A Crash Course in Samantha Jean Tate

 

Howdy-doody everyone! I thought I would create a new blog post introducing myself since we're almost two years into blogging! 

So without further ado, here is a crash course in me, Samantha Jean Tate!

Born: September 12, 1984 - Flint, Michigan, St. Joseph Hospital

Current Location: Genesee County, Michigan, just outside of Flint!
Family: Russell & Elaine Tate, Jenny McVannel, Pete McVannel, Frances McVannel, Sollux McVannel
Relationship status: Single, but also not single. I like Steve. We are friends with benefits I guess? I don't know! LOL. 
Hair color: Dishwater Blonde with gray hairs
Eye Color: Dark blue eyes
Height: 5'4"
Weight: noneyabusiness!

Pets: Sassy, the tabby cat, and Skittles the Calico cat. Skittles is also known as Doctor Professor Skittles, Skid Row, Skit, Skitty Kitty.  And Sassy is known as Sassycakes, Sasperella, Sassuella, Sassafrass.

Sassy & Skittles on their tower

Hobbies/Interests: Listening to music, watching cartoons and movies, writing bad poetry, spending time with family and with Steve, laughing my ass off, tarot reading, astrology, going to concerts (especially NKOTB concerts!), watching Detroit sports (mainly Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions, but I also am a Chicago Cubs fan and a Chicago Bears fan!), singing poorly, journaling, blogging, social media, the weather.

Favorite colors? Reds, Hot Pink (like Jem from Jem and the Holograms!), and Purples (especially lavender and lilac purples!)

Favorite bands/singers: New Kids On The Block, Taylor Swift, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood, No Doubt, Gwen Stefani, Regina Spektor, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Pixies, Nine Inch Nails, Three Days Grace, Garbage, CAKE, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, Paula Abdul, 311, Ace of Base, Salt -n- Pepa, En Vogue, Michael Jackson, Jackson Five, The Shangri-Las, Leslie Gore, Spice Girls, Pink Floyd, The Doors, The Cure, Cults, Willow Avalon, Eminem, Bakkar, Judas Priest, DMX, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Mandy Moore, Dolly Parton, Lady Gaga, She & Him, Coldplay, Wolfmother, Red Hot Chili Peppers, LIT, Len, Blake Shelton, Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Leeann Rimes, Johnny Cash, Kacey Musgraves, The Chicks, Radiohead, The Smiths, P!nk, Eve, Cage the Elephant, Chapelle Roan, Grace Morrison, Gady.

Favorite songs? "Don't Speak" - No Doubt
                             "Good Day Sunshine" - The Beatles
                             "Elizabeth Taylor" - Taylor Swift

                             "Valentine Girl" - New Kids On The Block

                              "Tonight" - New Kids On The Block

                              "Stay the Same" - Joey McIntyre

                              "Lovesong" - Joey McIntyre

                               "If I Run To You" - Joey McIntyre

                                "Too Late" - No Doubt

                                "The Lazy Song" - Bruno Mars

                                "Beautiful Disaster" - 311

                                "Bittersweet Symphony" - The Verve

                                "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" - Taylor Swift

                                "So High School" - Taylor Swift

                                 "Wildest Dreams" - Taylor Swift (the song that made me an official Swiftie!)

                                  "Tear Drops On My Guitar" - Taylor Swift

                                  "Need You Now" - Lady A

                                  "Goodbye Earl" - The Chicks

                                  "Purple Irises" - Gwen Stefani + Blake Shelton

                                   "The Life of a Showgirl" - T. Swift + Sabrina Carpenter

                                     "You Are Never Getting Laid" - Sabrina Carpenter

                                    "Don't Let Me Get Me" - P!nk

                                    "If You Steal My Sunshine" - Len

                                    "Miserable" - LIT

                                    "Gone Forver" - Three Days Grace

                                    "Adam's Song" - Blink 182

                                    "97 Bonnie & Clyde" - Eminem

                                    "Freak On a Leash" - KoRn

                                    "Pretty" - KoRn

                                    "Unpretty" - TLC

                                     "Roar" - Katy Perry

Favorite cartoons: Rainbow Brite, Jem and the Holograms, Punky Brewster, My Little Pony, Popples, Rocko's Modern Life, Rugrats, Doug, Hey Arnold, AhhH! Real Monsters!, Looney Tunes, The Looney Tunes Show, Regular Show, Adventure Time, SpongeBob, The Loud House, Rock Paper Scissors, Chowder, The Misadventures of Flapjack, Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Pink Panther, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Harvey Beaks, Steven Universe, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Jellystone!, Snagglepuss, Yogi Bear, Robot & Monster, Dan VS. (I actually dated a real life Dan who acted the same way as Dan!), Kaput and Zosky, Corneil & Bernie, Bob's Burgers, old school Family Guy (seasons 1-6), The Simpsons (early Simpsons like from the 1990s), South Park, Mission Hill!, Clone High, Daria.

Best Date You Have Ever Been On? I went on not one best date! I went on two best dates! The first one being I went to see 50 First Dates and then we went to Arby's and we sat in the dining area and did nothing but talk for 3 hours and eat beef and cheddar sandwiches. And we kept quoting SpongeBob. That was in 2004.

Second best date, would be my first date with Steve. He let me trauma dump! LOL. And I spilled my popcorn all over his truck! LMAO. I was a ball of nervous energy because he was my crush and he made my dream come true! To be seen and liked back by a high school crush! You don't know how many stories I've written about people hooking up with their high school crush! Oh and we watched He-Man & the Masters of the Universe. We both really liked the movie. And we both thought they made Adam too wimpy. 

Worst Date You've Ever Been On? The one where I was forced to perform oral sex on a certain somebody, who I forgive but I will never forget!

Favorite type of weather? Sunny, around 72 degrees fahrenheit.

Fears: Tornados, ice storms, dying alone, wasps, hornets.

Favorite foods: Pizza (especially pepperoni and mushroom with extra sauce!), Burgers, Tacos with just beef, cheese, and ketchup.

Least favorite food: Veggies! I only like spinach, pickles, potatoes, corn on the cob/corn, cooked carrots, mushrooms. I also cannot stand lettuce! In fact, during the lettuce recall it was hard for me to keep a straight face, especially at my doctor's office because everyone made an appointment because they were sick from the lettuce! LOL.  I WILL START AN ANTI-LETTUCE CAMPAIGN!

Favorite animals? Elephants! Koalas! Cats! Dogs!

Pet Cause: Mental health.

Favorite charity? I don't donate much to charity anymore because they get millions of dollars anyway from the government. But if I had to pick a charity, it would be St. Jude because no child deserves to die of cancer! I also like to donate to GoFundMe's when a story particularly touches me or when a friend is in trouble or even an acquaintance!

Favorite books? Valley of the Dolls, The Fault In Our Stars, The Enchanted Soul, Some Good F****** Poetry (any Kalen Dion though!), Astrology For Real Life, The Cards Your Dealt, Rosemary's Baby.

Authors You Admire: Maya Angelou, Kalen Dion, George Orwell (I'll call him Orson Wells, and Alfred Hitchcock! LOL).

What Hologram, Misfit, and Stinger characters make up your DNA? Kimber Benton from Jem and the Holograms, Pizzazz from the Misfits, and Rapture from the Stingers.

 

Favorite Rainbow Brite Color Kid? LaLa Orange!

Favorite episode of Rocko's Modern Life? The one where Filburt and Dr. Hutchinson get married!!!!!!

Favorite Rugrat? Angelica Pickles!

Best way to get in touch with you? E-MAIL ONLY! 

statewrites84912@gmail.com. If you know my number or find it on the internet, I WILL NOT ANSWER! and if you call my parents and bug us...I will call the cops and get you for elder abuse! SO SHUT UP!

                                    

42nd Birthday: Reality VS Expectations

 

Expectation: An expectation is a strong belief or mental picture that something will or should happen in the future.

Reality/rēˈalədē/: Reality means the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they are imagined, hoped for, or displayed.

Let's talk a little bit about reality vs expectations on YOUR 42ND BIRTHDAY!

Or well, I want to talk about my expectations and how on edge everyone in my inner circle feels about September 12th.

My expectations: a big fat, f***ing parade! Birthday sex! A Taylor Swift chocolate cake with chocolate frosting that says "I'm feeling forty-freakin' two!". Alone time with Steve. Going to see Practical Magic 2!

The reality: EVERYONE (INCLUDING ME) IS NERVOUS and ON EDGE! 

What could go wrong: The Lyfts I scheduled ahead NEVER come and abandon me and Steve (or leave me stranded at Steve's without my meds). The cake is the wrong flavor (but hey, I'll eat it anyway because my uncle Dude worked HARD on it! And he is recovering from hernia surgery from last month!) oh and possible severe weather hitting us on a supposedly partly cloudy day with a 20% chance of rain ☔.

What could go right? Honestly I'll be happy that I survive the day without crying and having an autistic meltdown. 

What am I doing next year? STAYING HOME! And hanging out with my folks. Maybe text Steve or hang out with him and watch some NFL Football (go Detroit Lions! Lord don't fail us this year or next year!)

Conservative Country Boys & the False Narratives of Relationships

 

There's a new astrology transit that's doing a total 360 on how I view relationships and love. It is Taurus in Chiron in my 7th house opposing my natal Pluto in Scorpio in the 1st. What does this mean? It basically means I'm experiencing a healing shift and destroying false narratives I've gathered over the years.

I would love to share a poem and a quick little essay I wrote while doing a deep dive on a certain friends with benefits situation I am currently in. This friends with benefits situation is the most satisfying relationship I've ever had with someone. My special friend's actions are louder than actual words. Nothing a traditional romantic relationship has ever been like for me. And a part of that is my natal Chiron in Gemini in the 8th house of intimacy.

I was so scared of being vulnerable. I believed in all the relationship tropes in romantic comedies and Disney movies. I also listened to modern dating advice from so-called "experts". When, in reality, relationships are a special experience that labels alone cannot box. They are fluid. They need room to breathe in order to grow. 

This does not mean abandoning your standards. It just means being open-minded instead of so closed off and isolated.

Without further ado, here are some writings I am really proud of.

"Sex equals love."

"Sex and love are two separate things."

"A relationship is only valid if it's romantic."

Those are some false narratives I grew up believing. And at almost 42, I've learned a genuine relationship isn't about labels themselves. Rather, they are about how they make you feel. It isn't about who texts first. It's about who shows up when you're at your lowest and highest. In the end, it's about who has your back, even when you aren't in the same room.

A relationship is a friendship built on open communication, boundaries, respect, and trust. It doesn't need a certificate or diamonds. It just needs to be pure.

This doesn't need to mean abandoning your standards. And it also doesn't mean that relationships are your forever and always. No man is an island, and we as humans crave connection. Each connection in our lives forms our essential being. From our relationships with our parents and siblings, to the first human friend we ever had.

And now I would like to share with you a poem, based on my experience with dating conservative men and being a liberal, feminist woman.

Conservative Boys By: Samantha Jean Tate

Those conservative country boys.

The liberal woman does not need to be afraid.

He's handy with a drill,

Can fix your computer.

He doesn't want to just breed you.

He wants the best for you.

He lets you shine.

He may not have a lot to say,

But you know he loves you,

When his actions speak louder.

There are rotten apples in every bunch.

But I love a good, masculine man

Who is secure in his masculinity.

Celebrating One Year of Blogging: My Favorite Posts from 2025-2026

 

I can't believe that on Thursday, May 7th, it will be one year since I started blogging. While my Queen of Swords tarot blog didn't last, this one did. And this is the blog I am most proud of because it displays all facets of my writing. I write poetry and share my prose/essays. I recently hit 7300 viewers in my first year. April was the best month ever with reaching 1,006 views. 

I would like to reflect on my favorite blog posts from the past year. So if you're new here, these posts are worth checking out! Let's get out the champagan (remember Futurama?) and celebrate!

One Year Later: A Letter to Hospitalized Me from One Year Later Me

Summary: This was a poem/letter I wrote to myself on the anniversary of my 2024 suicide attempt. It's a raw and emotional piece. My favorite line was this: 

All of your struggles will not be in vain

Your voice is heard and you matter

Last week, I had a pity party because I shared something I wrote from The Breaking Strain on Instagram and my personal Facebook page. No one commented. Not even a "this sucks". My books don't have many reviews, not even 1-star reviews. I should be grateful for no negative feedback, but silence is a writers worst fear. More than rejection. More than criticism. Silence means nothing landed. People felt indifferent. And this was exactly the same type of silence I was experiencing before my suicide attempt on the night of June 13, 2024. The only thing different is I am not lighting the fuse to self-destruct. I caught myself before spiraling. Eventually, I found solace in Neely O'Hara (Patty Duke) in Valley of the Dolls and picked up my copy of Valley of the Dolls novel and started reading it for the first time. I cried, and then I went to sleep. The next day, I felt better. I woke up to good news on my blog that confirms the last line about my voice being heard. My voice is being heard!

How My Elementary School Teacher Inspired Me to Become a Writer

Summary: In this blog post, I talk about how my elementary school teacher, Mrs. Jill Welch, encouraged my writing and made me notice the author career path. Mrs. Welch is still my favorite teacher and person to this day. This is the most popular post I have ever written to date on this blog. When I showed this blog to Mrs. Welch, she felt elated and flattered. She told me it made her morning when she read it. Mrs. Welch is one of those special souls kids are lucky and blessed to encounter. She makes everyone feel special with her kindness and inclusivity philosophy. She recently lost her oldest son, Logan, to a horrendous murder in November 2025. Here is a special story about Logan and how an anonymous donor donated $20,000 for a scholarship to Grand Blanc / Holy Family students in his honor. This should never have happened to Mrs. Welch, and my heart aches for her family so much. I cannot imagine losing a child, and it's even harder to comprehend a close family member being murdered. In 1993, someone murdered my aunt Angela Tate and threw her body in the Flint River. I didn't know my aunt Angie very well. She was married to my Uncle Mike, who passed away in 1977, before I was born. I just cannot fathom what my cousins went through losing their mom and dad as children.

Letters to People from My Past, Present, and Future

Summary: Okay, I gotta admit these poems were cheesy! But it was a perfect cheese, like mozzarella melted on a pizza. My favorite poem out of all three poems was "A Letter to Almost...But Not Quite", which was written to someone in my past, which my book, The Breaking Strain is based. I got a lot of feedback on this post on Instagram saying they loved the idea of writing letters and turning it into poetry.

October Poem Dump

Summary: A poem dump of all my poetry about horrible relationships I've been in. Looking back, a lot of these relationships were self-inflicted. Especially the emotionally manipulative ex. The only relationship that wasn't self-inflicted was my rape. I thought he liked me, and I was scared to say "no". He later threatened to make my life a living hell if I told anyone what had happened that October night. By the way, my math is horrible. I thought it was 26 years. It's only been 25 years since that happened to me.

I Look Horrible (and I Don't Need You to Fix It!)

Summary: An essay about how trying to put a positive spin on negative feelings doesn't always work. Especially when concerning physical appearance. This was inspired after I showed my friend Justin the picture of my dad and I that is posted in this blog. I said I looked horrible. He downplayed it and say I was still cute. I was not in the right headspace for a compliment. I just wanted to express how I looked as well as how I was feeling. I wasn't fishing for compliments or trying to flirt (seriously, why do people say women are flirting when they say they look horrible???!).

From Then to Pen: Poetry Pieces from Specific Times in My Life

Summary: This was a prompt from ChatGPT. I asked ChatGPT to give me prompts from specific times in my life, and I wrote poems about them. I wrote about being 17 (my favorite poem I wrote out of these) titled I Thought 17 Would Be Fun, after graduating high school, and being obsessed with social media. So from age 17, 18, and 28-35.

December Poem Dump

Summary: Another poetry dump. My favorite poem is Life. I wrote it while my dad was in the hospital. It was one of the grieving poems I wrote that I decided to share. Honorable mentions: I'm Lucky I Have Me and Whiskers.

My Journey with Food as an Autistic Woman

Summary: Just some messy prose on what it's like having issues with food as someone on the autism spectrum. I had a tough time writing about this. Fears of judgement and generalization. I didn't want to generalize all autistic people. But I also didn't want to be judged for my experience as an ASD person. I didn't want this post to make me less or more of an autistic person or invalidate other autistic's experiences.

Love Poems & Prose

Summary: Happier and romance-filled poetry for my favorite holiday, Valentine's Day. My favorite poem: For Better and For Chaos. Honorable Mentions: Battle Scars, Her Magic Still Lingers, and Fated.

Progress! (+ a couple new poems I wrote)

Summary: I announce my projects I'm working on currently in 2026. And I share a couple new poems I've written. Worth the read! I have since put 90s Child on hold and focusing entirely on The Breaking Strain.

Spirituality Isn't an Aesthetic (hint: it's a way of living)

Summary: I write about how social media spirituality is performative spirituality. And that real spirituality comes from living and realignment. I make a tragic confession and use that as an example of how I realigned myself. Last month, this post exploded on my blog, pushing my views past a thousand and reaching 7,300 views in my first year of blogging. I am most proud of this essay the most because I show the real me here. Not the polished version.

Lyfe Update

Hi! How are you all doing? I know I haven't updated all January, but I'm here now! 

This is just a mini-life update since I have written nothing new since December. So here goes...

My dad is home from the hospital. Unfortunately, we found out he has two aneurysms in his stomach. He went for a very painful EMG test on Friday, January 16th. We'll be getting those results soon.

It's been very stressful around my house that I've not had the mental clarity or energy to write poems and prose. I do have a few ideas on prose I would like to write about. Mainly my autism experience with food sensitivities. I made a brief post about it on Facebook last week.

I wrote: "I just want to say to people with food sensitivities that it's okay if your diets aren't clean, societal, and healthy. The key is balance and moderation--with everything! You're not spoiled, a brat, a baby, and you don't deserve to starve because of your food sensitivities.

To the people who don't have sensitivities to food, please be kind and watch your words to what you say. Get off your high horse and get that girl a cheeseburger or a salad (whatever she prefers!). Just because you can eat normally without sensitivity to textures, smells, tastes, and even looks doesn't make you superior or better than me or anyone else.

#foodsensitivity #autismawareness #autismacceptance".

I recently had to let go of an online friend who kept disrespecting my boundaries after I told them I had food sensitivities because of my autism. He kept insisting I overhaul my "safe foods" for something healthier even though I have come a long way in my food journey. And I have told him for many years to not do that. To respect my choices. His heart was in the right place, but I'm so sick of people policing my choices. I know my body, and I know what foods I can handle, and I know that when I try more food, I will do so at my time and pace. Not on anyone else's time or pace.

What else...oh yes. We finally got MeTV Toons on the cable! We got it a couple of days before my dad got home from the hospital, and I am so happy to have this antenna channel now on cable! We don't get very good antenna reception where I live so cable is a necessity. I've been watching Looney Tunes, The Flintstones, Top Cat, Two Stupid Dogs, and discovered the Police Academy cartoons (which I adore!).

My ex came back into my life briefly in December, but I kicked him out for good. He wanted to try to get back together, but I wasn't having it. He was still being emotionally manipulative, saying stuff like "I guess the romance is dead. I'll be forever single" and crap. 🙄 Bitch, please.

I had a successful turnout at my $5 New Year Tarot Reading event this month. It was my first time reading cards for the New Year, and I read for about 20 people. I've never had such a turnout at any of my tarot reading events quite like this one. Not even the free tarot reading event had a turnout like this! I learned some things such as it may be better to do appointments instead of all walk-ins. People were  waiting, and the readings ran approximately 10-15 minutes. I'm so grateful to those who waited patiently, and those who got a reading from me. I'd love to do this again next year! I even read for an OG tarot reader. And she hugged me and said I did a great job and she loved her reading. I love it when that happens!

I hope your 2026 isn't as harsh or a rollercoaster as what's going on in the world right now. I hope you all are fighting ICE and protesting in your countries safely and peacefully. Also, I hope you all are using critical thinking and common sense when attending protests. Don't bring children to highly charged protest areas. ABC World News reported a 6-month-old died in his parents' car after tear gas was thrown in their car and the baby couldn't breathe. Be smart. Be safe.

I'll be posting again soon!

✨Samantha

PS: Don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Instagram! I've been trying to build my followers on both platforms but people unfollow after I don't post for a while. So please, come and STAY! I post more personal stuff on Facebook, but tend to post my poetry on Instagram.

PPS: I'm doing a local author's fair at Totem Books on Saturday, February 7th. I'd love it if you all came and bought a book and got it signed by me :-) I'll have three of my four books (Saturday Morning Tarot, GROWTH, See Ya & Other Goodbyes). It's going to be fun and there will be other authors there! Totem Books is located at 620 W. Court Street Flint, MI 48503. The fair is from 12 PM - 4 PM.

December Poem Dump

 

Since we missed a November poem dump, here is one for December! These are poems I've written over the last year that either didn't get published or have been published but are favorites of mine. Enjoy! And Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays!

Holiday Poems (a.k.a. Christmas Poems!) 🎄❄️🎅🎁

 

*Thinks about a random song she sang in junior high school choir called Holiday Lane*

Oh, hi there. You caught me reminiscing about my old junior high school choir concerts. So let me share some Christmas-themed poems with you! Since Christmas is just a few days away!

Thankful & Grateful: Things & People I Am Thankful & Grateful For In 2025...and Beyond!

 

Gratitude and thankfulness are keys to a positive life. I am grateful every single day for having a platform I can write and share my thoughts and feelings with thousands across the world! Whether it is in a prose, such as my latest post, or sharing my poems, or writing books on Amazon, I'm grateful for my writing skills and my communication abilities, despite a natal Chiron in Gemini (in astrology, Chiron is the wounded healer. It shows what we struggle with that we ultimately come to heal in this lifetime. Gemini rules communication, learning, K-12 education, mental health, thoughts).

Any who, enough astrology talk. I would like to share a spotlight on some things and people I am absolutely grateful and thankful for this year, 2025. I plan on making this a yearly post in November.

Cool New People I've Met

- I'm grateful for my new friend Tina. She and I went to school together but we never really orbited each other until she friended me on Facebook. We struck up a conversation one day, and she has been such a great friend to me. Her CNA / caretaker knowledge has helped me so much with navigating stuff with my dad in the hospital. She also recommended a fantastic book I am currently reading, titled Role Reversal: How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents. I'd be up a crick if it weren't for Tina and her knowledge.  I'm grateful our paths crossed 20+ years later.

- I'm thankful for my Instagram friend @jijisworldd, Jiji. She's an amazing friend and she's always encouraging. She was one of my earliest supporters on my tarot reading Instagram. I try to support her YouTuber journey as much as I can. I am inspired by her endless creativity and her kindness. 

- I'm grateful for two vendors I interacted with at Witches Weekend this year. Amy of American Art & Glass, and Ruthie. I had the pleasure to read their tarot cards and they had nothing but nice words to say. They both even offered to take some business cards of mine to give to their friends. I hope I run into them both next year and purchase some of their goodies (we traded with each other this year). 

- A man named Brandon who read my aura at Totem Books. He was a pretty cool dude who didn't ridicule me when I read his tarot cards (and failed miserably!). He read my aura before he got a reading with me at my free tarot reading event. He said my aura was very bright. And he said it was blue, green, pink, and light blue. The light blue was sadness. The blue means I am an honest communicator. And the green was healing energy and pink was full of love. 

People In My Life Who Have Returned

- Jill Welch.  I'm so grateful to my elementary teacher. She cheers me on with my writing and in life. It has been wonderful reconnecting with her on Facebook. She has made a real difference in my life by nurturing my abilities in school. She also taught me empathy as a child. And shared a ton of life lessons, such as not smoking and drinking, especially while pregnant, and making me feel good in my skin like Niki Taylor.

- Lauralyn Kearney. My life coach/business coach/editor/and friend. How many hats does Lauralyn wear in my life?! lol.  But seriously, I appreciate her talent and her friendship so much. Her kindness, her empathy, and her love flow through me. I met Lauralyn in 2008/2009? When I reached out to her Angel Therapy business, where she was a gifted medium (the only one I believe in) and she did a reading on my beloved cat from childhood, Friske. She said I would find another cat. While she described a white cat, I found another cat — who looked like Friske! My beloved Razzles! That reading was so healing. She also predicted I would be a writer and tarot reader for a long time. And believe it or not, she was on TV once! She was on WeTV's The Secret Lives of Women. That's how I found her! Lol.

- Sarshi.  Sarshi is my friend I met on Facebook back in 2022/2023. We met on my tarot reading page and been friends ever since. Sarshi is a talented artist and I appreciate their art so much! I also appreciate being neurodivergent together, sharing a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder and autism.  Before a doctor diagnosed me with bipolar disorder, I had a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder.

- Justin, the ex. Okay, okay, Justin gets a poor reputation in my writing world. He's the Trump supporter. He's the one who can treat me like a liberal punching bag. He's the one who lacks empathy and is highly logical. But you know what? He's a better friend than he is a lover. That's why he's my best friend. Even though he agrees with everything that is wrong with this world, he is my rock. He's someone I want to reach out to with every bad/good thing that happens to me. We met online on an adult-oriented Internet forum of a famous sex story site. And we've been friends ever since. What started with lust, turned into friendship, turned into a horrible relationship experience, to being friends. We met in person in 2012 and dated briefly in 2013. He dumped me for someone else who he met on the adult-oriented forum. He claimed she was his soulmate. And then she just used him for his money and dumped him. He was heartbroken for a few years. Then, he finally noticed me. And that's where the story of our two-year relationship began.

Family

- My mom and dad. Seriously. I am always grateful and thankful for them. Every single day in my life. When they make me want to pull my hair out and scream. When they make me cry when they yell at me. And of course, when they show me love through their own love language (which is gifts and quality time). I'm glad these two humans met and fell in love. Although I am not sure why they created me and if I am grateful they created me, maybe someone out there is grateful they created me LOL. Highly doubt it, but whatevs. 

- My niece & nephew, Frances & Sollux. These two are my babies for life. I never had the opportunity to have children of my own. They showed me how hard it is to raise a child. They showed me how much energy you needed and how much love you must give. I appreciate them for letting me be a kid with them, growing up with them in a way in my 20s and 30s. Now that they are young adults, they're great people. Great humans I helped raise. Frances is a big-hearted, empathetic individual. Sollux is a humorous rebel beating to his own drum. I'm so proud of them and the humans they're turning out to be. I'm grateful for all the laughs we shared while they were babies and kids. I'm grateful for all the memories that make me smile.

- My cousin Tanya.  She's my best cousin friend FIVE-ever. She was someone I looked up to as a kid. She was also instrumental in me never picking up a cigarette despite it looking so cool to me. Her kindness, nurturing, and humor bring me a lot of joy. I am also grateful for summers spent together in Baldwin, Michigan, and Manistique, Michigan. She was probably the only family member who didn't ridicule me when I had tantrums and meltdowns. And she didn't mind me "dancing" (otherwise known as autistic flapping) in my underwear.

- My sister Jenny. My sister and I don't really have that great of a relationship. In fact, she once stated "We're too different to attempt a relationship."  That hurt. But yet, it's probably true. She's someone I also looked up to and adored. And I still look up to her and adore her. She inspired my taste in the 1980s cartoons and music (The Cure, The Smiths, Shakespear's Sister, Debbie Gibson...). She's 7.5 years older than I am. I'm still grateful to her because she does my hair, and she loves me, even though we're not best friends like you see other sisters on TV. I'm grateful she inherited my grandma Annette's profession and can at least make my hair look good.

- My Uncle Jim Tate III. My uncle Jim is also neurodivergent. He has ADHD and possibly autism. We bond over that. He recently attended a book signing back in June. And he purchased three of my books (one of which was for a friend). He has such an enormous heart, and he's a giant. He looks tough, but deep down he's a softy. That's his Cancer sun. I've always appreciated my Uncle Jim because he's different from most of the Tates. I respect him. 

- My Uncle Dale & Aunt Vicky. My Uncle Dale & Aunt Vicky are amazing people. They're the kindest, gentlest people ever. I'm grateful for their presence in my life. They are the only aunt and uncle who send me a birthday card on my birthday. I love them so much.

- My "Uncle Dude" aka Corey Tate. I'm grateful he makes me laugh when I am down and he reminds me that I am a Tate and I don't take shit from no one. And he reminds me that life is worth living and he'd kick my ass if I killed myself lol. He also warded off a stalker for me. Although that stalker tried to return in 2025 on my Facebook author page. I blocked him. And haven't heard from him since. If that stalker knows what's best for him, he'd stay away. My Uncle Dude and my Uncle Jim are very protective of me and know how to hide bodies ;-) HA! My Uncle Dude is also my biggest fan of my writing (maybe not as big as Uncle Jim LOL). He tells me he is so proud of me and this whole family is proud of me.

- My grandma Annette, my grandpa Harold. As I get older, I appreciate them more and more. They looked after my sister and I growing up. My grandma handled my meltdowns like a pro. She was kind, empathetic, and caring. She would listen to me talk about the boys at school that I liked and give me her wisdom. She would take me to McDonald's for dinner and let me play on the outdoor play-place, as long as I ate my dinner, which I did with her! My grandpa was funny. He would always call me a Farmer. And instead of hugs, I would give him high-fives because I felt uncomfortable hugging my grandpa. He did nothing to me. I was just shy, I guess. My grandpa would tease me and my grandma would have to butt in and defend me or tell Grandpa to knock it off. I took his death hard when he died in 1996. He was the first enormous loss in my life. I would dream about him coming back to life. In one dream, he told me that my dad's ankle would heal in two weeks. My dad's ankle healed two weeks after the dream (he fell off the ladder while cleaning the gutters). I wrote a paper in high school psychology about that phenomenon. I haven't had a dream about my grandpa Harold in a long time. I miss him. I also miss my grandma Annette.

- My Grandma Donna & Grandpa Jim. Their love started it all. Without them, there would be no dad. No me. My Grandma Donna was kind of an aloof woman. But she loved me, when I wasn't whining or being a spoiled brat. Grandma and I were close for living cities and eventually states away. We would write letters. She would share stories and wisdom. We would talk about family. She told me she always wanted to be a writer and that her life story was more controversial than Peyton Place. I still wonder what she meant by that. I have read Peyton Place and I imagine it was controversial for its time. It's also one of my favorite books. But I still wonder what was controversial in my grandma's life that would outshine Peyton Place. 

As for my grandpa Jim, I'm grateful for his love of music and songwriting. He has passed it down to me. Although I don't write songs, I write poems. I wish I wrote songs. My grandpa Jim was stubborn but friendly. He used to say about his grandchildren that they were all beautiful and there wasn't an ugly one in the bunch. 

Grandma Donna and Grandpa Jim divorced but remained friends. Grandma found love with Dwayne Sheffer, and my Grandpa found love with Karen Bielby (the step-grandmother who taught me how to read tarot cards).

Things I'm Grateful For

1. My new laptop. After my old laptop crashed after I tried downloading an update for the Sims and make room for that update, this laptop is a dream. It's also probably the last laptop I will ever have bought for me. My parents gifted me this laptop for my 41st birthday. They knew I needed it for business and my writing.

2. McDonald's. I know McDonald's is not the healthiest thing. But it's food. It's my comfort food. When I am stressed out, I long for a two-cheeseburger meal. When I want to celebrate, I want a Quarter Pounder with cheese meal. 

3. Pizza. Pizza sustained me for the longest time. I am grateful for it although now I'm kinda sick of it LOL. No pizza place makes good pizza. It's all okay. 

4. Music. I'm grateful for music. It's the only loud thing I appreciate. I love singing to Taylor Swift, and love thinking about future meet and greets with New Kids On The Block when I listen to them. 

5. Totem Books. They supported me for a long time as a tarot reader. Since 2022. Although they no longer have the metaphysical fairs, they believe in me as a tarot reader and as a writer. They buy my books, accept my tarot card and oracle card donations, and they let me do my free reading event and hang my business cards and flyers on their community board. 

6. Spinach. I'm grateful for one green I can tolerate!

7. Kosher Dill Pickles. Okay...this is another green, is it not?

8. Water. I lived outside of Flint. The water crisis made me thankful for Burton's clean water. I live near Burton and Flint, and I was thankful that our water was not contaminated.

9. Therapy and mental health meds. I'm grateful I have access to therapy and my mental health medications. Without Medicaid, I would have to pay thousands upon thousands of dollars for mental health care alone. And being a writer and tarot reader, I am not sitting on stacks of cash yet. Not even a little.

10. Although cats are NOT things, and they are family, I forgot to put them with family. And they should be number one! But I am grateful to Sassy and Skittles. They are my babies now. I adore the heck out of them. Their unconditional love makes me whole. Who needs a man when you have cats? :-D  

And that is who and what I am grateful for. Until next year!

Tell me below, what is the number one thing or person you're grateful for this year?