Sugar:

There are several definitions for the word sugar, but I am referring to the colloquial Southern term in this photo of me:




In the South the term sugar means kiss. So whenever family members see each other they might say, "Come give me some sugar". This is my grandaddy Bill with me at Christmas time.


Background paper from Chocolate paperz and Sugar Alpha by Anna Benjamin at Paper_Moon
Borderlines 3 by Sande Krieger, Calendar by Misty Mareda, Vintage Frames by Nancy Comelab, Really Big Bow by Natalie Braxton

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I was able to do a marathon read at my mom's house on Saturday and a hour nap! COOL! Here is my review of the book Passionate Minds about the relationship between Emilie du Chatelet and Voltaire: David Bodanis does an admiral job relating this unorthodox relationship of Emilie du Chatelet who possessed a brillant mind for math and science and the life of Voltaire who became a renowned poet and writer, best known for Candide. Their story begins in early 18th century France where most marriage were made for political and financial alliances. "Love" was kept for relationships that were kept "discreetly" separate from the city your spouse was staying in. Emilie du Chatelet was married to an older man with the military and had 2 children. He was often away on duty and had relationships with other women and it was accepted by both of Emilie and her husband that she, too, would have her own diversions. Her longest lasting relationship besides her marriage was with Voltaire. They acted as each other's muse. Emilie could use Voltaire as a sounding board to figure out how to write more exactly what she wanted to say. Voltaire used Emilie has his inspiration for several of his characters and, for the most part, appreciated her critique of his writings. She often participated in his plays that they put on for friends.

My moral code is different from these two characters, but my serious ethos bent didn't keep me from respecting the talents of these two brillant people. The time in which they lived put them on the cusp of The Enlightment and dying before the French Revolution. They lived in an era of rampant corruption in the Catholic Church, a stagnant class system that created feelings of rancor from the lower classes, marriage was not based on love, which led to clandestine relationships that left both participants statisfied in the short-term, but bankrupt in the end as their deeper emotional needs were never met.

Emilie was able to help Voltaire with his science experiments, while at the same time working on her own experiments on light. They both entered their research for the Academic Prize. Though Emilie's was superior to all other entries she was given 6th place and Voltaire recieved 7th. Emilie also translated the Principia by Newton. Emilie was trying to bridge her understanding of the work of Newton and Liebniz, which was a Herculean effort because, at the time, you were in Newton's camp or Liebniz's camp. Bodanis points out Emilie, because she was a women, and was not allowed into the scientific circles of the men could see from a perspective that saw how these two, who both claimed to be the creators of Calculus, had research that could both gave useful information. Emilie leaned more into the Liebniz camp because he saw a Supreme Being's hand in the creation of the things she was understanding in the amazing calculations.

This book interweaves the bizarre political machinations of the time as Voltaire gets involved with Fredrick the Great of Prussia and the court of Louis XV. Voltaire and his friend Richelieu are the ones who introduce Jeanne Poisson to Louis XV. She later is given the name of Madame De Pompadour. Voltaire was hoping for control and influence through Jeanne Poisson because the mistress was a way to get the King's ear. His hopes were dashed when she had her own agenda.

Emilie and Voltaire's relationship becomes extremely strained after the Academy competition. The both get into separate relationships and Emilie gets pregnant at the age of 42. Emilie realizes she will probably die in childbirth. This is when she stays up for hours each day to translate the Principia. Her husband comes home to cover for her pregnancy, and Voltaire stays with her, too. Unfortunately, Emilie's foreboding feelings were correct and she and her baby daughter die. Volatire goes on to live to a ripe old age and write Candide.

I found this excerpt, especially, interesting:
"The British critic William Empson liked describing the power of ambiguity in literature. If an author insists that only one view is true, there's little we can do but accept or reject that view. It easily gets tedious, like a prose article we can read only once. But when the author holds two contrasting views and weaves a narrative where both are somehow true, then we're pulled to it more. (Good music is similar, being both powerful yet also evasive, so that we can listen to it over and over, our mind approaching it afresh each time.)"
I wonder if that is why the Bible and other books of scripture bring such lively discussions. There are so many different interpretations of any given passage.

Though there was a sad outcome for Emilie she wrote this passage in a manuscript she on "Happiness": It's rare to admit it, but we all secretly like the idea of being talked about after our death. In fact, it's a belief we need." It is kind of interesting to think that somewhere Emilie might be happy because I write this, today, 258 years after her death.

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I grabbed this from Julie P.'s blog
Pick your birthday month:

January: I kicked
February: I loved
March: I karate chopped
April: I licked
May: I jumped on
June: I smelled
July: I did the Macarena With
August: I had lunch with
September: I danced with
October: I sang to
November: I yelled at
December: I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:

1: a birdbath
2: a monster
3: a phone
4: a fork
5: a snowman
6: a gangster
7: my cell phone
8: my dog
9: my best friends’ boyfriend
10: my neighbor
11: my science teacher
12: a banana
13: a fireman
14: a stuffed animal
15: a goat
16: a pickle
17: your mom
18: a spoon
19: a smurf
20: a baseball bat
21: a ninja
22: Chuck Norris
23: a noodle
24: a squirrel
25: a football player
26: my sister
27: my brother
28: an ipod
29: a surfer
30: a llama
31: a photographer

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:

White: because I’m cool like that.
Black: because that’s how I roll.
Pink: because I’m NOT crazy.
Red: because the voices told me to .
Blue: because I’m sexy and I do what I want.
Green: because I think I need some serious help.
Purple: because I’m AWESOME!
Gray: because Big Bird said to and he’s my leader.
Yellow: because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars.
Orange: because my family thinks I’m stupid anyway.
Brown: because I can.
Other: because I’m a Ninja!
None: because I can ‘t control myself.


Mine is: I jumped on a birdbath because I think I need some serious help.