone special who usually does not "check in" or "bother me" when I am away and with family. I'm seeing baby steps indeed, as I was told that I would! ;)
Another accomplishment on ths trip was that I finished another short story (my second, and best one yet, in the past few months) that I submitted in another contest. I will keep you posted!

Well, time for bed and back to work in a few hours. Also, here's birthday "shout out" to my mother who turned 52 on December 1st!
Until next time..

A Lesson From the Former Ms. Carter-Never Too Late

I'm back and in good spirits although I can't seem to shake this sinus/cold thing I caught at my mom's wedding Saturday-that's right, my mama finally walked down that aisle (there were so many date changes you wouldn't believe it but it happened!). That's my mom in the first pic, ready to walk down the aisle; I'm in the next pic with my mother's godson's mother, who people say looks like my twin. What do you think?

I remember being a little girl and wanting my mama to get married. I always thought, and still do think, that the woman was awesome. Also, because my father was not around I just thought it would be nice to have a stepdad-of course one worthy of her. After a while, once I hit my teens, I just kind of quit thinking about it really. I knew that the day would come for her, but I think she had quit thinking marriage would happen for her.

I remember a conversation we had a few years back, and she had made some comments along the lines of it being too late for her, at her age, for marriage, buying a home, and some other things that she passed on and wished to happen for me. I remember even then saying that she should not say that. Ironically, a few years after that conversation it seemed like mama started to accomplish quite a bit: She got back in school and within a year and a half obtained her Bachelor's degree and she went on her first cruise to the Caribbean. She didn't stop there-she is now in school going for her Master's degree and she did the one thing I specifically remember her saying she did not believe would happen to her-she got married and went from Ms. Carter to Mrs. McKenzie, and they are getting settled in their new home together. My mother, who will be 52 in December, started on the path to accomplish all of these things when she was in her late 40s. That is a lesson that many should learn to live by: that it is never too late to accomplish what you want in life. Unfortunately many people let age be the cause of them to not dream and pursue those dreams, but I for one have been a witness to it and I am soooo proud of my mama!

I am going to attempt to post some pics from the wedding with this (I'm still learning the tools of this site so bear with me!). Actually, here is my MySpace page where I have a slide show of the pics: www.myspace.com/shanikapatrice

She looked beautiful-just like the queen she is. The defining moment for me, where it really hit me that she was indeed hitched, was at the end of the reception about 1am when I was heading back to GR to get home. I was trying to call her to get her attention to hug her and tell her goodbye. Whenever she does not hear me or recognize that she's the "Mama!" that's being called amongst a crowd, I then call out her first and last name-I've always done that, out of habit. So I yelled "Anita Carter" and it hit me-a bittersweet moment actually. She turned around as always when I called her to see what I wanted, but then I immediately added McKenzie to the back of that. At that moment I think we both realized it was a new beginning for her because she got the same look and smile on her face as I did when I realized she had a new name now....like an "aww" moment! Like I said, bittersweet but just a sign of better things to come.

What things are you inspired to do that you thought it was too late for?

A Week of Revelation

I am back, having not "blogged" since the first day of autumn, but without further delay I am back and on a mission, in more ways than one. I have decided to try blogspot.com to see if I like it better than my last blog source. We shall see...

The last time I wrote I was on a natural high, probably due to the fact that the weather was beautiful and just enjoying the coming of autumn, I guess. I did submit that short story to the contest, and what a feeling of accomplishment that was when I sent it off. It has been a while since I've written, and on top of that the first time I've written a short story, so I felt like "Shanika is back"! Now I just need to keep it going.

Also, I was high on the idea that I may be teaching in the near future when I was invited to a faculty assessment for the educational institution I work for; since then I have found out that I was not considered to teach at this time which was a real blow. I was, and I am still, baffled by that, because I have never felt as confident as I felt after that assessment about my performance in such a situation. Maybe I was too confident, I don't know, but one thing is for sure-this obviously must not be the right time.

The revelations do not end there though. As soon as I got the news about the teaching position, my eyes was open to some other things as it relates to my current position and the future of my education. I will not go into the details at this time, but I had to have this wake up call to make me realize that I am worth more than what I give myself credit for, and I need to quit wasting time and fulfill my purpose. I realize that there will always be people who may not have your best interests at heart, especially when you're trusting in God and having faith, but you still have to keep moving forward. That is what I plan to do. I still have some major decisions to make, but I will do what I know I need to, according to God's plan. In he meantime, I will do my best at the position I have been placed in until I get where I am supposed to be. As one of God's messengers told me today, am the driver at the wheel (compared to those who are trying to throw obstacles in my path), so they need to get out my way and quit acting like they have bumpers!
Good night.