Saying Yes to Life
I finally watched this movie today. I streamed it from Amazon. I really meant to see Belle when it was in the movie theaters, but it was pulled just as I was going to see it with a co-worker. Belle is based on the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, who was the daughter of an enslaved African woman named Maria Bell, and a wealthy white English Navy Admiral named John Lindsay. The real Dido Belle can be seen in the painting below that she posed for with her cousin, Elizabeth Murray, in 1778….
Well, it’s official. Last Saturday morning I was conferred my Bachelor of Science degree in Cultural Studies. I woke up that morning happy and excited. Graduation ceremony was beautiful. My mother, brother, sister and two dear friends were there to see me walk out onto the stage when my name was called. The president of the college, Dr. Merodie Hancock, placed a huge medal hanging from a ribbon over my head. See photo below. The photo above is a snapshot of my name in the graduation program….
I really don’t like to get political here on my blog because people tend to be very passionate about their personal political ideologies. However, I feel deeply moved to write this post because of the protests I see going on about the removal of the Confederate flag and denouncing the governor who had the smarts to have it removed……FINALLY This is an act that should have taken place in 1865….
One of my passions is historic preservation. I love old historic anything; homes, libraries, government buildings, department stores, railroad stations, you name it. If it is old style architecture I love it. It is the reason I own an old Victorian house instead of a brand new one. I will never build a new house because I prefer to take an old one and restore it if need be. That is not to say that newer homes are not beautiful too. I simply prefer older homes because years ago building anything was more of an art-form. The materials used were sturdier and builders did not cut corners. This explains why so many older buildings are still standing today….
On Saturday, June 25th, I had the pleasure of taking an early Amtrak train down to NYC to visit the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. I’ve wanted to visit the Cloisters for well over two decades. I lived in NYC from the time I was two years old until I was thirty-two, but never went to see the Cloisters at any time while I was living there. I first heard of the Cloisters when I was in college straight out of high school, and always intended to go see it, but never did. I was so excited to finally see it, and what made it even nicer is that one of my long time blog followers met me there. Ann Marie Kelly has been a faithful follower of my blog since a few months after I started it. No matter what, Ann Marie always keeps in touch by either leaving a comment, sending me an email or texting me. I feel so blessed to have such support from a person who never actually met me until that day at the Cloisters. When we finally did meet, it felt as if I had known Ann Marie my entire life. Conversation flowed so easily. Thank you Ann Marie for your friendship and support of just about everything that I do. Ann Marie normally works on the weekends, but took off to visit the Cloisters with me. I took a lot of pictures of the Cloisters, but will only post a few here. All images here, except for two, were taken by yours truly using the camera on my cell phone, and it does not do the Cloisters justice….
Last semester while I was working on my school assignments, I became fascinated with the subject of the American Frontier through the eyes of the women who lived it. I read the Little House on the Prairie books years ago, but I greatly desired to read more stories. I ended up searching on Amazon for books, and Hearts West: True Stories of Mail Order Brides on the Frontier is one of many that I ordered….