Yea, I'm throwing that whole rule about not using my English papers for my blog out the window. Who thought up that rule any way? I think that I can safely promise that I won't post ALL of my papers. But this one is important to me as it talks about some of my reasons and goals for being in school. Read on. The journal I have chosen for my English 102 project is the Journal of Holistic Nursing.  The journal’s mission statement is as follows:   Journal of Holistic Nursing ( JHN ) is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal with a focus on integrating holistic health concepts with traditional Western medicine. JHN provides a forum for caring and innovative nurses in clinical practice, research, individual wellness practice, and academia to exchange critical information, share clinical and personal experiences, and communicate research pertaining to nursing practice, health care, wellness, healing, and human potential. On March 17, 2015 I will have worked as a ...

This is a pod.  This thing fascinates me.  One the first day of English I was the first one to walk into class and saw a room full of these things.  I was mystified and confused.  Are we supposed to sit in them?  And why are they on rollers?  What were we going to do with them?  In them?  I was a little scared so I slowed my pace and let other students overtake and pass me.  I watched to see what they would do.  Yes, you sit in them.  OK, I already sorta had that figured out.  But see that little basket underneath?  Not just a weird design flaw - you put your back pack in there.  And yes, the wheels are used, at least in this class they are.  We are always moving into small discussion groups.  But wait, it's not like in the olden days when you had to get up and and push a heavy chair/table combination around with it scrapping and scratching along the way...sometimes with the nails down the chalkboard...

I made a friend today.  Life seems a little brighter.

Overdue shout out to Allyanna in Admissions.  She is the sole reason I was able to get enrolled in less than a week.  She was infinitely calm and knowledgeable, not to mention encouraging.  I spent countless time with her last week on email, phone and face to face.  Bless you. And did I mention I got a job on Monday?  Mind you this is after A YEAR of job hunting with no success.  Well, not true.  This year has been a huge success in figuring out where I am and who I am at this stage of life.  I wasn't to find a career job as my path is being in school.  So when I shifted gears and looked for a part time job to support my school efforts, it fell in my lap in less than a week.  BTW, I'll be working as a nurse....while I'm learning to be a nurse.  Ah, the ironies of life.

Well, there it is.  The Temple of Doom.  Some call it the Mathematics building, but I know better.  Aside from having dyslexia, this is the biggest reason I have not previously returned to college.  Math was the center of all my hellish memories of school.  If those squirly numbers would just sit still and give a girl a fighting chance.  But I am a firm believer that we create our own reality.  Think of the book, "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne (but with more depth and complexity).  And also the book, "Super Brain" by Deepak Chopra and Rudolph Tanzi.  From this moment on, all of this "math equals trauma" shit is a thing of the past.  I mean it.  From now on, every time I pass this building, I smile and send out the thought that I can't wait until next term when I get to take my first math class.  I thank Math for all the wonderful things it does and how it helps me in my life.  I'm not aware of those things just yet,...

OK, I wasn't going to do this. I wasn't going to post my school papers. I mean how boring is that (and it feels like cheating too). But my very first paper assignment in English 102 College Writing and Research is, "In at least 250 words tell how you did library-based research in high school/previously". Well, I figure this lends its self to my blog intention so I'm going to break the rule now...and when ever else I want to break it. So here is Susan's very first college paper in 36 years. Prepare to be wowed. And I'm kinda liking the font. Very card catalogish. (and if you weren't there, you're not going to get it) The last library-based research I did was when I was in high school thirty six years ago.  To say that things have changed since then would be an understatement.  For example, no one had heard of computers in those days.  I don’t have a clear recollection of the research process but I do remember coming up with an idea...

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