Madison Sanders Writes

People gravitate towards drama. We had an interesting discussion in one of my classes about how violence on TV affects one’s perspective. I believe it affects people because they become fearful of murders, being robbed, or some other vicious act. Gerber, the man behind the Cultivation Theory, made an interesting point when he said that the media becomes the social storyteller. In other words, they tell people what to think or believe. He also said that people start to believe what they see on TV is the reality in real life. No wonder this happens. People become desensitized to violence because it’s on several TV shows. I’ ve thought about another avenue that drama has crept in—blogs. Twists and turns are a part of life, which means it’s inevitable. What I’ ve found interesting is people’s reactions to drama compared to everyday life. Think about it. There’s no denying that people get more comments and views per posts when there’s drama involved. Yes, I've often wondered why peopl

I just finished Christmas Eve with my Dad's side of the family. I went to my Granny and Papa's Christmas Eve breakfast and rested in between. Christmas is different when you get older. No more Santa to anticipate. I guess I'm having a hard time adjusting. Opening gifts becomes somewhat familiar. Don't get me wrong, Christmas is still special, it's just special in a different way. It's a time with family instead of a mound of gifts. It's the smiles of cousins when their faces light up instead of a toy making a noise. Toddlers laughing and running around is replaced by jokes and countless pictures. Grandmothers getting out the video camera is replaced by a favorite TV show. Change isn't a bad thing, it just takes a little getting used to. Mama said that this feeling is normal. She said things would change when I have my own kids. I'm laughing to myself just thinking about that one. Oh, the fun times ahead. I got lots of fun gifts. I may post pictures

As you get ready to celebrate Christmas this morning and maybe even shake the snow flurries from your coat, grab a cup of hot chocolate as we learn more about Trish from Off Camera with Trish Van Pilsum . She's a reporter by day but mom is the title that tops them all. She is a person that has managed to find a balance between work and family, which is no easy feat, dear readers. 1. If you had to write a book about me what would it be about? If I were really going to decide what to include in a book about you I would spend time getting to know you and, of course, do lots of research as any good investigative reporter would. But since we are on a tight deadline I will just come up with an angle based on what I can glean from your blog. This is the story line: Our protagonist (that’s you) is on a campaign is preserve the fine art of writing. What’s great about this is that she is defying the direction the rest of her generation is going what with texting an all abbreviat

Probably everyone has heard the saying, "It doesn't take much to satisfy a child." For my brother and I, that was put to the test one windy day years ago. Mama knew we needed to burn off some energy for the day, but she had thought of all the obvious things already. She wanted something fun, something different. In a moment of genius, an idea came to her. We loved playing in the log house that Santa brought us, but why not "decorate" it, she thought? She found a can of shaving cream and was ready to unveil her plan. "Come here, kids. I've got something you'll love. "My brother's eyes light up at the sight of the shiny white spray can with the red letters. Ever the one to follow the rules, I waited for Mama's ok. My brother was hanging on her every word. "You can make a mess with the shaving cream on the house...but...." Oh boy! We get to make a mess! Our heads were spinning with ideas. Should we make Santa beards on each other

Thanks for all of the questions everyone! Jillian said: What is your favorite thing about Christmas? My favorite thing would have to be spending time with family. The atmosphere is quite magical, too. Kids are full of hope and in awe of everything. Meg said: What's the favorite gift you've ever given? This is kind of a hard one. If I had to pick a favorite gift that I've given, I would have to say the bag full of my Papa's favorite candies because I love helping my mom pick out things that I know he will love. A close second would be when I went in with my mom to get my brother one of those things that detects when the law is close. He really wanted that and I wanted to be a part of that. He wasn't expecting that at all. The Blonde Duck said: What's your favorite thing to eat? Without a doubt, it is my Memaw's fudge. So yummy! Q, La, and Gooner said: What is your favorite Christmas Carol? I can't pick just one on this one because there's too many g

My pick for Friday's Writer's Alcove has had some computer trouble. I promise to post it as soon as I have her answers in my possession. In the meantime, I'm going to do an About me Christmas Style. Fun, huh? I don't want to do a standard Christmas survery that dictates what questions should be answered. So get your questions related about all things Christmas, and I will answer them on Monday! You can also email me your questions if you want. I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with! Yes, even you who never comment. :)

My brain is tired. I'm finally done with finals. In an effort to make sure my readers get their dose of all things Making my Mark as well as make things easier on myself, here are some thoughts that I put together last week. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had someone say something that took me by surprise awhile back: "I wish I had your testimony." I pondered as to why they would want my testimony. They responded by saying that "God had done a miracle in my life, which was cool". They didn't think their story measured up to mine evidently. I told them that everyone has a story to tell whether they realize it or not. Their frown turned into a smile at the thought that they had something to say that actually mattered. We were given an assignment in a class to write a story after looking at a picture. I will share mine. As my teacher went around the room inquiring about everyone's stories

Every yard used to have them. They were a nuisance to the ones that were in charge of cutting the grass. I'm talking about dandelions. One day, a family member showed me something that I've never forgotten. They picked a dandelion from the yard. "Now watch", they said. They blew on it, and I watched with wonder as the white wisps scattered everywhere. I couldn't wait to do myself. Unlike the person who was with me, I took my time selecting just the right one. I close my eyes, and made a wish. Then, I blew with all my might. The sun was beating down on my back as I squinted to follow the wisps with my eyes. I strained until the last fiber dropped to the ground. The little wisps got carried away by the wind. I was as carefree as the seeds as a child, getting to play "school" whenever I wished with nap time schedule in between. I remember wishing for frivolous things back then. As I watched the dandelion go from a flower to just a green stem, I always b

I was thinking about things after I read an article. As a result, I started thinking about all that has happened in my life. We always say thank you when someone holds the door for us. We say thank you when we' re given a compliment. The doctor was shocked that I thanked him after he'd injected me with three different medicines. Most people don't know that kind of thanks. The kind of thanks that flows from your lips because you're grateful he took a risk even when others wouldn't. The kind of thanks that means your thankful for relief even though you can't feel it yet. Most of us don't thank God for our trials even though it says it in the Word(James 1:2-3). You should be thankful for the trials of life not because of the pain they bring but because of the change they bring. Mama asked me after a sermon from a few years ago if I had thanked God for the trials that I had been through. I said no. I didn't understand what that meant and why it w

I don't usually post on Sunday, but this is an exception. My friend Louise, from Louise Franks Designs is having a giveaway. She's giving away a favicon . A favicon is one of those super cool totally custom little buttons that you see in the address bar beside people's URL. It's a way to make your blog stand out in the sea of favorites, browser tab, and address(aka browser) bar. Usually you just see Blogger's logo, but not if you won this. So, how do you enter? To enter: 1. Please check her giveaway terms and conditions 2. Make sure that you are a follower of her blog 3. Tell her what you'd like for your favicon 4. If you choose to enter some additional entries, please leave each entry in a separate comment 5. Giveaway closes at 8am GMT on 27 th December. Prize will be made in the new year Please make sure your email address is visible on your profile or leave it in a comment For additional entries: 1. Follow her on Twitter - my link is in t

Today we have Four Sisters Farm with us. You'll love their stories about chasing dogs, getting baby chicks, and might even see a superhero or two in the posts. Sit back as we learn about life on a farm! My comment is in italics. 1. What is a favorite memory you have at the farm? We have only been out here for 1 1/2 years. Our adventure has been short but amazingly wild! I have so many sweet memories already. In particular, I will always treasure helping Pop and my "save the old barn." We needed to stabilize one of the walls. Neglect and weather contributed to it's condition. We had to literally lift the barn roof up with jacks and replace the wall. We weren't strong enough to move the wall into place by ourselves so we had to enlist the help of our trusty " Fordy " tractor. Stabilizing the old barn was a priority to Pop. The barn is special to him. He has a vision for what it will look like when it has been totally restored. We all held our breath as w

I just got back from my doctor's appointment. It was a long day to say the least. We got there and the order for Botox was not approved even though my doctor had sent an urgent request in. They told us this as I was getting my blood pressure taken. Ha! I looked a the young girl and said, "That was a very bad time for them to tell me that. I know you'll have to take it again." The doctor came in and said, "I'm not going to let you leave empty handed. We'll discuss other things that can be done to help you." That was a huge relief because I have been sent away with nothing being done to help me. He said that he would prepare things as usual in hopes that it would be approved. One of my doctors said that Botox wouldn't help, but after two months of trying other things in physical therapy, we at least had to try. Since the illiotibial band is a fibrous tendon, Botox won't help. We decided that cortisone and a patch would be the next best optio

Did any of you participate in the Scavenger Hunt this time? How much did you know about me? Let's find out! What Christmas gift did I loathe so much that I made it stop talking? The doll that I got from my mom that came with its own microchip that annoyed me to no end. What is a game that my brother and I played as children? Superman and the Couch. That wasn't the game's officiaila name. We just played. My brother insisted on being superman though. :) What unusual place did my brother and I sometimes play in outside? The soybean mill. Name the band that I loved as a preteen. It was undoubtedly the Backstreet Boys. You can read the post I wrote about it here if you wish. What did I chew on at a friend's sleepover? A glow in the dark stick. Read all about the dramatic tale of a girl who thought her life was over then and there. A female Kohl's sales associate didn't know what this is. What is it? It was a camisole. Yes, my dear readers, a camisole. I was shocked

I regret to say that Writer's Alcove won't happen this week because the person hasn't responded. If you don't have your email enabled, please think about it. It makes things so much easier when someone tries to contact you. If you've always wanted to do it but didn't know how, I'm going to help you. Click on Edit Profile. Scroll down until you see Show Email--make sure this box is checked. Save changes. Since all of you liked it, I'm going to do another Scavenger Hunt. Click here to see the first one. The Object of the Game: Find as many things out about me by searching through my entries--old and new. Take advantage of the search bar. (The relevant entries will show in a white box.) What Christmas gift did I loathe so much that I made it stop talking? What is a game that my brother and I played as children? What unusual place did my brother and I sometimes play in outside? Name the band that I loved as a preteen. What did I chew on at a friend's

It was a few weeks before Christmas. People were rushing around filling their carts and arms with gifts. In the midst of the chaos was the ever popular Christmas photographer. The line wove its way around the aisle and into the clothing. It was almost if that photo was a rite of passage each year. After all, mothers were standing in line for hours with screaming babies who just wanted food. No cameras, duckies, or funny faces. Before I knew it, it was my turn. Sit on the box and face the camera sweetie said the nice man. I smoothed out my deep blue dress and gave them my best smile. Click, click, click. Three pictures down and a million to go. "Here's an umbrella. We want to try something a little different" said the female assistant. Only a woman knows that an outfit isn't complete without accessories-and neither is a photo. My eyes lit up at the sight of the beautiful white lace. Hold the umbrella in one hand while tilting your head, OK? said the woman. I gave it my

As you know, writing is a passion of mine. My love of writing was fueled by an awe of how words, style, and sentence structure could create something vastly different each time I wrote. My English teachers always encouraged me to continue to get better putting a smiley face in the corner. My mom would also give her stamp of approval when I showed her my latest piece. That love and appreciation of writing is still with me today. In one of my speech classes, a classmate wrote a blog about how interpersonal communication has changed. I was reminded of the days where my friend and I would write letters. It was almost as if she was closer to me in that letter because I could close my eyes and imagine her writing that letter with the ink flowing smoothly across the page. What were her thoughts at that time? Words kept us connected even when distance didn't. It's sad to know that kids would rather text than put pen to paper these days. I recently read an article that teachers are tryi

Today we have the Blond Duck from A Duck in her Pond here with us. She's a spunky magazine editor who writes stories that capitative you within minutes and leave you begging for more. In her spare time, she enjoys watching her two furbabies beg for fresh pie or cookies straight from the oven. Grab your favorite beverage and get comfortable as we learn more about the Blond Duck! 1. What got you interested in writing? To be frank, I have no idea. I just know I’ve never not written. I was a voracious reader even from a really young age. My parents used to go hoarse from reading book after book to me at night! And I always loved stories, whether they were being told by a teacher or neighbor. The fourth grade is the earliest time I can remember announcing I wanted to be a children’s book writer and illustrator. I’m still working on the illustrating part. 2. If you could write your dream novel, what would it be and why? I have written my dream novel. All my stories are dream stori

I need to give a little background on this story. Some of you are thinking, What in the world is MyScene, people already have their own space, do they really need their own scene too?! MyScene was popular with tween girls. You know the ones who are too old to play with Barbies, but still like to dress up dolls? Yeah, I'm talking about those girls. MyScene is an interactive website that lets you go on shopping sprees, paint your nails, go to the beauty salon and even to a movie premier or two...virtually of course. One night my cousins begged me to come into the computer room and pull up MyScene for them. I did. It was a little slow to load, but when it did you knew it. The MyScene theme song started playing its little catchy tune. That was all it took for my little cousin to start dancing and goofing off. Before I knew it, we had the music turned up singing our hearts out. My Granddaddy wanted to get in on the fun so he joined us in the sun room. "What is that playing on the c

I'm still alive. I haven't blogged much because I've had my nose in books and polishing up an essay. This year almost halfway over. I can't believe it! When I was little, time used to drag on forever...or so I thought. I'm turning in my last essay of the semester tomorrow. I'm always glad to finish it because it means I've almost survived another semester. Therapy is good. I keep going back even when I don't think I can do another exercise or take another step because I know it's worth it. I've seen the difference it makes if you keep at it. I'm not bionic woman by any means, I have to encourage myself just like you do. My mama has always told me to take it one step at a time or I'll get overwhelmed. So, that's what I'm doing. One step means your that much closer to your goal...even if you have to go a little slower than others. I'm working on finalizing everything for finalizing the lucky blogger who is featured this week.

I wanted to do something to honor the immensely talented bloggers out there while still staying true to my passion which is writing. I've racked my brain for weeks for the perfect feature, and I think I've come up with one that's pretty close. Writer's Alcove will be a weekly post that features a blog that's creative funny, unique, inspiring and everything in between. I'll post a little bit about their blog along with some questions that aren't normally asked of writers. I also want this to be a place that I can spotlight some blogs that my readers love. If you know anyone who should be featured, write me an email and I'll check them out! This is supposed to be fun, so any and all emails will be read and considered. What are you waiting for?! Tell who you must read each morning!

Some nights my brother and I would be ready for bed, some nights not so much. On those nights that we were just too excited to sleep, we played a "game". It wasn't the type of game where you keep score, constantly looking at the yellow notepad to see who was winning. This was a game that involved no yelling and no fighting. I must say it did require a little patience when waiting your turn. I had just slipped my light pink gown with a B@rbie emblem over my head. I raced back to the living room ready to start playing. My parents had a old couch that we didn't use. Boy oh boy, we jumped at the chance to have our very own couch. This was very exciting news to seven year olds because it meant we could do whatever we wanted with it, within reason of course. My brother had taken his rightful place atop the couch, and I was determined to join him. I grabbed the hard edge where the cushions would normally sit and pulled myself up. My brother loved to be Superm@n in this gam

My ideal day would consist of relaxing activities. The world is so fast paced, it's nice to slow down sometimes. I would sleep in till about 9:00 A.M. Then, I would pick up a good book and read a few chapters. Around lunch time, I go have lunch at our favorite restaurant with my mom. We'd talk about our day, not rushing, so that we could enjoy each other's company. We'd go shopping. I'd pick up some new things, then help Mama. It always helps to have someone tag along with you while shopping. After all that, we'd come home. Mama would make my brother and my favorite dish. I wouldn't talk a lot, so that my brother could have a chance to talk. It's hard to get a word in around two women, you know? The night would end with a good movie. Not necessarily a new one either. It doesn't have to be new to be good. I'd look around and remind myself of how blessed I am. I'd slide under the covers, my stomach full and my heart happy. I've shared my id

C'mon admit it. We all judged people by what they wore in middle school. The brand of your clothes could mean you could talk to the "in crowd" one day and be snubbed the next. One thing you may not have realized that kids judged was people's hair. People who had straight hair wanted curly, people who had blonde wanted brown and so on. It was a never ending cycle. I had just come back from recess. I sit down in my desk in my fourth grade Language Arts class and realized that my hair looked a little funny. I wasn't the type of girl to check my face or hair every five minutes, so I didn't have a brush with me. I did something that I thought was normal. I tilted my head down then I flipped my head up. My hair fell exactly where I wanted it to. One black girl who was a friend of mine looked at me in amazement. "What did you just do?" they whispered hardly able to catch their breath. "You mean the hair flip? I asked in disbelief. What's so spe

My poll is now closed. My readers have spoken. I I'll be keeping the titles large. Thanks for voting! I also want to give a warm welcome to my new followers. Feel free to look around. If you like what you see you can subscribe to my feeds so you're always in the loop of what's happening with me. Need to find a post but don't want to scroll through dozens of posts? Type in a few words in the search engine on my sidebar. (You're welcome to make suggestions about any improvements that you think would make this a better site) As a side note, this semester has really flew by for me. I've loved my classes and teachers, which makes a huge difference. I forgot to tell you all that I registered for classes last week. I'm excited because one of my classes allows me to combine my love of writing with media. Class registration always solidifies the fact that I'm one step closer to finishing another year. Wow. That is mind boggling. I have some exciting news to share

I had planned to do a cool post with pictures about how Halloween has changed over the years. We were in W@l Mart looking at the Halloween stuff, which ranged from baby and toddler costumes, sexy children's costumes, and adult costumes. Side by side were a pair of Dorothy costumes. The only problem is that one of the choices was the sexy version complete with low cut corset like top sexy tights and sky high stilettos . No wonder kids today are growing up too fast. Where are the role models? The ones that inspire kids to be different, to be themselves and not care what others think? When I was growing up, Halloween was all about fun and candy. I wasn't trying to get some guy's attention. I was trying to fill my basket up. :) Some of my friends posted several different costume options on their MySp@ce to see which one was the favorite of the crowd. Now they have sExy firefighters, cave women, sailors, race car drivers, and boxing champions. What really surprised me was th

My dad's old girlfriend was visiting one day with the kids. It was kind of like a get to know you day. We had just finished lunch, so my brother and I headed outside to play. B's oldest daughter wanted to help me fix my hair. Girls try to look their best you know. My brother and I got on the golf cart while L took the four wheeler. We had two driveways, so it made the perfect circle for a race track. Lap one L was in the lead. Not to be outdone, my brother and I inched our way up to the front. I saw a chance to pass so I did. My brother looked back and saw L coming too close for comfort. "Make the dust get in her eyes!" my brother yelled. "Yes!" I thought. Our plan worked. L couldn't see where she was going. I floored the gas...a little too soon. Our victory of success was short lived because I had forgotten that the other driveway curved around the rosebush. I saw it when it was too late: I was headed straight for the side of the house! Oh no. What am I

I've never had the titles of my posts show up on people's sidebars or G0ogle Readers. I always wondered why because it bugged me that I couldn't fix it. I've always put the title in the post and bolded it so it would stand out. Clever, huh? I've finally figured out the problem (thanks to some searching on the Blogger help forum): The title wasn't enabled to show up. I have no clue how it got changed because I have another blog for a class that has always had a space for the title. Since I was frustrated, I wanted to make sure that none of you ever go through that. If you do, you can always bookmark this post in case you forget what to do. To make the titles of your posts show up, click on Settings, Formatting, and then scroll down until you see Show Title Field. Make sure Yes is selected. P.S Since my title now shows, I have the option of changing the size of it to smaller or larger. I want to get your opinion on which one you like best since you are the ones r

I haven't updated on my health because I haven't thought it was necessary. I also don't want this blog to be all about pain. I just had another visit to the pain clinic on Tuesday. They have done all that they know to do basically. I'm also reaching the age that I need to be at an adult pain clinic. I'm not sad about this at all because everyone involved agrees that we need at fresh perspective on my situation. It's also good to take an active role in your recovery and not be passive. Things have been at a standstill for awhile, but everything has a way of working out. These new doctors could know just the thing to help me, so change can be good. I've been having trouble with my IT (also known as iliotibial ) band, but I'm still going to school. My goal is to add another class to my schedule for this spring. If I'm not able to, it won't be the end of the world. Mama keeps reminding me that it's ok if it takes me five years to finish school.

When you have a disability, you find new ways of doing normal everyday things. I was in a leadership program at my church and we had all reached our goal, so we celebrated. We went bowling. While most people are contemplating what food they're going to order, I was thinking about how I was going to be able to bowl with everyone else and not make a fool of myself. Davey bowled...Shenea bowled...then it was my turn. I put my fingers into the black ball and got into position. That ball was heavy! Miss K showed me where to put my feet for balance. 1, 2, and 3. I let go of the ball hoping for the best. It landed straight in the gutter. All of my friends said it was OK. I shrugged off the incident and sat down to wait my turn. One of my teachers was up next. I can't remember what she bowled but anything more than 10 was good in my book. At least she had something up on the board. It was my turn again. Wanting to help me, Miss K was trying to think of a way that I could bowl with eve

It's official. Fall is in the air. I decided it would be fun to put together a collection of some fabulous fall finds that I would love to own. Not that I need anything, I just love to put together outfits in my mind. Cardigans. They go with everything and can add a fun pop of color to any outfit while keeping you warm. I might do a video post of my favorite fall items that I already own. I'll show you how you can mix and match things for a completely different look. No longer available. (It comes in red too). Like this one (no longer available). It's a little more dressy, but I liked it because it had a unique detail on the front and an interesting color. It's ok to change it up for fall. You'll be able to wear this again and again. Jewelry . I like to have a few fun pieces mixed with things that can be worn with other things. This multi colored bracelet from Target fits the bill perfectly. This bracelet set is classic enough that it can be wo

I've already written about my oldest cousin's and my love of the Backstreet Boys from years gone by. This carried over into other areas of our lives as well. When we were bored, we would go into my Memaw's guest bedroom and play. The door was shut not only to give us some privacy, but also to let our imaginations run wild without fearing anyone else had seen (or heard) our stupidity. "Today we are going to call the Backstreet Boys," I said. " Ooh , how about Nick" my cousin said. "Yes, definitely Nick, I screamed, unable to contain my excitement at the mere thought of him. He's the cutest." As you can tell we had our priorities straight. Cuteness first. Everyone else later. My grandmother knew we played this game quite often so she was kind enough to let us use her dusty blue phone just for this purpose. It was one of those phones that you put your finger in the whole of the number you wanted to dial and turn it completely around, then