Timeline

1. Born. 9/4/92
2. 2 yrs, Moved to Strongsville
3. 4 yrs, Kindergarten
4. 6 yrs, Dustpan Incident
5. 8 yrs, Moved
6. 8 yrs, Got a Dog
7. 10 yrs, Switched Schools
8. 12 yrs, Center Middle School
9. 12 yrs, Natalie born
10. 14 yrs, SHS
11. 15 yrs, Arcade Fire
12. 15 yrs, Coldstone
13. 15 yrs, Across the Universe
14. 16 yrs, Alive.

Strongsville Local Lore

"Heyyyy, let's go to Coldstone!" This phrase is often heard coming out of the mouths of people I know: The kids in my math class, my stand partner in orchestra, my little brother, my big brother, any family friends or guests we have, and just about everyone in between. I have worked at Coldstone Creamery in Strongsville for over a year now, and it has become a staple in my life. The employee discount I receive means that I go there more than just when I work. My friends and I go there to hang out, my family goes there to celebrate, and my co-workers and I often stop in just to visit. The CD player set up in the back means that I get my own choice of music-- coworker's approval pending, and the plethora of ice cream out front means I can eat whatever and whenever I want. The lenient rules mean that my coworkers and I have a lot of fun, and many great stories have come from crazy adventures at Coldstone (from gummy bear fights, to making cakes for our friends, to sneaking out back while on the clock, we've done it all). In the time that I have worked there, my coworkers have become my friends. I have seen them as they left high school and entered college, and enjoyed it when they return to visit. As I continue in my second year at Coldstone Creamery, I have learned many great skills for interacting with people. I love spending time at this place, and I take pride in the motto that I will be a Coldstoner Fo' Life!

Strongsville Local Lore

Epitaph

The Body of Joan Nicole Moser
Violinist,
Like the old A and D
That need to be restrung
Quiet
No longer making music
Lies Here
Sound Buried in the Dirt
But the Music will Continue
For it will Ring
In the Hearts of Those Left Behind
With Perfect Pitch
Like Never Before
As the Musician Plays on from Above

General Information: Holidays

Holiday. This word means different things to everyone: from a plethora of food, exciting presents, chaotic family fights, exciting presents, days off of work, etc. The list goes on and on. There are many holidays celebrated through many religions and in many cultures throughout the world. Here are some of the most well-known holidays in America.

1. Christmas: On December 25^th, every single year. This holiday is used to commemorate the birth of baby Jesus, and for Christians, the birth of God in human form. On this day, family members and loved ones are to give each other gifts. This tradition was meant to encourage the value of family, but in a modern time is often commercialized to a point of high levels of stress regarding gifts.

2.Thanksgiving. On November , every single year. This holiday is to remember the giant feast that the Native Americans and European Pilgrims shared together as the Pilgrims began their lives in America. The story of the feast is used to show American values of acceptance of diversity, thankfulness, and unity. (Spoiler alert: the European Pilgrims then shunned and mistreated the Native Americans.)

3. The 4^th of July- America’s Day of Independence. On this day, the U.S. celebrates the anniversary of its independence from Great Britain. Celebrated with large parties, sparklers, and finished off with fireworks in neighborhoods across the nation.

General Info: "Quote Unquote"

General Info: Quotes

One of the most useful skills to have in life is an ability to use words to describe emotions, ideals, and experiences. At times our own vocabularies seem to fall short, and then it can be even more effective to listen to the words of those before us. When I was eleven years old my big sister gave me a quote book. Ever since I have been filling it with words of wisdom that I felt were noteworthy. Here are some of my favorites.

"Cry when you cry; run when you run; love when you love. Represent the ashes that you leave behind."
-Matchbox 20

"The system gives you just enough to make you think that you see change. They will sing you right to sleep, and then they'll screw you just the same."
-Ani Difranco

"Even Kings can't rule the sky."
-Dr. Suess (Bartholomew and the Ooblek)

"Love has brought a great many people to safety when competence was exhasuted."
-Garrison Keillor

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
-Dr. Suess (The Lorax)

“I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged—their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice, but still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty now that they’re gone. I guess I just miss my friend.”

-Shawshank Redemption

“I’ve been watching you for hours; its been years since we were born. We were perfect when we started, I’ve been wondering where we’ve gone.”

-Adam Duritz, Counting Crows

“Pretending to be someone you’re not is a waste of the person you are.”

-Kurt Cobain

“Why can’t we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn’t work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves and then we have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos.”

-Snoopy

“There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil. The triumph of anything is a matter of organization. If there are such things as angels, I hope they are organized along the lines of the Mafia.”

-Kurt Vonnegut, Sirens of Titan

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that you can see fully; what is essential is, in fact, invisible to the eye.”

-The Little Prince

“How does it feel? / to be on your own/ with no direction home/ like a rolling stone”

-Bob Dylan

“No one ever plans to sleep out in the gutter. Sometimes that’s just the most comfortable place.”

-Bright Eyes

“Was I ever crazy? Maybe. Or Maybe life is. Crazy isn’t being broken or swallowing a dark secret. It’s you or me amplified.”

-Susanna (girl, interrupted)

“The most important things are hard to say because words diminish them.”

-Steven King

“I sing sometimes like my life is at stake

Because you’re only as loud as the noises you make

I’m learning to laugh as hard as I can listen

‘cause silence is violence in women and poor people.

If more people were screaming then I could relax,

But a good brain ain’t diddley if you don’t have the facts.

We live in a breakable, takeable world

An ever available possible world

And we can make music

Like we can make do

Genius is in a backbeat, backseat to nothing

If you’re dancing

Especially something something stupid like IQ

For every lie I unlearn, I learn something new.

And I sing sometimes for the war that I fight

‘cause every took is a weapon—

If you hold it right.”

-Ani Difranco

“That’s life. If nothing else, its life, and sometimes it fucking hurts; but it’s sort of all we have.”

-Garden State

“I can’t believe that we would lie in our graves, dreaming of something we might have been.”

-DMB

“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”

-Bob Dylan

“I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. Sinners are much more fun.”

-Billy Joel

“Everyone needs a hero,

An image to create

An anti-thesis to everything inside us that we hate.

But you better close your eyes when it’s time for them to die

‘Cause you’d hate to think the life you built upon them was a lie.”

-Indigo Girls

“So which side wins?

Love wins. Love always wins.”

-Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie)

“I do not have diplomatic immunity…”

-Bart Simpson

“When you come to the edge of all the light you have, and must take a step into the darkness of the unknown, believe that one of two things will happen to you… either there will be something solid for you to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.”

-Patrick Overton

General Info: Food for Comfort

"One of those days". Everyone you know has had them. In fact, you may have experienced them yourself. You woke up late for work, arrived looking and feeling frazzled, and rushed to a meeting-- only to get yelled at by your boss. Or maybe you're a student, who rushed all morning to finish that homework you promised yourself you'd wake up early to do (five more minutes seemed more important at the time), only to forget about the math quiz you needed to study for. Maybe your girlfriend left you for your best friend. Maybe you got in a fight with your roommate. Maybe you just have a case of the Monday blues. Regardless of the cause, everyone has days so painful they can only feel better if they eat some Comfort Food. Here are five delicious recipes for food that goes best with a little self-pity and a few tears. So hold on a little longer-- make yourself some quality food-- and then relax, mope, and eat.

1. Chooey-Gooey Bars

Ingredients:

• 20 oz. pkg. refrigerated chocolate chip or white chocolate chunk cookie dough
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 12 oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup caramel fudge ice cream topping

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice cookie dough into 1/2" slices and arrange in greased 15x10" pan. Press evenly into pan using floured fingers so dough covers bottom of pan. Bake crust at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes until light golden brown. Sprinkle crust with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Return to oven and bake an additional 8-10 minutes or until marshmallows are puffy and light golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle caramel topping evenly over bars. Cool completely and cut into bars. 32 bars

2. Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 cups penne or medium shell pasta
• 16 ounce jar four cheese Alfredo sauce
• 1 cup frozen baby peas
• 1 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 1-1/2 quart glass casserole with cooking spray and set aside.

In large pot, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, drain and return to pot. Add alfredo sauce and peas to drained pasta and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is combined, about 3-5 minutes.

Place in prepared dish and top with a mixture of soft bread crumbs and melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until casserole is bubbling and bread crumbs are browned. Serves 4-6

3. Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

• 4 slices whole wheat bread
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Havarti cheese
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Spread one side of each bread slice with softened butter. Spread other side of bread slices with dijon mustard. Divide cheeses evenly on mustard side of two bread slices. Cover with tomato slices and top with remaining bread slices, mustard side down. Prepare and preheat two sided grill. Grill sandwiches for 2-3 minutes, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted. 2 sandwiches

4. Minute Apple Tart

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 2 Granny Smith apples or two peaches, peeled, cored and sliced paper thin
• 1/2 cup apricot jam or preserves
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:

Roll pastry onto a well floured surface and cut into twelve 3" squares. Prick the pastry with a fork and coat each with a spoonful of apricot jam. Fan the apple slices over the jam, arranged nicely. In small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Sprinkle over apple (or peach) slices. Put the tarts on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until the apple slices are crisp-tender and the pastry is golden brown. Try serving these hot, with vanilla ice cream!

5. Scrambled Eggs Benedict

Ingredients:

• 4 English muffins, split, buttered, and toasted
• 10 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 (8 ounce) jar four cheese Alfredo sauce
• 8 thin slices Canadian bacon or ham

Preparation:

Split, butter, and toast the English muffins and set aside. Preheat broiler. In large bowl, beat eggs with water, salt, and pepper. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add eggs; cook and stir until eggs are set but still fluffy and moist. Stir in 1/2 cup of the Alfredo sauce and remove from heat. Place a spoonful of Alfredo sauce on top of each English muffin and top with Canadian bacon. Divide eggs among muffins and top each with some Alfredo sauce. Place on broiler pan. Broil, 6" from heat source, for 2-3 minutes until heated. Serve immediately.