I'm a children's author, poet, and student.  I'll be going to grad school next year.  I have published a children's story with a CD of me narrating the story.  It's about an elephant who travels around the world in a magical way.  It's $15.00 Canadian, and two dollars from every copy goes to the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  I am a two-time cancer survivor, and this is my way of giving back.  I have also put out two poetry CD's--one, which is an hour long about my travels to England, Wales, France, Italy, and Switzerland.  I also talk about the people I have met on that journey, as well as others I don't know in person, but have had a great impact on me.  I also talk about perspectives that I have, meditations that I experience, and observations that I have made.  It is$10.00 Canadian, which is $8.00 in U.S. Funds.  I have also put out a poetry CD called Fantastical Dolly And Magical Mylia.  This was a project that I did with the help of the grade one class at McKernan school in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  Each student submitted a word to their teacher, and the teacher sent me all these words in an e-mail.  There were nineteen in all, as there were nineteen students.  I incorporated all these words into a poem, which my boyfriend recorded on CD.  I read an excerpt from this poem, and the kids enjoyed it tremendously.  I gave each student a poetry CD in a jewel case of either purple, orange, green, blue, or pink.  The kids were so happy to receive one.  This poem was inspired by a character, based on one of Truman Capote's aunts in the story, The Grass Harp. It was also inspired by a young girl's fourth birthday party.  It got a great response from Mylia, the other subject of the poem, as well as all her relatives.  My godmother, Mummio, as well as people that I don't know, really like the poetry CD.   I was not paid for this project, working with the grade one class at McKernan school in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, but I don't care.  I enjoy giving back to the community. 

   My poetry CD, a Literary Journey, is already selling.  I know that writing is part of my destiny, and that the other part is teaching English as a Second Language, being a wife, and a mother.  Everything is falling into place. 

   My other passions are reading, watching movies, listening to music, and looking at great art.  Some of my favourite authors are L.M. Montgomery, Margaret Laurence, Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker.  The Prince of Tides, Fisher King, Guess Who's Coming For Dinner, To Sir With Love, Dead Poets Society, Alien, Aliens, Thelma and Louise, Contact, Miss Potter, and Little Women, are some of my favourite movies.  My favourite directors are Ridley Scott, and Barbra Streisand.  I have all of Ridley Scott's movies including Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, Alien, Gladiator, and Kingdom of Heaven.  With Barbra, I only have The Prince Of Tides, and The Mirror Has Two Faces.  I have to eventually get Yentil. 

   For music, I enjoy Sarah McLachlan, Loreena McKennitt, Chantal Kreviazuk, Avril Lavigine, Alanis Morrissette, Sheryl Crow, Enya, Leonard Cohen, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, and John Coltrane.  I also enjoy the blues--B.B. King and Muddy Waters are some of my favourites in this gentre.  I have seen B.B. King in concert, and he is amazing.  I also got a chance to see him backstage.  He is so down to earth, and genuine in person.  He is just so nice.  He was dressed in a beautiful dark suit with a bluish hue.  He had on a wonderful scarf in a cream brown.  He looked so relaxed, and friendly. He was very approachable.  I was the only one who gave him a gift, which was a copy of Eli.  He was very impressed, and gave me a signed copy of a photo of him and Lucille.  He also gave me an autograph on a page from my notebook.  I was so grateful.  I told him that I was going to grad school, and that the ancestors were smiling down on me.  He understood, being himself raised in the post-slavery South, where, he said in concert, towns are still segregated.  On one side of the railroad tracks would be the black people, and on the other, the white people.  I think that's a sad statement, and that some things, unfortunately will not change. 

   My grandmother, and great-grandmother worked on the sugar cane plantations in Barbados for little money.  But they had a dream for my dad, and all of his siblings to have a better life.  They saved their money from working on the plantation, as well as seamstress work, and selling turkeys to people.  From that, these two women were able to send my dad, and all of his siblings to school in Barbados.  My dad become a nurse, training in England, and so did my youngest uncle--my aunt specialized in the financial sector, and my oldest uncle worked for the government.  Everyone did well.  That story supports, and strengthens me every day. 

   My dream is to go to grad school, get my Masters degree, and open up my own teaching English As A Second Language business at home.  I also want to continue writing, and publishing, as not many writers at all make a good living at writing.  I also want to continue my education, after about a five year break after finishing my Masters, and do my PhD in film studies.  Movies are another passion of mine, and I often learn, write about, and/or discuss movies with other people.  I know that this is all possible because of people like my grandmother, and great-grandmother--and wonderful artists such as B.B. King. 

   B.B. is also very honest about how the music business is cutthroat, and hard to make a living in.  He advised one man, who aspired to be a musician, to finish his education, and maybe become Prime Minister one day.  I admire his honesty, and genuine way of being.  He's 81, has dealt with diabetes, and is still rocking.  He is happy with his life.  That's how I want to be all of my life.

   I also enjoy great art--such as the Impressionists including Monet, Degas, Manet, Renoir, and Cezanne.  I also enjoy the post-Impressionists such as Van Gogh.  I also enjoy the works of women artists such as Mary Cassatt, and Frieda Kahlo.  Van Gogh is a special role model for me, as he never gave up painting when many didn't take his work seriously, or critiqued it in a very negative way.  It's unfortunate, that his work generates millions of dollars, and he will not get a dime.  I think that it's very unjust, that a painter, writer, any other type of artist has to die before being well-known, respected, and attracting millions of dollars.  I read an article on Vincent in the National Geographic magazine.  One student was interviewed as saying that if Vincent didn't give up, neither would he in completing his studies.  If a poem gets rejected, like so many other poets, I just keep going, just like Vincent.  I do get some published, so life is good.  But if I gave up, nothing would have been accomplished. 

   For those of you out there, what are your interests?  What are you passionate about? What are your fields of work?  All I know is, life is precious, and you have to live each day, one day at a time.

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