Real Life Musings

Gene Testing for Cancer

2013-05-14T08:49:00.000-05:00

The first bit of news I wake up to today is about Angelina Jolie's preventive double mastectomy.... wow....Well, good for her. I'm glad she's taking a proactive approach and I'm sure her coming forward with this news will prompt other people to get their genes tested for cancer too. So far my family has only ever suffered from smaller health issues, such as migraines and urinary infections, but

Mother's Day

2013-05-12T12:32:00.000-05:00

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." ~ Abraham Lincoln ~ I'm blessed to have a mom who taught me the strength of what it is to be a mother, and I'm blessed to have the opportunity to be a mom to my three wonderful girls. Happy Mother's Day to all mothers and mothers to be!

Daughter of Refugees: My Childhood School Years

2013-04-14T10:46:00.000-05:00

Awhile back, my youngest daughter's school had Grandparent's Day, a special day for grandparents to visit the classroom. My daughter invited her grandma on my side of the family. On the day of the event, my mom arrived and I explained to her what the event was and in general what they would probably be doing at school. Then I dropped my mom and my daughter off. After school was over later that

The Meaning Behind My Tattoos

2013-03-28T23:47:00.000-05:00

To me, tattoos are personal and meaningful artwork bestowed upon the body. I have two tattoos, and both have significant meaning to me. The first one represents my family. My name in Hmong is Nou (or "Hnub" as spelled in my native language--pronounced "new"), and it means sun. Hence the image of the rising or setting sun. The bonsai is my husband's favorite tree, and the three little birds are

Hope Revisited

2013-03-13T21:48:00.000-05:00

When I was a child, I thought I could be anything I wanted. Anything at all. It's what we're taught in school, right? It's what many parents tell their children. It's what I find myself repeating to my kids sometimes when we sit down and talk about their future. I want them to know that with hard work and determination, yes, it's true... they can become anything they want. Right??? Now we can

Does racism still exist in our day and age?

2013-02-28T17:27:00.000-06:00

One of the most intriguing topics my students and I sometimes broach is that of racism and in particular whether it exists today or not. It's a touchy subject, because there are so many varying perspectives and of course no simple answers. I recently watched a video of Tim Wise, anti-racism activist. It's a long video (the lecture itself is 1 hour and 17 minutes). But I think it's worth

Goal-Making

2013-01-24T10:04:00.000-06:00

Goals for me are the foundation of life. They are the structure on which I build my family, friends, education, and profession. Everything I do, I try to ensure it revolves around my goals. That's how I know if I'm on the right path. If you're struggling in life, remember this: as long as you have goals, you can endure the most difficult of situations, even the most torturous. Goals need to be

Dear Friend...

2013-01-17T01:11:00.000-06:00

Dear friend who I've known for nearly half of my life, Remember those books? I still read them from time to time. I still think about you from time to time. Just wondering how you're doing. What you're up to. Why we don't talk anymore. Whether you have done that thing that you said you might do someday. I learned a lot from you. About philosophy. Politics. Religion. People. Life. It was you

2013 To Do List

2013-01-01T17:52:00.000-06:00

Two things. There are really only two things on my to-do list for this new year, but they encompass a lot. 1) Do more, see more, be more. This includes traveling. I will be going to Japan this summer. I also have some camping in Wisconsin's popular Door County as well as a getaway trip planned for the Upper Peninsula. I want to get more fit, and by this, I mean toning up my body. Riding my

Connecticut Elementary School Shooting

2012-12-14T14:18:00.000-06:00

I just read in the news today about one of my biggest fears--the school shooting in Connecticut. :( I can't fathom why someone would want to walk into a school and shoot anyone, especially innocent children. As a parent, it is my biggest fear. You send your children to school everyday thinking they'll be safe and that they'll return to you at the end of the day. But that may not always be the

Gratitude and a Happy Thanksgiving

2012-11-19T19:34:00.002-06:00

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Election

2012-11-07T07:53:00.000-06:00

Yay! I am happy about Obama's re-election and happy that Elizabeth Warren has won the Senate seat in Massachusetts. She is the greatest, and yes, even though I'm in Wisconsin and obviously she's not my senator, I am still thrilled nonetheless. I love her views and her passion in advocating for consumers and the middle class. Here in Wisconsin, I'm glad that Tammy Baldwin won for Senate.

More Photos of Fall

2012-10-24T23:19:00.000-05:00

I wish I'd gotten out earlier in the season for photos when more leaves were still clinging to branches and when colors were more vibrant. It's already getting late in the autumn season here in Wisconsin... many of the leaves have already journeyed their way down to the ground, faded and turned dry. By the way, these photos (with the exception of the last three) were taken with my

Learning How to Say No

2012-10-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

It's so hard to say no. I've started on my MBA program and am busy lately with that, in addition to working so much. However, I've just received two contracts to take on more work at one of my part-time jobs. On-the-side jobs. I know I'm so busy already, and I know I should just say no to the contracts. I know, I know. But.... but.... haha.... Help me out please. lol You see, it's not a desire

The Autumn Season

2012-10-02T09:59:00.002-05:00

I love autumn, when leaves turn into flowers.

Speculations

2012-09-28T23:48:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder how the intricacies of life work. The world we live in, the people we meet, the paths we take, the choices that lead us to where we are. "If I never did this, would this have happened?" "If I didn't go here at that precise moment, would I have met that person?" "If I had said this instead of that, would things be any different?" Perpetual questions that we ask ourselves,

Just The Girls

2012-09-20T22:11:00.000-05:00

Every year, a group of us girls have our annual girl's trip where we gather from all over the state and meet together in one location for a few days of fun. This group consists of my sisters, cousins, nieces, and friends. This year, we chose to go the slower-paced route. We drove up to Door County in Wisconsin and took the ferry over to Washington Island. Four days and three nights we spent in a

Things I Wish I Could Say to People Sometimes...

2012-08-26T10:54:00.000-05:00

Why are you here wasting my time if you're not even going to try?

Scenes I Took From Our Summer 2012 Camping Trips

2012-08-24T18:19:00.000-05:00

From Peninsula State Park: From White Lake, WI:

A Craving to Learn

2012-08-14T20:14:00.000-05:00

I'm restless. I'm getting bored. This can only mean one thing: it's back to school time. No, I'm not referring to my kids, who will be heading back to school come early September. I'm talking about me. Yes, I want to go back to school for another degree...for no other reason than to learn, explore, and try out new avenues in life. You see, I love learning. I love trying out new things and

My Skydiving Experience

2012-07-25T09:15:00.001-05:00

My husband and I can now cross skydiving off of our bucket list. We went skydiving recently, and yes, it is as thrilling as it looks and more! The plane we jumped out of. I had bought a Groupon deal for skydiving, which was through a reservations company called Sportations--bad experience with Sportations, so don't ever go through them! I also found out later that it would've been cheaper to

Strawberry Season

2012-07-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

Hmm... I wrote this blog post awhile ago but forgot to post it up! Well, anyway, it is strawberry season here in Wisconsin, and I am full of strawberries galore! I have a small patch in my backyard (pic above) and then my parents have a large patch (pic below is of strawberries from their garden). With the strawberries, I have been making smoothies,

Reaction to Wisconsin Recall Election

2012-06-05T22:08:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here on my laptop watching the Wisconsin recall election results come in, and I have one thing to say. Okay, maybe a few things. But mainly, I just want to say WTF. Scott Walker declared the winner by mainstream media so early in the race (something like 21% of precincts reporting)? WTF. And when people were still in line waiting to vote? WTF again. It seems to me that this election

What is LOVE?

2012-05-21T22:16:00.000-05:00

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An Observation on Life

2012-04-26T23:26:00.001-05:00

Life is an intricate blend of heavenly highs and earthly lows. Today I hit a low, a small dip. Thank goodness for good friends and family. And kids. Mostly kids who, with a single word or a sweet smile, can bring you up a couple notches back towards heavenly high. I love my kids. And now that I think about it, I'm glad for these earthly lows. They serve as great reminders to keep us grounded.