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Mar
09
2012
My Birthday Celebration Day 5
By Michelle Hawkins
Yes, I'm still celebrating. Good thing I don't drink. Smile
Picking up where I left off, I stayed in Houston, Texas for eight years. This is where I was in the second car accident where I was rear ended and the car was totaled. (Atlanta was the first.). Houston was also where I was living when I first traveled outside the country to of all places Cairo Egypt. I loved Cairo. I am/was 5" 10" (I've lost an 1.5 inches since I've been in Arizona) which should have made me an anomaly, but I felt right at home. I was like a kid in a candy store. So many different favors of humankind. I didn't feel like an outcast, not Black enough or white enough. I was accepted for me. The Egyptians laughed at me because I kept asking where is that person from. I was told sister, we know what they do to you in America, Welcome Home. An organization entitled, "World Peace through Law" lead by the legendary jurist Turk Thompson was my ticket to leaving the country. http://worldjurist.net/events-2/past-events/congresses/
I was hooked on traveling after going to Cairo. I went to the Bahamas and Jamaica after that. The trip to the Bahamas was so cheap I was practically living there. Smile I later went back to Cairo with Congressman William Gray's Philadelphia Trade Mission to Africa. I saw an article in Black Enterprise about the trade mission and called and asked to attend. I was told to send a check for $5,000. I did and I went. How I got the five thousand is a story unto it self. (You'll have to read the book. Smile) We went to Egypt, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Senegal. I where heels so it was interesting to see the peoples average height change as we went from country to country. Ivory Coast I felt like Gulliver. Senegal I was short (Loved it.)
Not long after I moved to Washington to find out how things really worked in Washington. I was a beltway bandit for all of two years. My self esteem is much too high for me to survive in such a plantation atmosphere.
I moved back to Detroit and stayed there for 17 years. Marrying twice, having both my girls and divorcing. I went to work for the Detroit City Council in their Research and Analysis Division doing economic and legal analysis. Loved the job, hated my supervisors who were both females, married and closet lesbians. I left City Council during an election year and went out on my own doing international trade.
In 1999 the entire left side of my body began to twist up. My 2000 my left side was twisted up as if I had a stroke. My doctor's assured me it was Arthritis. I didn't believe them. One of the crazy things that happened during this time was the medical professions reaction to my ailment. One ortho would only treat my back, nothing else. The other ortho would only treat my neck, hand and leg. It was at this time I was told my the ortho treating my back that in ten years I would be in a wheelchair with my neck bent on my bosom. I remember calling one facility calling and saying I was being treated like body parts instead of a whole person. The person I was talking to told me, "I'm not supposed to tell you this but call Beaumont hospital." I called still crying and got Julie, an intake nurse. She calmed me down and told me what they were going to bring me in for a complete physical and them determine which specialist to assign me under. I was assigned to rheumatology and Dr. Presvnor became my Jewish Godfather. I credit him with my staying out of that wheelchair. So when he told me my body was no longer able to fight off Michigan's winters. I didn't ask any questions. We left Michigan and moved to Arizona.
When I came to Arizona, if you were walking with me you would ask what was that sound. The sound was my joints grinding against each other. Well its not 2012 and I'm still standing. Wonder where that doctor is. Smile
See you tomorrow
Remember lets keep this party going . You can click on shop and use code "Birthday57 to receive 57% off till March 10, 2012.
Thanks for reading and please share.
Michelle
Picking up where I left off, I stayed in Houston, Texas for eight years. This is where I was in the second car accident where I was rear ended and the car was totaled. (Atlanta was the first.). Houston was also where I was living when I first traveled outside the country to of all places Cairo Egypt. I loved Cairo. I am/was 5" 10" (I've lost an 1.5 inches since I've been in Arizona) which should have made me an anomaly, but I felt right at home. I was like a kid in a candy store. So many different favors of humankind. I didn't feel like an outcast, not Black enough or white enough. I was accepted for me. The Egyptians laughed at me because I kept asking where is that person from. I was told sister, we know what they do to you in America, Welcome Home. An organization entitled, "World Peace through Law" lead by the legendary jurist Turk Thompson was my ticket to leaving the country. http://worldjurist.net/events-2/past-events/congresses/
I was hooked on traveling after going to Cairo. I went to the Bahamas and Jamaica after that. The trip to the Bahamas was so cheap I was practically living there. Smile I later went back to Cairo with Congressman William Gray's Philadelphia Trade Mission to Africa. I saw an article in Black Enterprise about the trade mission and called and asked to attend. I was told to send a check for $5,000. I did and I went. How I got the five thousand is a story unto it self. (You'll have to read the book. Smile) We went to Egypt, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Senegal. I where heels so it was interesting to see the peoples average height change as we went from country to country. Ivory Coast I felt like Gulliver. Senegal I was short (Loved it.)
Not long after I moved to Washington to find out how things really worked in Washington. I was a beltway bandit for all of two years. My self esteem is much too high for me to survive in such a plantation atmosphere.
I moved back to Detroit and stayed there for 17 years. Marrying twice, having both my girls and divorcing. I went to work for the Detroit City Council in their Research and Analysis Division doing economic and legal analysis. Loved the job, hated my supervisors who were both females, married and closet lesbians. I left City Council during an election year and went out on my own doing international trade.
In 1999 the entire left side of my body began to twist up. My 2000 my left side was twisted up as if I had a stroke. My doctor's assured me it was Arthritis. I didn't believe them. One of the crazy things that happened during this time was the medical professions reaction to my ailment. One ortho would only treat my back, nothing else. The other ortho would only treat my neck, hand and leg. It was at this time I was told my the ortho treating my back that in ten years I would be in a wheelchair with my neck bent on my bosom. I remember calling one facility calling and saying I was being treated like body parts instead of a whole person. The person I was talking to told me, "I'm not supposed to tell you this but call Beaumont hospital." I called still crying and got Julie, an intake nurse. She calmed me down and told me what they were going to bring me in for a complete physical and them determine which specialist to assign me under. I was assigned to rheumatology and Dr. Presvnor became my Jewish Godfather. I credit him with my staying out of that wheelchair. So when he told me my body was no longer able to fight off Michigan's winters. I didn't ask any questions. We left Michigan and moved to Arizona.
When I came to Arizona, if you were walking with me you would ask what was that sound. The sound was my joints grinding against each other. Well its not 2012 and I'm still standing. Wonder where that doctor is. Smile
See you tomorrow
Remember lets keep this party going . You can click on shop and use code "Birthday57 to receive 57% off till March 10, 2012.
Thanks for reading and please share.
Michelle
Posted March 09, 2012 07:20 | read more
Mar
08
2012
My Birthday Celebration Day 4
By Michelle Hawkins
Happy Birthday to ME! Happy Birthday to ME! Smile
I woke up this morning wondering what I would write about. I'm writing this birthday series to give you insight in to what the factors are that shaped me into ME. So I decided to continue the trajectory I was on. I was fortune to attend the legendary Cass Technical High School in Detroit. Cass Tech was the public school answer to Cranbook Kingswood Academies in Bloomfield Hills Michigan. You had to have a 3.5 GPA and pass Cass's admission exam. No passing score NO ADMISSION. Cass was college prep before most people knew there was such schools. WE were a bunch of bright, quirky, intelligent kids.Cass was a huge school. Mine was the last class to graduation in January, everyone after us had June graduations. My class was 700 strong.
A new school has since been built. I cried when I read that the old school was to be torn down.Each in coming class was lied to and told the school was an old pickle factory that was haunted. A new school has been built, but its not the same. Smile
I was a Clothing and Textiles major in the Home Economics Department. The living legend Dorothy Patnales was our department head. "Ms.Pat" never married or had kids. We were her kids and she guarded us accordingly.
I graduated from Cass and went to Highland Park Community College because I didn't know what I wanted to major in. I went one semester and didn't want to waste my Daddy's money so I went to work. I tested and was hired as an Aid to Dependent Child caseworker at 19. I was one of the youngest caseworkers in Michigan history. I won community service awards for helping people while I was there. I attended Wayne State University at night and slept through most of my classes. I worked there for two years and decided to go to back to school to be a lawyer. I had enough credits to enter Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia as a sophomore.
I stated yesterday Atlanta was my Mother's home so I was able to move through certain circles college kids normally didn't have access to. I pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority second semester of my sophomore year. I was attended to my sorority. I came off line and ran for student government president. I beat a third year male student on the second ballot. We tied on the first ballot. I beat him 3/1 in the runoff. (Thank you Daddy for making us do campaign work). I was the second female president in the school's history and the only junior to win a presidency in the Atlanta University Center's history. My first act of the school year was to call a strike and close the school down. (Thank you Daddy for teaching me to CYA) . You'll have to read the book to get the juicy details. I was asked to by one of my professors to run for the congressional seat held by Cynthia McKinney. I asked who was going to fund it and was told they couldn't tell me. I called my daddy and ran it by him. His advice" If you can't find out whose going to supply the money leave it alone." Before the graduation ceremony our President's wife found me and remarked that "Her Husband would get a good night's sleep now that I was graduating." My response,"If he was doing his job he should sleep well every night".
I had received full rides to several law schools. I received the brochure from Texas Southern University and called the school to see if there was a printing error. The lady I spoke with assured me that the cost per credit hour was correct. ($24.00). She stated that oil revenues subsidized the cost of education. To Texas I went. My rationale was that no matter what happened with scholarships etc I could afford to pay my own tuition at that price. I worked through my collegiate career. In undergrad I tracked air freight shipments for a company called Profit by Air. I worked 36 hours from Friday to Monday. 12 on 12 off. Baby brother flew into help me drive to Texas.
At Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School I majored in international law and business. http://www.tsulaw.edu/. A very interesting 3 years. I took the bar exam twice my scores were 73 and 79. I scored higher than all but two people in my class. Smile
I practiced law for 4 years. I passed the bar in the biggest oil bust of that time. Jobs were scarce so I hung out my shingle. My practice was immigration, international, business and bankruptcy. Loved trial work hated dealing with the public. Smile
Friday and Saturday I will bring you up to-date. Sunday where I would like to go in the future. Check back I think you will find it interesting reading.
You can still use code "Birthday57" at checkout to receive 57% off until March 10, 2012. Click on shop to keep this party going. Smile
See you tomorrow
Michelle
I woke up this morning wondering what I would write about. I'm writing this birthday series to give you insight in to what the factors are that shaped me into ME. So I decided to continue the trajectory I was on. I was fortune to attend the legendary Cass Technical High School in Detroit. Cass Tech was the public school answer to Cranbook Kingswood Academies in Bloomfield Hills Michigan. You had to have a 3.5 GPA and pass Cass's admission exam. No passing score NO ADMISSION. Cass was college prep before most people knew there was such schools. WE were a bunch of bright, quirky, intelligent kids.Cass was a huge school. Mine was the last class to graduation in January, everyone after us had June graduations. My class was 700 strong.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Technical_High_School
http://youtu.be/QS4qKBOeKGc Demolition of old Cass Tech
I was a Clothing and Textiles major in the Home Economics Department. The living legend Dorothy Patnales was our department head. "Ms.Pat" never married or had kids. We were her kids and she guarded us accordingly.
I graduated from Cass and went to Highland Park Community College because I didn't know what I wanted to major in. I went one semester and didn't want to waste my Daddy's money so I went to work. I tested and was hired as an Aid to Dependent Child caseworker at 19. I was one of the youngest caseworkers in Michigan history. I won community service awards for helping people while I was there. I attended Wayne State University at night and slept through most of my classes. I worked there for two years and decided to go to back to school to be a lawyer. I had enough credits to enter Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia as a sophomore.
http://www.morrisbrown.edu/
I stated yesterday Atlanta was my Mother's home so I was able to move through certain circles college kids normally didn't have access to. I pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority second semester of my sophomore year. I was attended to my sorority. I came off line and ran for student government president. I beat a third year male student on the second ballot. We tied on the first ballot. I beat him 3/1 in the runoff. (Thank you Daddy for making us do campaign work). I was the second female president in the school's history and the only junior to win a presidency in the Atlanta University Center's history. My first act of the school year was to call a strike and close the school down. (Thank you Daddy for teaching me to CYA) . You'll have to read the book to get the juicy details. I was asked to by one of my professors to run for the congressional seat held by Cynthia McKinney. I asked who was going to fund it and was told they couldn't tell me. I called my daddy and ran it by him. His advice" If you can't find out whose going to supply the money leave it alone." Before the graduation ceremony our President's wife found me and remarked that "Her Husband would get a good night's sleep now that I was graduating." My response,"If he was doing his job he should sleep well every night".
I had received full rides to several law schools. I received the brochure from Texas Southern University and called the school to see if there was a printing error. The lady I spoke with assured me that the cost per credit hour was correct. ($24.00). She stated that oil revenues subsidized the cost of education. To Texas I went. My rationale was that no matter what happened with scholarships etc I could afford to pay my own tuition at that price. I worked through my collegiate career. In undergrad I tracked air freight shipments for a company called Profit by Air. I worked 36 hours from Friday to Monday. 12 on 12 off. Baby brother flew into help me drive to Texas.
At Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School I majored in international law and business. http://www.tsulaw.edu/. A very interesting 3 years. I took the bar exam twice my scores were 73 and 79. I scored higher than all but two people in my class. Smile
I practiced law for 4 years. I passed the bar in the biggest oil bust of that time. Jobs were scarce so I hung out my shingle. My practice was immigration, international, business and bankruptcy. Loved trial work hated dealing with the public. Smile
Friday and Saturday I will bring you up to-date. Sunday where I would like to go in the future. Check back I think you will find it interesting reading.
You can still use code "Birthday57" at checkout to receive 57% off until March 10, 2012. Click on shop to keep this party going. Smile
See you tomorrow
Michelle
Posted March 08, 2012 04:39 | read more
Mar
07
2012
My Birthday Celebration Day 3
By Michelle Hawkins
Happy Birthday to Me! Happy birthday to me! Smile
Growing up my friends never understood why I would always made time for the Elders. Even as a kid I thought that if you had lived to be 60,70, 80 years old you had to have learned something. I was a sickly kid. I nearly died at age three. If I had been Catholic they would have given me the "Last Rites". I had sustained 115+ temperatures for over seven days and was hemorrhaging from every orifice in my body. The doctor's prepared my family for my imminent demise. Fortunately for me there was a triad present they had not planned on. The Creator , my Daddy and Me. My father thanked the doctors for all they had done and asked where was their chapel. When Daddy got off his knees a doctor visiting from Africa was waiting for him. He asked for and received permission to try a malaria technique to break my fever. The technique worked. For the next 7 years that I spent a spent 7-10 days every summer in the hospital being poked, leeched and examined. Finally after seven years and the doctors not being able to explain how I survived they finally said I had out grown the nephritis. (Yes, I had the same ailment that stunted Gary Coleman's growth and left my Mother's older sister sterile). The medical profession had my parents so fearful that a blow or injury could trigger the recurrence of the aliment that I wasn't even allowed to run or play until I was 10. Of course I cheated which is how I broke my front tooth and had to have it capped at 7. This accounts for why my reading speed is 4 times the norm. I was not allowed to do anything else!. I learned this tidbit in law school when a tester timed me while I was taking an exam.
I finally got a clean bill of health at age ten. Then I got Scarlet and Rheumatic fever and had to learn to walk again. Smile. My parents had a rough time with me. Of the seven kids I was the only one who got really sick.
My Granddaddy, who lived to be 96 and was retired as long as I can remember, would come and sit with me everyday at the hospital. Granddaddy was of the generation that lived through the Great Depression. Granddaddy said he told God, "If God let him live through the Depression he would never eat white potatoes again". Granddaddy kept that promise until the day he died. When Henry Ford said he would pay $5.00 to anyone who showed up, Granddaddy showed up. He came from Birmingham Alabama to Dearborn, Michigan to work. My grandmother was supposed to come later but she refused to leave the south and her family. They divorced after some years. When my Daddy moved my Grandmother to Detroit in her late eighties, Granddaddy tried to court her and win her back. Grand mama was having none of it. I don't think Granddaddy ever got over her. All seven of his wives looked like variations of Grandma.
As I said Granddaddy was from the Great Depression era. Each generation has certain things that pertain to that generation. My Granddaddy's generation wore long johns year round and had a switchblade with multiple blades. This crossed race, ethnicity and income levels. Granddaddy would come and sit with me every day I was in the hospital. He would bring a red apple and buff it on his sleeve. That apple would glow Granddaddy had polished it so. That would be the best fruit in the world. My Daddy would be at work and my Mother was at home with my younger brothers and sisters. I am the second oldest of seven kids. My Mother was a stay at home Mom until my baby brother was old enough to go to school full-time. Mommy put Turune in school in the am and had a job in the pm. We always teased her that she got a job to get a break from us. (If you went into the basement and saw the laundry piled up you would understand. We were not allowed to wear the same clothes twice without their being washed.)
My Mother was from Atlanta, Georgia. She was from old Atlanta money. Reportedly her father was the first Black man to own a service station in Atlanta. He had to use a white man as his front to own it. My mother was the youngest child and both her parents had died by the time she was nine. Her Mother from diabetes and her Father from a head injury while motorcycle stunt riding. Mommy's daddy had spoiled her rotten and My Daddy continued it. Ladies yes you are supposed to be on a pedestal so high you have nosebleed. Smile.
I am thankful I was home in Detroit for my Daddy's last walk and got to spend that time with him. We talked of many things especially about Prophet Muhammad who my Daddy knew very little about. We talked a bout Islam and why I had converted. Daddy wanted to know what was it about Islam that that attracted me to it. My Daddy had taught me that your spirituality was the way you lived daily, not something you picked up when you you went to the house of worship. My Daddy walked his talk.
As I said Granddaddy was from the Great Depression era. Each generation has certain things that pertain to that generation. My Granddaddy's generation wore long johns year round and had a switchblade with multiple blades. This crossed race, ethnicity and income levels. Granddaddy would come and sit with me every day I was in the hospital. He would bring a red apple and buff it on his sleeve. That apple would glow Granddaddy had polished it so. That would be the best fruit in the world. My Daddy would be at work and my Mother was at home with my younger brothers and sisters. I am the second oldest of seven kids. My Mother was a stay at home Mom until my baby brother was old enough to go to school full-time. Mommy put Turune in school in the am and had a job in the pm. We always teased her that she got a job to get a break from us. (If you went into the basement and saw the laundry piled up you would understand. We were not allowed to wear the same clothes twice without their being washed.)
My Mother was from Atlanta, Georgia. She was from old Atlanta money. Reportedly her father was the first Black man to own a service station in Atlanta. He had to use a white man as his front to own it. My mother was the youngest child and both her parents had died by the time she was nine. Her Mother from diabetes and her Father from a head injury while motorcycle stunt riding. Mommy's daddy had spoiled her rotten and My Daddy continued it. Ladies, yes you are supposed to be on a pedestal so high you have nosebleed. Smile.
I am thankful I was home in Detroit for my Daddy's last walk and got to spend that time with him. We talked of many things especially about Prophet Muhammad who my Daddy knew very little about. We talked a bout Islam and why I had converted. Daddy wanted to know what was it about Islam that that attracted me to it. My Daddy had taught me that your spirituality was the way you lived daily, not something you picked up when you you when to the house of worship. My Daddy walked his talk.
Let's keep this celebration going. Check back tomorrow for my next installment. As always you can click on the title to shop and use the coupon code Birthday57 to receive 57% off through March 10, 2012.
Thanks for visiting.
Michelle
I
Posted March 07, 2012 06:18 | read more
Mar
06
2012
My Birthday Celebration Day 2
By Michelle Hawkins
I was reminiscing about the last 57 years and thinking about what I would consider as the highlights of my life. I think my greatest accomplishment are my two beautiful, smart and talented daughters. I was truly blessed. I never thought about having kids. I had a childhood ailment that everyone involved believed had rendered me sterile. So it was a big surprise when I got pregnant at 34 and again at 42.
I'm old school so I had both my daughters with midwifes. Raven in the hospital and Syeda at home. Home birth trumps hospital any day. I did not want my kids to have any drugs in their system. I threatened to do bodily harm to the hospital midwife if she slapped Raven or caused trauma in any way. The hospital midwifes were not well trained. I had a tremendous lose of blood and came home with both arms in splints. Enough said, I'm getting angry just thinking about it. Yes, race placed a factor.
With Syeda my home birth midwives were awesome. I delivered standing up.in front of two blonde Unity carvings. At first baby girl did not want to come. My midwife's nine month old son crawled under the table and got behind me and called to her in baby talk. She then delivered.
I nursed my girls 11 and 23 months respectively. With Raven, I had to stop nursing because I went to work for the Detroit City Council and pumping for me did not work. With Syeda I was working for the Detroit Board of Education which allowed only six weeks maternity leave. I'll never forget when I called in to quit. The elder who took my resignation asked why I was resigning. When I said my six weeks were up and I was still nursing and didn't want to leave my baby, she replied "God Bless you dear".
Raven and Syeda have like all kids stretched the boundaries of my knowledge and patience. Raven my eldest is a super sales woman and recently left Tiffany's and took a pay cut to obtain experience in human resources. She went to work at Torneau the high end watch company at Fashion Square at 18. Her manager later told me that they had never hired an 18 year old and weren't supposed to hire Raven. They were blown away by her retail experience and the fact that she made personal and store quota from the time she wanted in the door
Syeda my baby girl will enter high school this year. (Time really does fly). Both my girls are artistic and Syeda amazingly so. Her design eye is amazing. She won her first artist competition at nine. She's attended several sessions at Scottsdale Artist School. At age 4 Syeda took gemstone beads put Shea butter on the back of them and did a mosaic on my wall. Me being me, I showed it to several well known artists who all told me to not let public school limit her talent . Her work has been copied and stolen. I showed her work to her elementary school art teacher who informed me that students were copying her work already. Syeda has a very unique way of drawing people. We have been blessed with teachers and classes that sought to enhance her natural skills instead of pigeonholing her.
My girls have nerve wracking, joyous and stretched me beyond limits I didn't know existed. I feel truly blessed to have my daughters. I give thanks for them every day. Smile
I thank the Creator for blessing me with them in my life.
Check in tomorrow as I continue reminiscing all week about these first 57 years.
As always you can click on the title to visit my shop and keep this going. Use coupon code Birthday57 to receive 57% off through March 10, 2012
Michelle
I'm old school so I had both my daughters with midwifes. Raven in the hospital and Syeda at home. Home birth trumps hospital any day. I did not want my kids to have any drugs in their system. I threatened to do bodily harm to the hospital midwife if she slapped Raven or caused trauma in any way. The hospital midwifes were not well trained. I had a tremendous lose of blood and came home with both arms in splints. Enough said, I'm getting angry just thinking about it. Yes, race placed a factor.
With Syeda my home birth midwives were awesome. I delivered standing up.in front of two blonde Unity carvings. At first baby girl did not want to come. My midwife's nine month old son crawled under the table and got behind me and called to her in baby talk. She then delivered.
I nursed my girls 11 and 23 months respectively. With Raven, I had to stop nursing because I went to work for the Detroit City Council and pumping for me did not work. With Syeda I was working for the Detroit Board of Education which allowed only six weeks maternity leave. I'll never forget when I called in to quit. The elder who took my resignation asked why I was resigning. When I said my six weeks were up and I was still nursing and didn't want to leave my baby, she replied "God Bless you dear".
Raven and Syeda have like all kids stretched the boundaries of my knowledge and patience. Raven my eldest is a super sales woman and recently left Tiffany's and took a pay cut to obtain experience in human resources. She went to work at Torneau the high end watch company at Fashion Square at 18. Her manager later told me that they had never hired an 18 year old and weren't supposed to hire Raven. They were blown away by her retail experience and the fact that she made personal and store quota from the time she wanted in the door
Syeda my baby girl will enter high school this year. (Time really does fly). Both my girls are artistic and Syeda amazingly so. Her design eye is amazing. She won her first artist competition at nine. She's attended several sessions at Scottsdale Artist School. At age 4 Syeda took gemstone beads put Shea butter on the back of them and did a mosaic on my wall. Me being me, I showed it to several well known artists who all told me to not let public school limit her talent . Her work has been copied and stolen. I showed her work to her elementary school art teacher who informed me that students were copying her work already. Syeda has a very unique way of drawing people. We have been blessed with teachers and classes that sought to enhance her natural skills instead of pigeonholing her.
My girls have nerve wracking, joyous and stretched me beyond limits I didn't know existed. I feel truly blessed to have my daughters. I give thanks for them every day. Smile
I thank the Creator for blessing me with them in my life.
Check in tomorrow as I continue reminiscing all week about these first 57 years.
As always you can click on the title to visit my shop and keep this going. Use coupon code Birthday57 to receive 57% off through March 10, 2012
Posted March 06, 2012 06:45 | read more
Mar
05
2012
My Birthday Celebration
By Michelle Hawkins
Hello All
March 6, 2012 is my 57 birthday. This has been an interesting journey the past 57 years. I had great times, near death times and all points in between. If I had to do it all over again I don't think I would change much. I try to find the positive in every experience or at least learn the lesson from each experience.
I earned my degrees, traveled the world, married, had my beautiful girls and divorced (2x). Smile. Through out it all my belief in a higher power has sustained me whether I was a Christan, Buddhist or Muslim. To that higher power I am eternally grateful that it has sustained me this long. I have had doctors proclaim my impending death more times than I want to remember. Proclaim loudly that I would be in a wheelchair in ten years with my head bent onto my bosom. Yet, I'm still here, still standing. Smile. I've always wondered where are they now. Smile
If the Creator so blesses me I hope to add another 43 years to this life cycle. My daddy's mother made it to 92 and his daddy made it to 96 so I've got the genes to do it. I hope to extend the family legacy. Smile
To celebrate I am having a 57 % off sale just for my blog readers. Use Coupon code "Birthday57" to receive the discount.
March 6, 2012 is my 57 birthday. This has been an interesting journey the past 57 years. I had great times, near death times and all points in between. If I had to do it all over again I don't think I would change much. I try to find the positive in every experience or at least learn the lesson from each experience.
I earned my degrees, traveled the world, married, had my beautiful girls and divorced (2x). Smile. Through out it all my belief in a higher power has sustained me whether I was a Christan, Buddhist or Muslim. To that higher power I am eternally grateful that it has sustained me this long. I have had doctors proclaim my impending death more times than I want to remember. Proclaim loudly that I would be in a wheelchair in ten years with my head bent onto my bosom. Yet, I'm still here, still standing. Smile. I've always wondered where are they now. Smile
If the Creator so blesses me I hope to add another 43 years to this life cycle. My daddy's mother made it to 92 and his daddy made it to 96 so I've got the genes to do it. I hope to extend the family legacy. Smile
This picture was taken three years ago.
To celebrate I am having a 57 % off sale just for my blog readers. Use Coupon code "Birthday57" to receive the discount.
Posted March 05, 2012 08:18 | read more
Mar
01
2012
Professional Disc Golf Competition- Only in Scottsdale
By Michelle Hawkins
.JPG)
I'll apologize in advance for the quality of my picture taking. My cab driver Lincoln told me about people he had been ferrying in from the airport and others he was taking to Chaparral park. The tournment they were here for was a "Professional Disc Golf Tournment." The object was to throw a frisbee (disc) into a narrow wire basket sitting a top a single pole. Extra points for throwing around trees, etc.
They even had caddies to haul their discs and give them strategic advice on throwing the disc. I kid you not. Not a very friendly bunch. I stopped to ask a couple of fellows who looked like players and was told to go to the check-in to get whatever info I needed.
So what do you think is next for Professional Disc Golf? Olympic status?
Only in Scottsdale. Smile
As always you can click on the link to visit my shop.
Michelle
Posted March 01, 2012 00:29 | read more
Feb
25
2012
Saturday Night Special is LIVE
By Michelle Hawkins
Saturday Night Special is LIVE
Go to my shop to get the special discount and purchase your unique jewelry to add to your collection.
As always click on the title to go to purchase. Sale goes on until 6 am Sunday.
Michelle
Posted February 25, 2012 16:01 | read more
Feb
25
2012
NPR.org - A Revival In American Manufacturing, Led By Brooklyn Foodies
By Michelle Hawkins
A very interesting spin on Creative Business.
A Revival In American Manufacturing, Led By Brooklyn Foodies
Don't forget to check back for my Saturday Night Special Starting at 5pm EST.
Michelle
Posted February 25, 2012 09:05 | read more
Feb
23
2012
Check Back For My Saturday Night Special 2/25/2012
By Michelle Hawkins
Hi All
I have a Saturday Night Special that starts every Saturday at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. I offer a different special every Saturday so check to see what 's available and obtain that bauble you've had your eye on.
Like these listed below.
As always you can click on the title to purchase.
Mondays artist is mixed media artist Syeda Umar
Michelle
I have a Saturday Night Special that starts every Saturday at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. I offer a different special every Saturday so check to see what 's available and obtain that bauble you've had your eye on.
Like these listed below.
As always you can click on the title to purchase.
Mondays artist is mixed media artist Syeda Umar
Michelle
Posted February 23, 2012 05:19 | read more
Feb
19
2012
My First Etsy Treasury YAH Smile
By Michelle Hawkins
My first treasury that I curated. Love Loving. Items that remind you of loved ones.
Love Loving
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$24.99 USD -
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$120.00 USD -
Posted February 19, 2012 08:40 | read more
Feb
18
2012
Saturday Night Special Starts at 5pm EST
By Michelle Hawkins
This weekend is a very busy one here in Scottsdale Arizona. The Arabian horse show started Thursday and will continue till February 26 at Westworld. Three are three five big Art shows in Scottsdale. Sports fans can attend the various teams Meet the players events, charity fundraisers,Margarita, Cocktail and Beer fests all start this week. Sunday A'fair and Pink Nation invite only event Sunday afternoon. Tourist season is in full swing. Canadians are in to town and buying up everything in sight. Smile.
We are headed out to the Annual Health and Fitness Expo put on by the City of Scottsdale Called "Fit City" at Scottsdale Community College from 8am to 1 pm today. We have attended every event. Interesting that Scottsdale just came in at fifth place in a national survey of Cities with healthy citizens.
Today My Saturday Night Special will go live at 5pm EST. To see and take advantage of the special today at 5pm go here Are you in? Saturday Night Special (SNS) starts at 5pm EST. Check to see what the special is here http://etsy.me/ge5IaA
We are headed out to the Annual Health and Fitness Expo put on by the City of Scottsdale Called "Fit City" at Scottsdale Community College from 8am to 1 pm today. We have attended every event. Interesting that Scottsdale just came in at fifth place in a national survey of Cities with healthy citizens.
Today My Saturday Night Special will go live at 5pm EST. To see and take advantage of the special today at 5pm go here Are you in? Saturday Night Special (SNS) starts at 5pm EST. Check to see what the special is here http://etsy.me/ge5IaA
Example of items that are included in the SNS.
Happy Shopping
Michelle
Posted February 18, 2012 06:53 | read more
Feb
15
2012
Featured Artist: David El Romo
By Michelle Hawkins
My daughter and I went to Sunday A'fair in Scottsdale. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts puts on the free concert series from January through June 15.This is a Sunday concert series with food vendors and artists selling their work. There is always a craft tent operated by Leslie Haddad who had gotten really creative with her projects. You will see as many adults as kids making the crafts. This Sunday she had artist David El Romo under the craft tent teaching folks how to make scorpions, lizards and spiders out of pipe cleaners. El Romo had versions of the critters actually made out of 12 gage copper wire on the tables for inspiration.
David is a metal artist who creates one of a kind metal art. The video below is of one of his creations in action. The pictures are of various metal sculptures he had for sale.
I loved this mechanical horse.
David is a metal artist who creates one of a kind metal art. The video below is of one of his creations in action. The pictures are of various metal sculptures he had for sale.
I loved this mechanical horse.
You can click on the title to visit David's site. Tell him the wirequeen sent you. Smile
Michelle
Posted February 15, 2012 06:26 | read more