M is for...My Twin

I have a twin. Well, not really, but you may as well call her that. She's my sister, born six years after me. But we may was well be twins.

We look alike. We think alike. We even sound alike sometimes. It's kind of creepy how much alike we really are. People are always getting us confused. I don't see how they can confuse us, but they do. I mean, if we really wanted to, we could play some serious tricks on people (insert evil laugh). But we wouldn't do that. Hehe.

This is our relationship in phases:

• Mother/child: When she was a baby, I treated her like she was mine; helped take care of her.
• Big sis/Little sis: As we got older (when I became a teen), she was like a typical little sister, always following me around, wanting to be and do whatever I was and did. She was my mini-me.
• Besties: As adults, we grew even closer and she became my best friend. This is where we're at now.

I'm blessed to have a good relationship with my sister...with my whole family, actually. I have a tight, close-knit family and I am so thankful for that. Not everyone is close to their fam. And not every woman has a sister they can call their best friend. So yeah. I'm blessed.

L is for...Languages

I am a woman on a mission. That mission - should I choose to accept it (sorry couldn't resist) - is to become multilingual. Knowing only one language is so...blah. Knowing more than one language, tho, opens up a whole new world.


Right now, I'm working on mi español. I can understand Spanish. I can even read it and pronounce it correctly. It's the responding in Spanish that I'm struggling with. Years ago, I worked in an area that was predominantly Latino, so I was able to use my Spanish. But after I left that area, my Spanish left me. Or so it seems. It's somewhere stashed in the recesses of my mind. But I'm slowly getting it out. It helps that my sister is fluent. She usually speaks to me in Spanish and forces me to answer back. And watching telenovelas helps BIG TIME. That's actually how I started learning Spanish: by watching the Spanish channel on Saturday mornings. I do not like American soap operas, but I get so addicted to telenovelas. I start out not knowing what they're saying, but after a while, I get it. With a bit of practice and help from my sister, friends, and telenovelas, I'll become bilingual in no time.


Since I live in Abu Dhabi now, I'm trying to learn Arabic. I'm not so sure I'll be able to read & write it. I mean, it looks so confusing! For example, the word, car, looks like this, سيارة (I got this from Google Translate, by the way). I learned that it sounds like sayara. I'm learning more and more Arabic words everyday. Not so sure about writing/reading it, but who knows. Hopefully, I'll be able to hold a basic conversation in Arabic. 


I wish I'd started learning new languages as a kid. It's so much easier to learn when you're young. I see my students and how quickly they're picking up English within less than a year. They're going to be totally bilingual before they even reach the 6th grade! Unfortunately, I started in my late teens. But I started and that's what counts. I'm determined to be multilingual. And when the time comes for me to have kids, so they will be multilingual, too. 


So, after I've conquered Spanish and Arabic, what language should I learn? Japanese? French? Portuguese? Who knows! The sky's the limit!

K is for...Kids

Those that know me know how much I love kids. 


To be honest, I believe that they're the reason God has me here on Earth. I've known this since I was a teen. I may have even subconsciously known this as a kid. It started when my brother and sister were born. When I was seven, my brother three and my sister one, we played school in my room. They'd sit between my stuffed animals as my students. It was a game, but I taught them how to read, write, and count. They were the first children God used me to educate. After them, I kept going: working in the church's nursery before I was even 10; babysitting as a teen; teaching children's Sunday school & working with preteens & teens at church; tutoring; teaching...the list goes on. And now, I'm working on a writing career, mentoring program, & an enrichment center. 

Everything I do will always go back to my purpose. My writing career? Children & teens. My mentoring program? For girls (ages 5 - 18). Enrichment center? Children & teens. When I graduate with my doctorate - prayerfully within a year or two - I plan to use it to do reading research so I can help better education for our youth. I even thought of becoming an advocate for youth who can't speak up for themselves.


Some people go through life never knowing their purpose. Why am I here? What should I do? I'm blessed to have had my purpose revealed to me at a young age. My mission is to educate, enrich, & empower children/teens. I have no doubt this is what God has called me to do.

J is for...Just My Imagination

No, this post isn't about the song by The Temptations, although I do love the song.


Nope. This post is about imagination. 


As a kid, I had a huge imagination. I had imaginary friends (two, in fact) and I spent most of my time in my room, making up stories and fantasy worlds. My imaginary friends (Trevavay and I can't remember the other one) were as real to me as any living, breathing person. We were the best of friends. I even got mad at my dad once when he (unknowingly) sat on Trevavay. And though I loved reading, I loved making up stories even more. My siblings and I didn't always have the latest toy or game, so we made up things to play. I remember one time, we pretended to be angels in the land of Blue Crystal. Don't ask me where the name "Blue Crystal" came from. If I remember correctly, that's what our kingdom was made up of. We flew around our kingdom (i.e. the house) doing our angel duties, saving the people from peril. We even had a pet named Buttercup (a pink stuffed kitten). I think I spent most (ok, maybe all) of my childhood in my room, making up stories. The lands I made up, the characters that came to mind, they were real to me. I think that's the reason why Bridge to Terabithia was - and still is - one of my favorite kids books. 


Even now, as an adult, I still have an imagination. I LOVE writing. Coming up with the stories; choosing characters; building the world. I love it all. If truth be told, the characters choose me. It's like I can hear them talking to me, telling me what they like and don't like; what they would do in certain situations. No, I'm not crazy (ok, maybe just a little, but let's not get into that). I'm a writer. Only writers would know what I'm talking about.


I love my imagination. I thank God that adulthood didn't take it away. I'm hanging on to my imagination, even when I'm old and wrinkly. It keeps me from turning into a sourpuss adult. It helps me enjoy life. It's cos of this God-given gift that I decided to become an author for children and teens. I think, if I really sat down and put my mind to it, I could write an awesome fantasy book, I have just that kind of imagination. But, for now, I'm happy with writing contemporary, realistic novels. But one day...one day, that fantasy book (or books) will come bursting forth.


I'm not published now but, make no mistake, I will be published one day. I truly believe that God has allowed me to keep my child-like imagination for a reason. I don't think He gave me this gift just to let it simmer in the recesses of my mind. He gave it to me so I can share it with children and teens. I can give them the same kind of enjoyment and satisfaction that authors of my childhood gave to me. So, you all might as well remember my name: Raenice "Rae" Weakly. Your children, students, nieces, nephews, siblings...they just may be reading my books in the future!

I is for...In Seconds (Book Review)

Author: Brenda Novak
Genre: Fiction, Romantic Suspense
Release: August, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4/5


Description: In the whole state of Montana, there's nowhere to hide. . .

Laurel Hodges has changed her identity twice. She's been on the run for the past four years, trying to outdistance the men who blame her for the death of one of their own. She's finally found the peace and stability she needs, for herself and her two children, in the small town of Pineview, Montana. But just when she thinks they're safe — the nightmare starts all over again.

The Crew, a ruthless prison gang with ties to Laurel's brother, will never forget and they'll never forgive. And now that they've finally found her again, they'll stop at nothing. It could all end in seconds.

Only Sheriff Myles King stands between Laurel and the men who want her dead. 

Review: In Seconds is Ms. Novak's second book in her Bulletproof series (Inside, being #1). Where Inside focuses on Virgil, In Seconds focuses on his sister, Laurel, who now goes by Vivian. She's running from the gang called The Crew, set on revenge. She's left witness protection with her two kids and now live in a small town, Pineview, Montana. Her next door neighbor happens to be the town's sexy sheriff, Myles King. Laurel develops feelings for Myles, but she fights them, believing she can't trust anyone in law enforcement. Myles develops feelings for Laurel, but is still hurting from his wife's death three years ago. Will these two lovebirds be able to get past their hurts and mistrust? And if they do, will The Crew get to Laurel before they can get something started? You'll have to read to find out!


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• The fact that I couldn't put the book down. This is only cos it meant I stayed up til all hours of the night trying to finish the book.

WHAT I LIKED

• The fact that I couldn't put the book down. You know the book's good when you absolutely must keep reading to find out what happens next.
• Ms. Novak paints pictures with her words. I can see in my head the scenes in the book.
• I didn't have to read Inside to understand this book. Though I probably would've understood more had I read Inside, In Seconds can be a standalone book.
• I liked the relationship between Myles and Laurel. They both feel something for each other, but they don't rush and jump right into bed with each other. They took their time. They both had children and they put their children first. 
• The characters were realistic...not perfect; not terribly flawed that I couldn't stand them. They were just right.

If you love romantic suspense, you'll definitely love Brenda Novak's In Seconds. I definitely have to read book #3, In Close.

H is for...Happy Anniversary!

I know I'm a day behind with the posts. No worries, I'll be all caught up by Sunday.

Today is my parents' wedding anniversary. Thirty-five years and still going strong. They're high school sweethearts, which means they've actually been together longer than 35 years. From what they tell me, their relationship started out as friendship and progressed into something more.

Thirty-five years is a LONG time. Not all couples make it that long. According to statistics, only 50% (or some high percentage like that) of married couples stay together. I am so glad my parents are a part of the group that has stayed together. Although their mushiness is something kids - even grown kids - would rather not witness from their parents, I'm glad to see they're still in love. I must admit, their mushiness is kinda cute. But don't you DARE tell them I said that.

They've made mistakes in their marriage; some I know...some I don't know. BUT I still consider them to be models for what a strong, godly marriage is supposed to look like. Watching my parents, I learned how important it is for couples to put God first in their relationship. I learned how a real man treats his wife and how a wife can be submissive without being a doormat. My father treats my mother like a queen. He's very protective of her...of all his girls (Mama, my sister, and I). My future hubby has some big shoes to fill. My mother knows when she needs to step back, but at the same time, she'll let Daddy know when he's wrong. She knows when to submit, even when she doesn't want to. We joke and say Mama is really the one who runs the house, but make no mistake. My dad is the head of the household as God intended him to be. 

I pray that, when my time comes to be married and have a family, my marriage is as strong as my parents. No, each generation is supposed to be better than the previous, right? So, I pray my marriage is even stronger than my parents'...and that's pretty strong.

I absolutely adore my parents and am so blessed God chose me to be their child. My parents are all kinds of awesome and they deserve every good thing that comes their way.

G is for...Good Music

I like listening to all kinds of music. Pop, R & B, Hip Hop, Spanish, Classical, Gospel, Contemporary Christian, Neosoul, old school, new school...the list goes on. My iPod has a mixture of music; from Jay Z to Taylor Swift...From Celia Cruz to Daughtry. If the song has a cool beat and gets my body moving, chances are I'll like it. This becomes hard sometimes when I listen to the lyrics. The beat is tight, the rhythm gets me moving, but the lyrics are all wrong. The lyrics may be too profane or just plain cheesy (like most of the Disney songs). Most of the time, I can ignore the lyrics and just feel the beat. Sometimes, I can not. I've been known to get the edited version instead of the explicit one.


Looking for good music? Music with both tight beats AND awesome lyrics? I have a close friend of the family, Lee-Lonn, who's starting his journey in the music business. I remember when Lee was a youth, he used to always sing. We always knew his voice was amazing. I'm so glad he's using the gift God has given him. When his cd comes out (not sure when, but it WILL happen), I'll definitely be one of the first in line. Here's a video of one of his singles, my favorite song of his so far. It's all him...background & lead vocals. VERY talented artist whom I'm very proud of. LOVE this song!