Fire in Big Spring TX, 6-21-2011

Here’s a couple of videos I took of the fire near my house. I was standing on my front lawn at the time:-

And a close up of the flames:-

I’m pleased to say that the fire is now contained it seems. The flames are gone, or at least diminished, and there’s been no contact from the city about evacuating. Still, it was just a little too close for comfort!

Still Here, Honest!

I know I am a bad blogger. It’s been too long since my last post and you have all probably left me and gone somewhere else. In my defense I will say I’ve been stupidly busy with classwork, house hold chores, traveling, teaching bellydancing, and organizing events. Incidentally, I started a new Tumblr blog to help get my dance name out and about. Check it out here.

It’s been over a year since I started studying again. I’ve completed 11 courses towards my degree so far, and a working on number 12 and 13. I’ve also done two extra courses for shits and giggles. If I keep going at this pace I should theoretically finish by January/February 2013. So another year and a half to go, then it’s time to figure out graduate study plans.

In October 2012 I became a member of Golden Key International Honor Society, and am currently the APUS Chapter Secretary for 2010-2011. This has seen me trying to build better community communication online in the university lounge, and recently I traveled to the APUS Commencement weekend in the Washington DC area to support Golden Key in my capacity as one of the officers.

I am also on a quest to improve my business administrative skills while I re-start the job hunting. I’ve been out of work for 2 years, ever since Flint Hills Resources shut down the Odessa plant. I’ve enjoyed spending time at home furthering my interests in dance, and travel; and the opportunity to continue school, but I think it’s time to get back on track career wise.

With that in mind I am cleaning up my LinkedIn profile, and attempting to network as much as possible. I am somewhat limited because I am unlikely to find a job that pays more than my husband. So I have to wait for him to secure employment somewhere (he’s coming to the end of a contract and is considering moving back stateside permanently), before I can think about looking. Still it’s good to be prepared. If anyone has any leads for me (or my hubby), please pass them on!

Ramblings of a Student

It’s been a little while since my last entry. I guess I was waiting for a lightening bolt from Olympus to power my next musing session. Yeah, I’m still waiting for that to happen. In the meantime, I’ve been on vacation to Egypt and started my second bachelor’s degree.

Egypt was a fascinating country. I was lucky to be able to spend an entire month visiting Cairo, Luxor and Aswan with my husband and you can read about my adventures here. On the whole I really enjoyed it and given the opportunity I would go back. However, there were a few cultural differences that came as quite a shock (even though I was prepared for them), and in some cases tarnished our holiday memories.

The first memory that is overshadowed by negativity is our first trip to the pyramids at Giza. Naturally, both my husband and I were supremely excited about visiting this historic site. The day began at 10am when we were dropped off by our driver at a local tour guide specializing in camel and horseback tours around the pyramids. It seemed to start out quite well, despite the hefty fee we were charged … followed by the pressuring into buying cotton scarves covering our heads. This still irks me, even though the scarves were cool. They just put them on us, telling us it was part of the tour (we thought it was funny so obliged), then they wanted $15 (not Egyptian pounds, dollars!) for each one. Cheeky sods. Anyway we set off and had a very enjoyable ride through the sands and got some great pictures. Our guide was very knowledgeable although he seemed to treat us like we were five years old and had never read a book on Ancient Egypt.

The biggest negative issue arose when we were dropped off at the Sphinx to explore for a bit on our own. We were tired and new to the country. Although we knew not to accept gifts, we were not prepared to be completely fleeced. We learned the hard way that when in Egypt do not, under any circumstances, let an Egyptian local start telling you the history of the places you are visiting. Abdul (at least that’s what he said his name was) was a perfect example of this. Firstly, my husband and I got separated in the throng of people and I was not paying attention. Abdul cornered me and when my husband reappeared just forced himself on us. He took our cameras (yes TOOK) and made us pose for pictures. Then he took us into a quieter area where he spoke about the history, then gave us “gifts”. Then he wanted 300L.E. for his troubles. At that point I realized what had happened, but it got worse. After we had parted with money he wanted to pose with me for pictures. Fair enough, I thought, thinking it would be fun. Oh no. As soon as the camera was out and as the picture took, Abdul kissed me! My husband and I were extremely shocked to say the least.

After that incident, we became much more cynical and distrusting of whatever anyone said to us. We found the locals, on the whole, rude, obnoxious and untrustworthy. This went for tour guides, taxi drivers, street vendors, shop keepers, tourist police … you name it. There were relatively few exceptions. We had people fleece us out of money, take us places we didn’t want to go and try to sell us stuff we didn’t want (and when we said “No Thank you” or “Laa shokran” they were quite nasty in return).

Of course, it wasn’t all bad. There were many evenings where we sat out on the rooftop restaurants in Luxor enjoying the bustle of life on the streets below and a cold beer. Cruising down the Nile was an experience not to be missed either. Simply beautiful views and the tours to the temples along the way were awe inspiring.

I’ve been back for about three weeks now and it already seems like a distant memory.

On May 3, I started working on my second bachelors degree via American Military University. I’m majoring in Middle Eastern Studies (no surprises there then!). As I am currently unemployed, with a husband working in Iraq and no children I have a lot of time on my hands. So, against the better judgement of the university I signed up for five courses, totaling 15 credits. Apparently they are not used to having a student who literally has nothing better to do. I’m in week three of my studies and so far handling the workload very well, but I think for my next course session I’m going to reduce it down to two or three classes (if I get a job then it will probably just be one).

Course wise I am starting with the general education requirements that all American undergraduate degrees involve. It’s quite exciting actually as I get to refresh my English skills, work on Math and Science too!. I’m currently working on a foundation course relating to online learning, proficiency in writing, introduction to anthropology, American history 101 and American history 102. I am holding my own and grade wise I’m at an A- or A in all classes. We’ll see if I can keep that up for the next five weeks. However, I will say to others thinking of going to college (or back to college): don’t take two history classes at the same time! It involves a lot of reading and writing. Even for me, as someone who adores reading, writing and history generally, two classes is a bit overwhelming.

On top of all that, I’m trying to get the house on the market and hopefully move somewhere a little more exciting. I’ll keep you posted.

Macaroni Cheese Recipe

One of my favourite dishes growing up was my Mum’s home made macaroni cheese. When I emigrated to the USA she gave me a recipe for it, which is just divine (in my opinion!).

The following recipe serves one person. To serve more …increase the ingredients as you see fit.

INGREDIENTS

3oz Macaroni

1/2 Pint Milk

1/2oz Margarine

1/2oz Plain Flour (All-Purpose Flour in the US)

3oz Grated cheese (use a sharp cheddar)

Salt and pepper to taste

Mustard (to taste .. approx 1 tsp)

Optional: small triangles of toast, tomato, cauliflower etc …

METHOD

1. Boil macaroni in water until soft. Drain and place in bowl.

2. Melt margarine in a pan and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in milk gradually, using a whisk. Return to heat stirring all the time until the sauce has boiled for about 1 minute.

3. Remove from heat and stir in macaroni, pepper, salt and mustard and two thirds of the grated cheese. Pour mixture into a dish, sprinkle remaining cheese on top and garnish with tomato (optional).

4. Place under the grill in oven until light brown.

Garnish with triangles of toast (optional)

For a variation, add cooked cauliflower to the macaroni.

Tattoos

“A tattoo is a true poetic creation, and is always more than meets the eye. As a tattoo is grounded on living skin, so its essence emotes a poignancy unique to the mortal human condition.” ~V. Vale and Andrea Juno, Modern Primitives

For those of you who know me, you will know I have some ink on my body. Now before I get a run of comments from all the tattoo haters out there (yeah I know at least one will post a comment here at some point), I want to share my reasons for getting ink. I don’t expect everyone to like my tattoos. The important thing is I like them … afterall I am the one living with them the rest of my life!

I have the soul of an artist. As a child I was continuously drawing, painting and writing poetry and silly short stories. I’ve also always had an eye for beauty: traditional, unconventional, bohemian. I loved to watch the sun rise and set, adored visiting museums and art galleries and was an avid reader. At school I was the shy, quiet wallflower who loved studying and constantly achieved As and Bs. I have never touched drugs, never took up smoking and tend to keep my drinking to a minimum in social settings.

When my little brother was approaching 18 he announced that he wanted to get a tattoo. My parents were not entirely pleased, but were wise enough to understand that if they said “No” he’d probably still go and get it anyway. Being the responsible big sister that I am I decided that I would research tattoo parlors and pay for his first tattoo. I have to admit that the idea of tattoos had intrigued me before and this gave me the perfect excuse to look into it further. I decided to head to the same place that my husband’s tattoo had been done at in Lakenheath, England. To fully research the place I went ahead and had a tattoo myself, a black tribal heart on my lower back.

And that suited me for a few years. I was happy with it, proud that I had done something rebellious but knew that I would never regret it because I really had thought it through. My brother got a tattoo, and then another and another (and is still inking his skin!).

I moved to America in 2006 with my husband and in 2007, after meeting a new friend with some pretty amazing tattoos, paid a visit to Terri at Mom & Pops in Big Spring TX. I wanted to jazz my tribal up. It was just a bit blah and I wanted to have something that rocked! So I found a Nene Thomas fairy that I loved and fit perfectly on my original tattoo. To that was later added some freehanded vines and butterflies. So far all is pretty much contained to my lower back. Very bright, colorful and feminine.

In June 2007 I had a Tudor Rose inked on my upper back because I was feeling a little homesick for Britain and wanted to express myself. I was a little more nervous over this one because it was in a place less easily disguised, but that was part of the appeal. I wanted to show it off.

I had a break from tattoos for almost two years, but I had been thinking about the posibility of an arm piece. Being a member of the tribal bellydance community I have had opportunities to see some wonderful tattoos on some great women. They do not detract from the beauty of the woman, or her dancing, but rather add a little flair. After two years of researching ideas and collecting pieces of jewelry I finally found my inspiration: a beautiful silver Tuareg cross that I picked up at an auction in Midland TX. This became my center piece on my arm. To this we added (yesterday actually) another piece of Tuareg jewelry that symbolizes the bond between man and woman. The final sitting will add some color and tie everything together. As with most tattoos it took on a life of it’s own and ended up a little bit bigger than I had originally planned, but I love it! When it is finished I will love it some more!

I am sure there will be many people who are not too sure about it, my mother and father being among them! I want to assure everyone though that this piece means a lot to me and I hope my family and friends will come to appreciate that.

The elements in my tattoo represent:-

* Freedom and Liberty   (represented by the use of th Ezza, which is the letter Z in the Tifinagh alphabet. In the picture below it is listed as the “yaz” (second from the end, the one without the line through the middle). This also has extra meaning for me because it also represents the same ideals of being a US Citizen to me.

* Love

* Bonds between a man and a woman

 

I will post more pictures of my finished arm when I can get someone to take them for me.

Here are some pictures of my arm … I think it is finished!

Destination Reached!

February 1st, 2010 is a day that will always be in my memory … kinda like a birthday or a wedding anniversary, except this time it’s the day that I finally became a US Citizen!

This is not something that everyone in the USA gets to experience, and I wish I’d been able to share it with someone (but as my husband was in Baghdad it was a little difficult for him to be there except in spirit).

In Irving,TX I was one of 73 people who became a US Citizen on February 1st, representing 28 different countries.

I was very proud to leave the ceremony with my Certificate of Naturalization grapsed in my hand. It’s hard to really explain but I felt like I had been given a new clean slate from which to start a new life. I am free to pursue whatever dream I have now, free to vote and fully participate in the community. I feel like I now belong here. When people ask me where I’m from, my first response now is I am American.

Let’s see what the future brings!

Almost there ….!

On Tuesday December 29 at 7:00am I found myself walking through security at the US Immigration Services building in Irving TX. After putting my bag through the x-ray machine and setting off the alarms when I walked through the “magic doorway” I found myself seated upstairs with about 30 other hopeful immigrants. The couple sitting next to me were from Nigeria. The lady two rows over was from somewhere in China. Africans, Latin Americans, Asians and a handful of Europeans all waiting their turn.

I was ushered into the office at 7:40am where I spent the next 15-20 minutes answering questions. First I had to raise my right hand and swear that everything in the application was truthful and that any answer I provided that day was the truth, so help me God. Then the Immigration Officer took out a huge file of all my papers. It’s quite unsettling knowing that the US Government has all this information on me. Good thing I have no criminal leanings … I wouldn’t be able to get away with anything. Not only do they know everything about me, they have five sets of my fingerprints on file (and I’m 99.99% positive that I’m in some government database somewhere too).

I aced the civics test. I was asked six questions. I got all six correct so the Immigration Officer moved on to the English test. Funnily enough I passed the reading and writing test with flying colours … oops… colors too.

Then he put a big red stamp on my paperwork that said “APPROVED”

Now I just have to wait for the notice to return for my Oath Swearing Ceremony. Fingers crossed it doesn’t take too long.

Resolutions for 2010

I’m not normally a big one for making resolutions, if I do they are just pipe dreams with no real essence to them. This year however I decided to make 10 resolutions to celebrate the beginning of the next decade of my life and I’m writing them down and sharing them with you in the hopes that if I slip a little you can help me get back on track!

1. To live a healthier lifestyle

- No more junk food. I don’t really like it anyway so I don’t know why I bother eating it.
- Drink more water. I do drink a good amount some days, but others I neglect. I must make it more consistent.
- Eat to live, not live to eat.

2. Exercise at least 30 mins every day. Whether it’s cardio, bellydancing, weight training, yoga or just going for a walk in the park. And remember to dance no matter what!

3. Make an effort to improve my French language skills. I didn’t take 8 years of French at school for nothing! No more excuses!

4. Tidy, organize and clean my house. Not just once a year, or once a month but to consistently pick up after myself, tidy away dishes and vacuum/dust each week and day.

5. Work on managing my stress. Using yoga, practicing meditation or just spending time relaxing with family and friends. No more bottling it up.

6. Volunteer a couple hours a week to help others.

7. Don’t overstretch myself. Learn to say no when necessary and how to delegate!

8.Take a proper vacation with my husband. A week or two away from it all. No phones, no computers and no Facebook!

9. Spend more time outdoors

- Hiking
- Walking
- Camping

10. Cook at least one meal a day from scratch, when at home. Make healthier choices when dining out.

‘Tis the Season to be Jolly

I have to admit that the holiday season in December is one of my favourites. Whether you call it Christmas, Chanukkah, Yule or just “the Holidays”, there is a sense of both ending and beginning at this time. It is the end of the year. Problems and disagreements should be laid to rest whenever possible, so that the focus can be on family, friends and kindness to strangers. The downside of this time of year is the over commercialisation of Christmas. Stores start stocking decorations and gift sets as early as August in some cases.

Throughout November and December, endless TV commercials advertise an array of things trying to get you to part with your hard earned money. They try and convince you that what they are selling is the “perfect” gift for your loved one this holiday season. Each year though I am amazed at how too few people really understand the history and meaning of Christmas. On the one hand you have the masses buying into the commercial aspect, with kids being brought up to expect expensive toys on Christmas Day. On the other hand, you have the hard-core Christians telling you that “Jesus is the reason for the season”. Both aspects fall short, in my opinion. There is more to Christmas than “Jesus” or the latest technological wonder from Nintendo.

Most of our Christmas traditions can be traced back some 4000 years, before Christ was even born. Christmas has its roots in the pagan religions of old including those of the early Mesopatamians, Persians, Babylonians and Europeans. All religions had some form of celebration to celebrate the end of the old year and welcome the new. Today those who practice Wicca and other related neo-pagan religions, celebrate this time of year during the Winter Solstice, a pagan holy day commemorated throughout the world since time immemorial. This season, known as Yule, the great annual festival of Saturn, the Saturnalia, of Pagan Rome. The hanging of mistletoe and decorating pine trees both have their roots in the old pagan religions. It is a time of year that Wiccans (modern day practitioners of the Old Religion), cast divination spells,  protect themselves and their homes from evil spirits and celebrate the coming of the new year. “On the darkest, longest night, that of Winter Solstice, communities of old gathered around the Yule log to celebrate the birth of the son of the Goddess, the Mabon. Known as the Star Child, this son would become the Sun God, representing the return of Light, and within a few days the nights would begin to shorten.” http://paganismwicca.suite101.com

When Christianity grew in popularity, December 25th was chosen to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ specifically to coincide with the pagan celebrations. There was a very good reason for this. In order to convert the masses to Christianity and abandon their old religions, Christianity chose to have it’s own special feast days and celebrations at the same time as the pagan rituals so that the general population would be more inclined to participate. This time of year is the celebration of winter. The darkness and barrenness of the land after the harvest. A time of cold and bleakness. It is also the time of promise and hope, directly related to the lives of the people. Hope that they can make it through the winter and the promise of the new light of spring.

So this Christmas, take a moment to think upon what you hope the new year will bring for you.

** Thanks to www.witchology.com ; www.holidays.net and http://paganismwicca.suite101.com

On Religion

I currently find myself at a crossroads of sorts, or maybe parallel paths are a better way of putting in. On the one hand I have my vaguely Christian upbringing via the Church of England (Anglican) followed by attending services at my local Episcopalian church here in Texas. On the other hand, I have my secret (well known by a few understanding friends) pursuit of pagan knowledge predominantly through Wicca.

Many people would say that the two cannot exist at the same time, in the same place. They are opposing forces. One preaches that there is one true god, the other about the balance of feminine and masculine and nature. Yet I find myself constantly drawn to both in an equal and balanced way.

Is it not the ideal of any faith to give its followers peace? For me I reach that through the intermingling of the old and the new. Light and dark. Summer and winter. I like the balance of energies within pagan religions, the strong feminine figures and the celebration of life and death as an ever turning circle. I also like the music and sense of fellowship when I go to the Episcopalian church. It is the music that draws me and is something I do not want to give up (particularly during the holiday season).

What puts me off about Christianity, particularly here in the “Bible Belt”, is that it permeates everything: schools, jobs, government. I applaud people for having faith, but I don’t want to be preached at. When I have kids, I don’t want them preached at (their decision on the matter will be their own). I believe strongly in the idea of separation of church and state, especially in a society as mixed as ours. Religion is a personal affair and should not be forced upon anyone.

During my applications for Law school I purposefully disregarded many good law schools simply because they spent about half their time telling me what good Christian lawyers they educate. I couldn’t care less. I don’t want to go to school to be a better Christian; I want to be a lawyer. If the school is more concerned with its religious status than its education system the information is going in the rubbish bin.

Equally, I get frustrated with some pagan people for being occasionally just plain weird (A–, I don’t include you in that school of thought!).

So I have decided that for me balance is the key. Hopefully no one will judge me too harshlyon this, after all, there are many paths to the same destination. But if you will judge me, you might want to take a pain killer: you’ll be banging your head against a brick wall. I will just smile serenely, content in my spirituality.