Reading Diary Week 10: The Smart Woman Chief

     Part two of the Native American reading diary. What interesting stories we have in front of us to read! Such great lessons and magnificent versions of many stories you've heard before during your childhood. With an open mind, such stories can be really interesting and intriguing. That's the beauty of hearing a story coming from a different cultures perspective. One of the stories that stood out to me was the story entitled The Smart Woman Chief. In this story, the men did not know that women existed, nor did women know that men existed. One day, the men saw the women and the women tricked them and were able to escape being held captive by them.
     Later on that night, they all decided to meet up and to get the men a wife from the tribe of women. Well of course, with the men being shallow like they sometimes tend to be, things did not go as planned for one of the men. This man dressed up and perpetrated that he was the chief of the men so that he could marry the woman chief. When he saw her coming to her, dirty from working and not dressed to the T, he ignored her because he didn't recognize her. She peeped this and decided that she would come back dressed up nicely and pick her husband but that it would not be that guy, nor would any of the other women pick him to be their mate. So there he was at the end, just as single as he was at the very beginning because he was too shallow to actually look into the woman's eyes to recognize that she was the same as before and now he's stuck. This is good though, because he didn't deserve her in the first place if thats how he was gonna act.
     The single man decided that he was angry that he didn't get a wife, so he thought he would be destructive in the woman's camp. Their chief (the one he rejected) wasn't having that and turned him into a pine tree. Sucks to suck.

Until next time, lover boys any girls!

(Beautiful Native American Woman)

Reading Diary Week 10: The Old Man and the Little Daughter

This week's reading diary is about a Native American story that really stuck out to me entitled, "Old Man Above the Grizzlies." I read this story and it was pretty good! In this story the Old Man (the father) has a daughter, with whom he lives with in a teepee high above the areas that the grizzlies live on. One day, the wind caught her by her hair and pulled her out of the teepee and blew her all the way down to where the grizzlies lived.
The interesting catch about this whole set up is that the grizzlies actually walk and talk just as humans do! So, when the mama and papa bear saw that this girl had fallen down to the home, the took her in and took care of her. She need up falling in love with their son and got married and had kids.
The mama bear decided to go up to the Old Man's house and tell him that his daughter was alive and well (Which I'm kind of surprised that he didn't go looking for his daughter when she first got sucked out of the house). So, the Old Man rushed down to the grizzly land and became livid when he saw that his daughter had reproduced with a grizzly. So to punish them all, he decided to curse them to no longer speak and to walk on all fours with their heads down. He took his daughter back up to his place where they lived from their on out. Probably wasn't happily ever after cause I'm sure she was pissed.

(Cute Baby Bear)

This story is part of the Southwestern and California Legends unit. Story source: Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912).

In today's forecast.... Weather Widget: Tech Tip Week 9

I've been seeing a lot of blogs that have the weather on their pages in order for viewers to be able to see what's going on with Oklahoma's crazy weather;. I also think it just simply adds a nice touch to the page, in general. So, please enjoy the new edition!

(Weather Forecast picture found here)

Skills Bring Success: Growth Mindset, Week 9.

(The image is from cheezburger.)

My skills bring success... my skills bring ME success. Your skills bring YOU success. It is vitally important for each person to understand that they hold a fire inside that can take them anywhere once they ignite it and truly commit. Some people may not have athletic skills or be musically inclined, but there are so many other avenues one can take, in order to be great. Once that detail is understood and once that special and unique talent is discovered, everything can be great! So never forget, YOUR SKILLS BRING SUCCESS!

The People Wanted It, and Now It Is Here: Bri's Portfolio

Hey Beauts,

This portfolio will be comprised of some of my favorite stories, or other pieces that I really want to share. The first post up is an introduction of me, just so know who's writing these posts you're reading.

The second post is one my first stories, entitled, The Three Beauts. Enjoy. (:

Hey there loves,

NEW STORY ALERT

If you've been keeping up with Brit and Tae, you're probably itching for the next story, as if it were an episode of Scandal. No need to worry, I've got you covered. This story will a few questions, such as why Brittany is so "protective" of the relationship she and Deontae have created, or even a glimpse into the dynamic between her and her family. Have fun reading, #KnowTheOneYou'reWith: Lesson One.

Last week, you read about Brittany and Deontae's interesting love connection that might just be too good to be true. I'm sure you're curious as to why Brittany acts the way she does and just exactly what the cause is. What or who happened to her? Find out the details in this week's story entitled,
#KnowTheOneYoureWith: The Reflection.

Enjoy, lovers.

~

I've added a new story to my portfolio. Read up! The story is entitled, Know The One You're With: The Introduction PART I and Know The One You're with: Blind to the Fact PART II.

I have broken the two stories down into two parts because I thought that that would be a great way to really allow the reader to understand the characters, and then to start to learn more about how the background of each character played such a major role in how the story unfolds. The story is based upon it is based upon the Nigerian story entitled, The Pretty Girl Who Killed the King, by Elphinstone Dayrell.

In the story, you read about the love connection that is sparked between two coworkers at a major business firm over the course of a few months. Deontae believes that the connections happened organically, while Brittany knows that the connection was strategically designed by her.

Unknown to Deontae, Brittany has spent some time in a psychiatric facility and is now ready to act out her plans she devised while in the facility.

When will Deontae come to realize this?

How will he react?

Continue reading to find out as this story begins to unfold right before your eyes.

Love and Happy Thoughts,

-Bri.

Storytelling, #KnowTheOneYoureWith: The Reflection, Week 9

It was 11:30 a.m.; the weather woman said that today was going to be a bright 70 degrees, with a nice breeze in the air. Brittany knew that this was no lie as she sat peacefully on the balcony of her three-story townhouse in her favorite chair with one leg resting on the balcony rail, and the other crossed in her seat. 

Today was one of the few days that she had to herself, apart from Tae. Not by choice, of course, Tae was out of town visiting his family in New Orleans for a few days. Brittany wasn’t complaining, though. She knew that she could use this time to really reflect on some things that she had been suppressing for so long, and to consider if she wanted to start taking her meds again… maybe. 

She sat with her eyes closed, just soaking in the sun that was beaming down from the heavens. As she sat, she started to doze off and think about the things that got her into this position she found herself in right now. You see, growing up, Brittany had what seemed to be the perfect life from the outside looking in, and in reality, it was perfect. 

Brittany grew up in the 80’s in the heart of Washington D.C. with her mother, father, her older brother and her younger sister. Her mother was a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, and her father was an engineering professor at Howard University. Brittany and her siblings were great kids, made good grades, and participated in extracurricular actives both academically and with their church. 

Brittany’s big brother, Sean, went to college on a football scholarship at the University of Alabama, and began studies towards electrical engineering like his father. The whole family and community was so proud of him for following his dreams, especially his little sister, Brittany, since they were EXTREMELY close. 

One day, Sean was headed to an away game and had a pulmonary embolism that went to his heart, leading to him having a heart attack on the bus. He died about fifteen minutes after his teammates noticed that something was wrong with him. 

Brittany and her family, unaware of what happened, were patiently waiting at the game to surprise Sean and watch him play. Instead, the coach gave them the horrible news that their brother and son had suffered from a heart attack, en route to the game. 

Brittany was devastated. She had just started her sophomore year at Howard University and now her biggest support system had been snatched away from her. 

After the funeral, it was almost like Brittany became a completely different person, so much so that her parents had to find some type of therapy to save her from herself. They ended up finding a homeopathic therapist who specialized in these types of cases. Everything seemed to be going well for the first few sessions. Brittany’s family started to see signs of the old her, and so were her friends at school. But in reality, this doctor wasn’t curing Brittany of her heartache; instead, she was chipping away at the sane pieces of her memory and mind that she still had. When her parents came to the sessions, all would be well, but for those times the parents weren’t around… it was a completely different story. 

Towards the last few sessions, Brittany’s parents noticed that something strange was still ailing their daughter... something even worse than before. They begged Brittany to let them in and help, but Brittany didn’t have anything to say. One day, Brittany’s mom went to the therapist’s office unannounced to get to the bottom of whatever was happening to her daughter in that office. What she heard next change the course of Brittany’s life forever. 

As her mom approached the office, she overheard the therapist talking on the phone with someone telling them what her plans were for Brittany. “This girl is so far gone mentally and spiritually that I could do whatever I want to her,” she said to the person on the receiving end of the line. She continued her conversation with her uncaring and arrogant tone by saying, “Yeah, I know this is risky, everything I do is risky, but I’m so close to completely flipping her into believing and doing whatever I say! Why should I stop now? It is unfortunate though, if this treatment stopped now, the only thing that would save her would be some serious time spent in the psych ward. I can’t say that I really feel remorseful because I gotta do what I gotta do to take care of myself and feed my family. These people see what I look like and just entrust me to help them, because I look so innocent and sweet.” 

That was all that Brittany’s mom needed to hear! She frantically rushed out of the office. That next day, she took Brittany to get a psych evaluation. The results concluded that Brittany was on the edge of a major mental breakdown due to a mental tear that might never be fixed. 

On October 3, Brittany was admitted to Paulview Psychiatric Facility, where she would spend the longest year of her life trying to fix the damage that had been done. I guess saying “#KnowTheOneYoureWith” would be an understatement for this young lady and her family.

Author's Note: Hello ladies and gents! This story is a continuation of the previous two stories that I wrote. I decided that I want to give a little background on Brittany to show how she got to where she is today. The original story is part of the Blackfoot unit. Story source: Blackfeet Indian Stories by George Bird Grinnell (1915).

In the story about the Cold Maker, there is an old innocent lady that lures individuals into her house by offering them food and a place to get warm. Once they get in to her house, they notice that there are two bears inside of her house but she assures the guest that they are friendly. She then tells them that she's going to go outside and make the fire warmer for them, but instead fills the room with smoke by closing the smoke hole and locking them inside. Once the person tries to escape, the old lady hits them over the head, killing them. She then cooks all of their meat to feed herself and the two bears. The Cold Maker gets wind of them and eventually ends up killing the bears and the old woman for their wrongdoings.

For my story, I decided to tie in this old lady as being Brittany's therapist, who was essentially killing Brittany mentally. Brittany's family chose to trust this lady to help their daughter because she seemed sweet, just like in the story when those people trusted the old lady enough to go into her house. Stay tuned for more from Brittany and Deontae! 

Picture info for the memory lane picture can be found here.

Reading Diary: Week 9 Continued, Native American Unit

Reading Diary continued beloooooow:

Part two of the Native American Unit was even more in engaging! The story Blackfoot: Cold Maker's Medicine was absolutely outstanding! I love suspensive and thrilling stories and this one was all of that in one. In the story, there was a figure that was brought storms to the tribes and basically had an omnipresent type vibe going on.

There was an old woman that would lure travelers from other tribes into her house.

She appeared to be very, just a nice elderly lady that was trying to welcome people into her house to get out of the elements.

She had two big grizzly bears inside of her house, but she assured her victims that they were nice, and in essence, they were nice cause they aren't the ones that committed the murders.

The lady would light a fire, and then trap the victim in the house and fill it with smoke. When the victim tried to escape, the lady would hit them over the head with a hammer. This blow would kill  them and then she would cut them up and cook them, in order to feed herself and the bears. Crazy right!

So then when the Cold Maker was making his way into the village, he overheard the stories, as he passed Sand Hills, from the souls of those who were killed. Of course, what he heard really upset him, and he was going to make sure that he was going to get vengeance for those slain.

The Cold Maker took his friend with him and ended up setting up the old woman, for what she had done to all those people. She got killed, along with the bears. The friend ended up getting the bear furs to turn into a coat.

Crazy good story!

(The Coldmaker)

This story is part of the Blackfoot unit. Story source: Blackfeet Indian Stories by George Bird Grinnell (1915).

Week 9, Reading Diary: Native American Unit

This weeks reading diary is based upon the Native American stories that have been assigned for this week. I knew that this particular unit was more than likely going to be filled with interesting materials due to the fact that they are coming from those that originally and rightfully inhabited this land.

The story that most stuck out to me was The Thief of Fire story by Story source: Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912). This story particularly stood out to me because I felt like it was a great story that was shared with the youth of the Native American community and I also liked how it broke down reasoning for why certain animals are as they are, due to the Coyote trying to steal the fire.

So, in this particular story, the Kareyas created fire in a fireless world and gave it to two old hags (funny that these two individuals were called hags because when i hear that term, I think of two old miserable women that aren't the nicest, don't look the nicest and are just down right rude.)

The following text is a compilation of my thoughts as I read the story.

The Coyote wanted the fire and was trying to devise a plan to steal it from he hags.
-- That's nice that they hags allowed him to join them.

They coyote went to sleep but really wasn't sleep and was watching the entire night, trying to find a time to steal the fire.  He couldn't find a time that night.

He went back to regroup with the others to figure out the best time to steal the fire.

That next night, all of the animals attached and the coyote was able to steal a blade of fire. It was almost like a relay race since the fire was handed off to other animals such as the frog, which kept getting its tail caught, which is why it doesn't have a tail today. Or like the ground squirrel that was running so fast that it's tail caught fire and burned it's back so that's why there are black strips on it's back.

(Picture of a Coyote)

Time is of the Essence...

I once learned a quote that is truly applicable to every facet of my life. A portion of the quote states, "Time is of the essence and not to be wasted, an irreplaceable element not to be taken for granted. A minute comes, a minutes goes, it waits for no man. Seize the day for those hours come no more..."

In complete honesty, I have noticed that I focus and prepare for a class that is rather difficult, and requires a great amount of time commitment that often flows into the early morning hours. This class has a rap for sometimes making students cry, have to retake the class, or fearful of missing the class due to a 20% grade reduction if more than 3 classes are missed. 

I know that that isn't far to the other courses that I'm in, although I have complete intentions of making good grades in those classes as well. 

This week is midterm week, and it is kind of humorous to me that i'm seeing so many more students on campus in areas I normally study in. This is their week they actually need to put forth some effort, while I've been on campus 4 days of the business week after dark since the semester started in January.

I also have to be honest with myself and admit the fact that I haven't been as committed to some of my other courses, including this one. For the remainder of the semester, its imperative that I do all of work for this class in order to get the grade I am seeking. One of my classes will be over this week, so that will take away a 5 hour class from my weekly agenda. 

I am excited to finish this semester off with a bang! 

I chose the shown motivational quote because after spending last semester in D.C., I was able to get a taste of what living in the real world, a world outside of my comfort zone, is like. I really did love it, and now that is a source of motivation to get my degree and continue pressing forward. To make my parents proud, make myself proud and to produce a foundation that will be beneficial for my future family. That's a beautiful thing. 

(Motivational quote was found here.)

Storytelling, Know The One You're with: Blind to the Fact PART II Week 7

Brittany rolled over in the bed while stretching her arms out and yawning, expecting to feel Deontae's well chiseled chest... when she felt an empty spot instead. She hurriedly opened her eyes to see if where he was at.

(Woman sleeping)

"Tae! Babe, where are you?!"

She pulled the sheet off of her body and hopped out of the bed and mumbled, "Where is he at? Did he leave me? Why isn't he in the bed?!"

"TAE!" she screamed out, as she walked out of the room.

"What, bae, what you yelling for?" Tae said, as he continued to scramble eggs in the kitchen.

Realizing that Tae was still in the house and hadn't left her, Brittany quickly calmed town and walked towards Deontae to give him a hug saying, "Oh, I was just trying to figure out where you went. You know how I feel about waking up without you. I hate that feeling."

(Man and woman hugging)

"I know you do, babe, I just wanted to cook you some breakfast and didn't want to wake you because you were sleeping so peacefully," Deontae said.

The two got dressed and headed to work. During the car ride, Brittany realized that she had forgotten to take one of her pills that she was trying so desperately to hide from Deontae, in order to keep her secret just that... a secret. 

Once the two got to the office, she noticed that the secretary, Alicia, was being a little too friendly to her man, Deontae.

Brittany thought to herself, "What does Alicia think she's doing? She knows that Deontae is off limits. Period. I'll take care of that. This will be the last time she'll disrespect me."

The next day, Alicia didn't show up for work. Some people tried to call her, but no answer. No one worried too much, though, because their boss received an email from "Alicia" saying that she needed to take some personal time and that she would be staying with her family in D.C. for a while.

Little did they know, Brittany had taken care of Alicia in her own way that previous night.

"I wonder what happened to Alicia? That's so weird." Deontae mentioned to Brittany as they ate dinner.

"I'm not sure, honey. You should let me try your pasta, though." Brittany relied, completely ignoring the statement or showing any true concern.

Six months into the relationship and Deontae still didn't know about Brittany's time spent in the Paulview Psychiatric Facility, nor that she was the cause of  Alicia's disappearance.

I guess it would have been good for Deontae to #KnowTheOneHesWith before he got himself in too deep.


Author's Note: This story is the second half of the story previously posted. In Nigerian story entitled, The Pretty Girl Who Killed the King, by Elphinstone Dayrell (1910).  In the original story, the "pretty girl" was actually a witch that was paid to kill the king of a neighboring town that was tormenting the people of another village. This king was making each day for the other villagers absolute hell. So, one day, the other villagers decided that they were going to put an end to their torture and have the king taken care of. The villagers decided to pay a witch to shape shift into an attractive young woman, seduce the king, marry him, and then behead him in his sleep. She managed to do this and slip away completely undetected. No one in that village suspected it was her because she was so beautiful and the last person to commit such a heinous crime. It was from that very last part that I coined this story's hashtag, #KnowWhoYoureWith. 

This second half of the story is a continuation of Part I of the first story that I wrote. I haven't quite decided how many parts will be added to this story. It is really just a matter of what feels right for Brittany and Deontae's hectic lives. Thanks for reading!

Story Source: Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria by Elphinstone Dayrell (1910).

Storytelling, Know The One You're With: The Introduction PART I Week 7

Know Who You're With: The Introduction

(professional woman outside)

"I'm going to marry him. I don't care what anyone says," Brittany said as she roughly brushed her hair while looking in her vanity mirror.

"I DESERVE TO BE HAPPY! I didn't ask for this life, and I refuse to not get this man to marry me. Deontae is so fine, and I'm going to make him mine. Period."

That next day at work, Brittany made sure that she wore the skirt that hugged her curves the best, made sure sure that her curls were on point, and that she wore her new ColourPop lipstick, called Subduction. 

Brittany got in the car and was on her way to get her man. While listening to her favorite Jazmine Sullivan song, she looked in her rearview mirror and said to herself, "Go get your man, girl."

After giving herself a pep talk, she parked, got out of her car, grabbed her purse and business bag and walked in to work.

"Hey Alicia, what's on the agenda today?" Brittany asked the office secretary as she put sugar into her cup of fresh black coffee.

"Well, it looks like you and Deontae have a presentation today at 11, followed by a luncheon and then a few off site calls."

Brittany felt her plan being put into motion and tried to contain her mischievous excitement.

"Hey Deontae, you ready for this presentation today? I hear all of the big shots will be there."

"What's going on, Brittany! Yes, I'm ready. We're more than prepared to rock their world!"

"You don't even know the half," Brittany thought to herself.

"Well, let's go do it!"

Brittany and Deontae headed to the lecture hall, gave their presentation and impressed everyone that was in attendance.

"Wow, you did a great job up there, Brittany!" Deontae said as they walked down the hall to the luncheon.

"Thanks, love! So did you! Hey, you want to just skip the luncheon and get a head start on these off site calls?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan.  Let me just go get the keys and we can head out!"

The two headed out to the offsite office visits and engaged in small talk unrelated to the office.

Fast Forward to 6:00pm after the offsite office visits

"Well, I think we accomplished what we needed to there today, don't you think?" Deontae asked Brittany while walking back to the car. 

"Yeah! We did awesome! I'm really glad I got to do this with you today!" said Brittany as she softly caressed his arm. 

"You want to go get a bite to eat, De? I'm starving after all this hard work today! I know a nice little spot off of Peachtree that has the best soul food."

Suddenly intrigued by the offer, Deontae responded saying, "Soul food?! Say no more, tell me which way to go."

Brittany felt her plan starting to go into full effect. Right when the two crossed the threshold into the restaurant, Brittany turned her professional side off and the subtle seductive side on. 

(Couple at Dinner) 

"So, De, why haven't we hung out like this more often? We're clearly enjoy each other's company, yes?"

Deontae took a sip of his Whiskey Sour and responded, "You know, I've been thinking the same thing. I actually was going to invite you to dinner last month, but you just disappeared on me."

Brittany replied, "Yeah, I just had to take care of a few things for a bit. But I'm back now, better than ever... Better. Than. Ever." 

As the evening grew, Deontae and Brittany's conversation got deeper and more engaging with each sip, bite, and laugh they shared. 

That following month, Brittany and Deontae were an item and everyone at the office knew it. 

But there was one piece of the story Brittany failed to mention. The time that Brittany spent away from the office, she was actually in Paulview Psychiatric Facility for displaying psychotic tendencies... #KnowWhoYoureWith

Stay tuned for part II

Story Source: Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria by Elphinstone Dayrell (1910).

Author's Note: This particular story written below currently has two parts, and it is based upon the Nigerian story entitled, The Pretty Girl Who Killed the King, by Elphinstone Dayrell (1910). After reading the story, of course, I took it all in, in it's entirety, but the very last sentence stuck out to me. That last sentence shaped the direction I wanted to take in both the story below, as well as the one written as part two. I wanted to break this story into two parts because I really wanted to paint a picture and to set up the background of the story and the two main characters, Brittany and Deontae, in order for the reader to be on the same wave length as me. The inspirational sentence for this story is "Never marry a stranger, no matter how pretty she may be." These words can actually be words to live by each day, whether it be marriage, relationships, and even friendships. This sentence, or more so quote, can be interpreted however you see fit for any situation! 

In the original story, the "pretty girl" was actually a witch that was paid to kill the king of a neighboring town that was tormenting the people of another village. This king was making each day for the other villagers absolute hell. So, one day, the other villagers decided that they were going to put an end to their torture and have the king taken care of. The villagers decided to pay a witch to shape shift into an attractive young woman, seduce the king, marry him, and then behead him in his sleep. She managed to do this and slip away completely undetected. No one in that village suspected it was her because she was so beautiful and the last person to commit such a heinous crime. It was from that very last part that I coined this story's hashtag, #KnowWhoYoureWith. My story isn't identical to the original story.