Tag: Hobbies

Paper Dolls

I have a lot of fond memories of my childhood growing up, and playing with my Barbies, and Paper Dolls, was high on the list.

I could not have imagined life without Barbie, and all the fun that came with playing in the world I created for her through my elaborate ideas.

I had plenty of Barbie accessories to indulge in during my inspired activities, and many hours spent enjoying the sport of bringing invention into origination.

The Paper Dolls were equally intriguing, holding a firm grasp onto my studious attention, while stimulating my broad streak of talent and vision.

Our childhood fun was more than just preoccupied enjoyment it was educational as well as recreational to the ever advanced and developing mind, no matter what kind of toy or item we had engagement within.

It was’t necessarily an object soley itself to encourage, but the fostering of our own faculty in which brought out the depth within our ability to analyze and to determine.

I had Barbie/Mattel brand Paper Dolls as well as some really cute other brands that shared a similarity to the likeness of Barbie.

The fancy cut outs would come with sectional and stylishly designed cardboard sets that came in the form of soda shops, bedrooms, ice cream parlors, and other lifestyle scenery to highlight, and to promote a realistic appeal that further stimulated the imagination.

Paper Dolls we’re also a great motivator for young children who we’re inspired to become fashion designers, or architects who sketched and drawed out outlines, and masterminded construction plans.

Crocheting And Crafting: Some Of My Favorite Pastimes

I was nine or ten years of age when my great-grandmother first taught me how to crochet. At the time, I didn’t have the patience to learn to knit.

My great-grandmother use to design clothes for my mother’s dolls when she was a youngster, and when I was a baby, my mother knitted and crocheted beautiful blankets to adorn me in.

My mother also made lovely patterns and clothing with her sewing machine from the age of fifteen on up.

As a person with innovative ideas I was always extremely creative, having a natural flair to invent and to express.

I’ve indulged in an array of arts and crafts which I took great pleasure within and that occupied my time.

I enjoyed cross stitch, lanyard, and painting. I even constructed my own plaque at a workshop when I was fourteen years of age.

I sawed off a large piece of wood, sanded the surface to smooth out the texture, I then engraved words onto the wood, and polished the finishing touches out with shellac.

My mother kept the plaque hung upon her bedroom wall for years.

Talent and skill is big in my family, especially among some of us in particular. I know it is in my blood, as well as within my heart and soul to produce.

After all, I come from a maternal family of business owners who self made and who self asserted themselves.

I am an entrepreneur deep inside.

The little girl who caught on instantly to the fun and styles that attract the attention, and the vast interest within those who love to form and to design through the various and colorful materials of yarn, is the woman today who still likes to crochet until her finger burns, and gets tired from looping.

I love all the different type of hooked needles, combining the different type variety of threads, the different type of stitches, and the elaborate fashions of tedious yet challenging sets of needlework.

 

1975 Cult Classic

When I first heard this past Friday that Peter Fonda died I immediately said to myself “Aw”, and I thought about how great a role he played in my favorite cult film classic Race With The Devil.

The movie came out in 1975 the year I was born.

I became aware of the movie in the early 1980’s and had always remembered the film. It was so well acted and entertaining, and till this day, in my opinion, still holds up and maintains its thrill.

There was nothing corny or phony about the movie.

I literally searched to view Race With The Devil again during my adulthood a few years ago. I didn’t stop until I found out where to get the film and I watched it twice in one night.

A relative and I enjoyed the flick to the fullest.

The entire cast did a fine job portraying the eerie characters in which they did throughout every scene and it was one of those cult movies with legitimate storyline and a haunting appeal. Hollywood doesn’t make films of this quality anymore.

I’m so glad I grew up within a time where I could appreciate such a terrific classic that I’ll continue to love and never forget.

I also enjoyed a 1966 film titled The Chase which starred Peter Fonda’s sister Jane Fonda along with Marlon Brando, Angie Dickinson, Robert Duvall, Robert Redford, and E.G. Marshall.

I love old classic flims.

 

Music In The Home: The Rhythm Of Life

There was always music within my household. I’m listening to gorgeous tunes right now at low volume as I write.

My mother made sure I had my own Walkman, Record Player, Organ, Boom Box, and giant set of Headphones as a child growing up.

My mother enjoyed listening to her own complete stereo system that included the tall speakers in which she’d blast.

I have other relatives who adored music and some were even talented within the skills of writing notes and playing musical instruments professionally.

We had loads of albums, cassette tapes, and CDs to engage in as we loved all types of music from soft rock, pop, jazz, rhythm and blues, particular rap, alternative, gospel, and whatever sounded good to the ears.

 

Pizza And Pasta

When I get my paycheck one of the first things I spend my earnings on is food

I love pizza and I love spaghetti. I eat vegan/vegetarian styles of my favorite preparations.

I like lasagna and ziti too.

Throw in some macaroni and cheese and we can have a party, a festive event within my succulent dishes.

As a Taurean, one of our specialties are quality and good food.

Cook me up a meal to satisfy my belly and my belly will yell out “bellissimo!”

So beautiful to the stomach.

My favorite foods happen to abide on the starchy side. Luckily I haven’t ever been at risk for diabetes I do break down those type of foods with healthy oils, fruits, and vegetables.

A lot of the time the process of cooking will reduce the amount of starch intake.

From potatoes to rice to breads, I love the food in which contains the starch, nevertheless.

The Year 1983: Monopoly, Movies, Meals, And Mom

When I was eight years old my mother and I got up one day and headed to an area of queens village where we use to shop at, eat at, go to the movies at, and frequent a favorite discount store of ours.

We use to go out all of the time.

On this particular day we stopped off at the discount store and purchased me the original board game Monopoly.

Then we headed to Burger King where she got her a whopper and me a whopper junior with fries.

Then we headed to the movie theater.

The year was 1983 and Scarface with Al Pacino was showing as the film had just came out. Back then, at that particular time, the movie theaters use to show double features.

Scarface was about three hours long and such a good movie that the whole entire audience stayed to see it a second time because also back then nobody had to pay an additional fee to watch a film over again.

Everyone sat through a boring hour and a half long movie until Scarface replayed on the screen. So all of us within the theater sat for approximately seven an a half to eights hours.

After viewing Scarface for the second time my mother and I took a cab home. We arrived at our house around one am in the morning.

Instead of going to sleep my mother stayed up and taught me how to play the board game Monopoly in which she had bought for me earlier the day before.

I had thought the gesture was so nice and we played until I understood and got the hang of the game.

Such a fond memory of the love, care, and fun my mother shared and displayed to me.

We always had activities to occupy our attention.

Another game my mother was enthusiastic about teaching me to play was the board game Life (The Game Of Life).

Oh, we had delightful pastimes.

 

Early Morning Snack

I just got finished not too long ago eating a portion of cornbread that I prepared after midnight.

In fact, I’ve ate cornbread everyday last week in addition to my evening meals.

I hadn’t eaten anything at all yesterday but I did eat the day before on Saturday before I indulged in the tasks of my creative works.

I began Saturday evening after I had my dinner and was up until after 2am Sunday morning finishing up an artistic project.

I continued on around 10 or 11am later Sunday morning after I awoke picking up from where I had left off.

I finished early later within the afternoon.

Once I get started on one of my creative works my attention is totally focused and I stay occupied until the missions are completed.

I enjoy tasking and allowing my innovative ideas to flow. It comes easy to me yet at the same time it’s a lot of hard work as I’m very thorough and sort of a perfectionist. I like being my own boss and exercising the creative side of my talents while maintaining a work from home gig when I’m not working out in the field and have free time to spare.

Memories

 

When I was about twelve or thirteen I remember these commercials would come on the television advertising one to call up to win prizes through  automated/recorded quizzes.

So I called up the number and I had to choose the right or wrong answer by pushing the dial pads of the touchtone telephone my family owned.

I actually won and received a free coupon to go bowling at Jib Lane Bowling Alley though I never went since I wasn’t interested in the sport.

I began to call quite a few times to see what else I could win, however, most of the time it was the same old prize to Jib Lane as I kept winning the quizzes. I called so often that I discovered through repitition every Wednesday the prize was a dozen of free assorted doughnuts from dunkin donuts.

After I found out the bonus prize I would only call on Wednesday to get me some free doughnuts.

I knew how to beat the quizzes as I had gotten so familiar with the automated system. I was never a dummy and used my intuition to constantly win but after a while I gave it up. It was fun while it had lasted.

I had plenty of Jib Lane post cards mailed out to me to go bowling for free (I didn’t want that shit).

The quiz advertisement was stingy with the free doughnuts I only received a few free dozen coupons compared to all of the ones I had gotten to go to Jib Lane.

When I went to Dunkin Donuts on more than one occasion I was able to pick out any flavor of twelve doughnuts in which I wanted as the coupons stated.

Nowadays, I don’t even eat doughnuts, I haven’t eaten a doughnut in years but those were some cool memories.

 

 

For The Love Of Dogs

Many puppies and dogs are special by nature.

I had quite a few of these animals within my lifetime and enjoyed every moment of sharing my home with these wonderful creatures.

Ten years after I had to have one of my dogs in which I had for seventeen years euthanized due to arthritis pain (which made her yelp), her hind legs giving out, and the fact she wouldn’t eat any food or urinate and move her bowels under the condition, I adopted another puppy from North Shore Animal League.

It was a female pup who was already paper trained and smart as a whip.

I’ve been fortunate to have certain dogs that stood out from the rest that I’ve had within intelligence, behavior, and intuitive ability.

The dog I had for seventeen years was indeed the most exceptional out of all of them. The second most remarkable was the very first puppy I ever owned when I was at the age of seven or eight.

Dogs have a keen sense of smell and natural instincts in general, however, some just bring to my attention the certain things in particular I’ve happened to take a notice of in regard to them.

One circumstance I recognized was how I would be downstairs in my house all day long working on my computer and the puppy would be upstairs the entire time with other relatives who also occupied the home because she’d never come downstairs.

When I’d finally come upstairs hours later to retreat to bed or to watch television she’d just be her normal quiet self, except when she was in the mood to play.

On the days I’d come home from work I’d be coming through the door and I would hear her upstairs whining in anticipation to greet me.

As soon as I’d reach the bedroom she’d be running towards me and jumping all over me, still whining in excitement.

I’d wonder to myself, how did she know I was out all day and not just downstairs on my computer or doing something else? She’d do the same thing all of the time.

My puppy knew the difference between me being home and not being home regardless of the fact at how long I was out of her sight.

Her reactions showed it all.

I even took notice at when she followed me into the bathroom one day and after I’d opened up the medicine cabinet she was able to see my reflection through the outside cabinet mirror.

She continuously looked back at the mirror and at me, studying the double figures of my likeness, in which she was viewing. She just kept turning her eyes back and forth at what she was seeing.

Our pet canines watch everything we do and they watch everything around us and it is marvelous how quickly they can grasp and pick up on things.

It is so adorable and pleasant to assist them within their stages of learning. Oh, how I love them so.

Those beautiful creatures.

 

Electric Typewriter

My mother bought me my first electric typewriter when I was twelve years of age. It was an excellent quality Brother model attractively toned in beige with a black keyboard.

Before then, I had two manual typewriters.

I treasured the gift my mother gave to me as it gave me a productive way to occupy my mind. She purchased the electric typewriter because she knew I liked to write and after creatively experimenting with stories I had invented with my new literary machine I was certain a writer is what I definitely wanted to be when I grew up.

I use to sit up at my dresser in my bedroom sipping hot tea with milk delightfully typing my imagination away!

During my teenage years my mother wanted to buy me a computer, however, I didn’t want one at the time.

I wasn’t interested as I was content writing in long hand on notebook paper then typing my manuscripts up with the use of my electric typewriter.

Then, one day I got surprised when an old neighbor who use to live next door to us purchased me a brand new computer for Christmas.

She had gotten me everything to go along with it. The monitor, the keyboard, speakers and a printer.

Ever since, I don’t understand why I didn’t want a computer from the beginning when my mother had first suggested the idea to me.

Short Bio/Miss LaToya

 

LaToya was born with the caul and is very spiritually inclined. She is clairvoyant.

She was very advanced as a child, able to see and communicate with spirits, and very “in tune” and aware within her surroundings.

Gifted with an extraordinary comprehension along with second-sight/extra sensory perception LaToya has always had great learning and communication skills, and an uncanny insight into occurrences.

LaToya was constantly able to sense things about people and situations in which other people couldn’t sense.

In the beginning of her young life:

LaToya Lawrence was born and raised in Queens, New York by an independent hard working mother. She is an only child yet she comes from a very large family, some of whom, own their very own successful businesses.

LaToya’s mother taught her how to read and write at 2 years of age and soon after entered her into daycare at 2 and a half. At school LaToya excelled and was able to skip a grade into a class for gifted children.

At the age of ten LaToya began to write short stories and had the opportunity to get her writings published by a mainstream publisher. By the age of 12 LaToya knew she wanted to be a professional author and self published two novels in her early twenties.

LaToya became a vegan at the age of fourteen, is a animal lover, as she always grew up in a home with puppies and dogs. One special canine which she loved dearly she had for seventeen years. LaToya has practiced gymnastics and has worked in retail.

LaToya is an avid reader of true crime novels and suspense. She loves all types of music and as she is very creative she enjoys crocheting, art, exploring and the outdoors.

LaToya has also worked professionally within the health care field for six years and has over twenty years experience in caring and attending to elders and those in need.

LaToya has worked in retail for thirteen years.

LaToya plans to eventually open up her own business, one in which will utilize her multitalents and multitasking abilities.