My Blog

I am happy with my blog, but I want more. My best friend in high school, Marike van der Veen, has a beautiful blog. She is my inspiration. I want a place to write. Which is kind of ironic because Marike was the one who wanted to be a writer, I was the one who wanted to be an engineer. In some ways, we both achieved our dreams, Marike is a writer, because she is writing, and I have an engineering degree. But want to expand my dreams.


One of my life goals is to write a book. I doubt it will be fiction, although I have thought about writing my life story and calling it “Better Than Fiction,” realistically I think changing the names will still allow people to be offended so I haven’t really pursued that writing aspiration. I have been called the goddess of lists. Or maybe more aptly the evil goddess of lists. I have thought about writing a reference book that includes some of my lists that have been helpful to me in my life. Something that could make a difference for other people. I am still trying that idea on.

Anyway, I have hesitated creating something publically since I have some people in my past I really want to avoid. That is another story for another day. What I discovered about myself if that I would rather be myself: outgoing and self-expressed, and not worry about that right now. This stems from my marriage to Tony, he is a born and raised in New York City, Dominican with all the reservation, suspicion, and judgment that comes with it. Yes, I was going to put paranoia, but that is a little strong. He is reserved and suspicious of the world, at the far end of that spectrum. Then there is me: the opposite of him, open, carefree and trusting of most everything. Between the two of us we become one “normal” person. I will trust the universe that I will gain more than I might risk by creating a blog and proceed.

My oldest, Elder Joseph Calcote, is on a Mormon Mission to Atlanta Georgia. I write him at least five times a week. I think that writing also reaffirms my desire to create a blog because it is such a good outlet to share my thoughts.

So Marike’s blog is dedicated to children, food, and the arts that turn the average mom into a domestic diva. These are the things she loves. She asserts that the blogs that work are written from the heart and are about the things you love. I can take that on. My blog will center upon family, paper crafts, and living life full out. Paper crafts will include scrapbooking and card making and all that entails. I feel a little backwards creating my blog, and then figuring out what it is about, but this is part of life! It well represents that things don’t always go as you planned, but they do always go perfectly.

In closing, the pictures above are of me and Marike, probably halloween of 1982 or 1983. Enjoy. Marike, I love you. Thank-you for sharing your life and being my inspiration.