Adventure 2012

I am gearing up for my next new adventure. Christmas was great. Being surrounded by Bear and his family, takes away the sting from having four of my Grandchildren in Florida. Now I have a few days left to plan my attack for a successful 2012.

Back to school and being even more successful than I was for my first semester, is high priority. I also want to get back to writing. Of course poetry, but even more importantly I need to work on another book. Characters have been dancing like sugarplum fairies in my brain lately!

I want to thank everyone who contributed to my wonderful year. I never even imagined myself at this age, so I have a blank slate as to what I can accomplish. The sky is my limit. I thank God for my church family and Bear. Bear and his family have interwoven into my life like a thick and rich tapestry. It will take many more colors and golden threads before we can see the entire picture.

I wish you all the best for 2012 and please be careful while you enjoy.

Merry Christmas to all

Tis the season, and in my book, Jesus is the reason. No matter where you stand on that subject, I wish you a Very Merry Christmas. Rest, relax, and drive safe where ever you go.

My final, final

Wrapped up my last two exams today. My brain is still swirling.

Most mind boggling of all, text book buy back!

I want to grow up and be a text book manufacturer!

Those are like loan shark prices! 

But, I survived my first semester! Yeah!

 Hope you all came through the last few months new and improved like I did!

My First College Semester

     As this semester crawls to an end, I am so excited to still be among the standing. I owe that in part to the great professors and instructors that were chosen for me here at Edinboro University's Porreco Center. What a great and quaint place to slip quietly into school life again. I also want to thank the students and my classmates for not laughing, as I squeaked open the lid of my brain coffin. It was scary ground answering questions and turning in papers for the first time in about thirty five years! 

     I am looking very forward to getting my finals behind me (Finally) and taking a few weeks to rest and rejuvenate before I set out on the next path toward being a Social Worker. With their great degree in Social Work and helpful Students with Disabilities department, Edinboro was most certainly the correct choice for me. Bruce Skolnick and David Swickline were a super asset to have in my corner.

     I thank everyone I encountered, you made coming back, feel like coming home...

WHERE I HAVE AND HAVE NOT BEEN

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.

I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work.

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.

I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.

One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!


While creating wives, God promised men that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the world.

And then He makes the earth round?

My Strengths and Weaknesses.

I am very grateful that at least in my mind, I have more strengths than weaknesses. God has blessed me with writing skills and an ability to paint a picture with words. I write poetry, and read it locally. I have also penned a Christian song titled, "I am Forgiven"

When He finished with that he gave me the gift to actually paint with brushes and acrylics. I have about twenty murals out and about Erie County. My largest to date is in McKean at Crossroads Community Church, at about 12 feet high and 20 feet long. It is a scene what I imagine paradise to be.

With all those positive gifts, math escapes me, and I can not count. Math is simply like a foreign language when I look at it. My neuro -psychologist tested me and said it has to do with the damage I sustained to my brain. I was never very skilled in math, but now it causes fear in my heart. Next semester I am tackling a math class with the help of my accountant fiance' I have only small moments of terror!

My head injury has left me with challenges but I would rather not refer to them as weaknesses.

About Me

Here are some things you may or may not find interesting about me!

In the same year that I began my college career path, I found out I will be a great grandmother. I thought that was a hoot!
I am a local poetess with a following. I have written and read hundreds of times. I am a co-chair on the Poetry in The Park, which happens every June in Frontier Park at the clam shell stage.

I also wrote, produced, directed and preformed in Women Of Word Poetry Project. I wove several women's original works into a conversation of sorts.

I also play hand drums. I own a Djembe, which is an hollowed out log African Drum. Mine is fairly large and so has deep tones. I have also played the Conga Drum from my church. It has the most beautiful spiritual sound that I have ever heard.

This is just a peek at me.

I may have been a slow learner, but am now with my soulmate. for the rest of my life I will be getting Bear hugs, from Bear!

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving

I hope that everyone has safe travels and a thankful spirit.
I for one have so much to be grateful for this year.

Warning Signs

Warning Signs List

I decided to post my list of warning signs. If anyone is perusing blogs and stumbles across this list and finds it helpful, please drop me a comment if you can. Do not, if you might be in danger.

Domestic Abuse occurs in four ways;
Man on woman, man on man, woman on man, and woman on woman.
For ease of making this more understandable, I will use they as the abuser and you as the victim.

If they tell you to wear cologne or not to wear it. Or jewelry.


If they tell you not to belong to the year book committee, the football team, the Free the whales group because it will take time away from them


If they tell you what to, or not to wear, "that shirt makes your eyes sparkle and that should be for me."


If they drive dangerously and you ask them to slow down and they won't.


If they threaten your kids, parents, pets, prized possessions, or I will tell your boss something bad about you.


If they call you twenty times a day to say "I love you, where are you?"


If they show up at school when they should be at work (Just to see how you are doing)


If you live together and they move you way far from your family or friends.


If you live together and they make sure there is only one car and no phone for you to use


Do they grab you, pull you, push you, spit on you, slap you, scratch you, or any other form of aggression like that, That is not love.


Are they jealous of every person you talk with

There are more or other forms of these issues. Does it feel mean to you? Does it leave you feeling loved? Would you do that to someone you loved?
If you answered yes to three or more things on that list then things are sliding in the direction of abuse. If you are in school, you can go speak with a guidance counselor.
If you are an adult in the Erie, Pennsylvania area, then SafeNet shelter can counsel with you for free. 
SafeNet Hot Line; 814-454-8161
If you are anywhere else in these United States then please call the
National Domestic Violence Hotline; 1-800-799-7233      24 hours, 7 days a week

My Career Choice; Why do I want to be a Domestic Violence Prevention Specialist?

My two research questions,

1. Why do I want to be a Domestic Violence Prevention Specialist?

2. What exactly do I want to do, as a prevention specialist?


I chose to marry young and not listen to those who were older and wiser, who warned me that he was not the one. I made a decision early on that I would never be a divorce statistic, so I tried everything, but mainly staying quiet, laying low and learning to duck his blows. I tried leaving a couple times, he found me and drug me home the first time. The second time I got an apartment and stayed out three months. I faltered in my strength and went back one more time because my boys missed their Dad. The last time I left, I had been married 17 years and I ran for my life, literally.

Once I was free, I reflected, wrote poetry, and finally came to the conclusion that if someone had spoken to me and given me a list of warning signs rather than simply saying he is bad, I may have listened. I contemplated and wrote until I felt that I had a complete list that described ten to twelve signs that could be a wake up call. Those signs go both ways as do abusers. I decided to be a prevention specialist, even though that career did not yet exist.

I wrote a prevention program, and through the local Women's Shelter, Safenet, I taught those programs for over eight years. My goal is to reach and teach as many young people as humanly possible how worthy they are, and equip them with warning signs that are real. For a long time young women sought me out in grocery stores or at Walmart and asked, are you the lady that came to my school. I would answer yes. They would then tell me how because of my work, so and so got out of her bad situation, or someone else got away from their husband before he could break any more bones.

Out working in the schools I started looking for others trying to work in the area of prevention. There are many, but I am particularly fond of Tony Porter, and his call to men. He attempts to teach them  where their thinking has gone wrong, and what is acceptable. He is well respected and known in his field, this video come from a talk to women about the man box, and how he is trying to change the way men think.

Just wathched tutorial!

I just watched the tutorials posted by Professor Smith. Hoping to fix a small issue I was having.
Hope you re all having fun on here also.

News Article Activety, Edinboro University hosts Domestic Violence Awareness Walk

October is National Domestic Violence Awarness month, and I have been a victims advocate for nearly twenty years. It pleased me very much to see that Edinboro participated by having an event. This article in Goerie.com talks about the Domestic Violence walk for anti-violence awareness month.

Edinboro students recieved an e-mail the day before to inform them of this event.

The participants met at the Frank G. Poggue Student Center and walked the inner circle. Afterwards there were handouts to inform students and outside participants where they could find helpful community resourses. This event will help forward education in ways the event creator could only imagine.


http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011310199908

Welcome, One and all to the Poetess Page

Research Project for ELED 102 PC

 Thasia frazzini                         Class ELED 102 PC                       October 26th 2011

                                                           Research Project
                         DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND EDUCATION

The subject of Domestic Violence, and it's victims is one I spend a lot of time studying. I have personally been involved in writing and teaching the prevention of Domestic Violence in the City of Erie Schools for over eight years. Around the year 2000 I interviewed a state corrections officer for the correction facility in Albion PA. She explained the program they had then for the offenders that were incarcerated for domestic violence offenses deadly or non deadly as they were characterized at that time.

I thought the program they were using was ingenious, and attempted to find out if that was still their practice currently, and could not confirm it. At that time in the year 2000, when a perpetrator entered the system at Albion he was mandated to enroll in this program. Day one; they entered a counseling session where they were treated along the lines of AA meeting. They would come in and tell their side of the story. Initially that story would be about how the victim pushed the perpetrators button, had asked for it and similar comments. The inmates who had been in the program for some time would challenge these perpetrators in a way they never had been challenged before. "So, you are saying she asked for it, or she likes it, well you are a liar!" They would add comments like, "You are a looser who can't control yourself. You, had a great woman and because you are a whiny baby, you lost control and hurt the one you loved. Real men are in control of their body and emotions.We know this because at one time we were that stupid also."

Every day of therapy, while a newbie tried to blame someone else for being there, he was challenged and belittled, much like he did to his victim. There would come a point where they would come to the understanding, and admit, "OK, you're right. I couldn't control myself." Or something to that effect. Then the inmates who were running the program would praise them and help them with counseling and anger management suggestions. The program was four months long. As soon as someone completed his four months, he went back in to the program. Eventually the inmates who got it, began to run the program. They were more effective than having a guard or psychologist, because they understood both sides of the argument. When I spoke with the corrections officer in 2000, the program had been running this way and been a model for nearly ten years.

I located a couple graphs that show certain violent crimes are down in Pennsylvania.
That would be Article 1 and Article 2

Article  # 3 has a small blurb on the website of the American Bar Association, where they are working on funding so that every victim gets proper legal representation and protection during a case. That is so hopefully victims are alive to be represented, because laws and protection orders are working. I for one am very excited that now each victim has representation and guidance. Perpetrators used to threaten victims into not filing or testifying against the abuser. In Pennsylvania, if an officer of the court, police, attorney, judge, and even doctors and emergency room personnel observe injury or evidence of violence they must file the abuse report,  thus leaving the victim to not appear to the abuser as the force behind his incarceration or other punishment

I spent time as a advocate for victims and would accompany the victim to the PFA hearing. A PFA is the Protection From Abuse order. That is where the facts on a reported incident are laid out for a judge to decide if there is enough evidence of abuse to award the victim a PFA. I have observed for myself how abusers would turn their anger from the victim to the advocate. Their apparent thinking is that the victim wouldn't get a PFA if it were not for the advocate pushing them into it. When in reality, the victim wouldn't pursue a PFA if the abuser had not abused.

In Article 4 I have enclosed a Review of Standards for Batterer Intervention Programs

Article 1:  After you click on this link, a page will appear with a list to the left side. Click on Violent Crime, and then click on five year chart. This graph shows a consistent improvement in the last five years. The hope is that Programs such as the one in Albion help to keep an abuser from recidivism.

Article 2:  As in the last graph, after you click on this link, and then click on violent crime, you next click on
5 year percent change summary. Once again it shows in a different form that crime in this area is down significantly.

Article 3: has a small blurb on the website of the American Bar Association, where they are working on funding so that every victim gets proper legal representation and protection during a case.

Article 4:                A Review of Standards for Batterer Intervention Programs
                                                                 VAWnet.org.
                            National online Resource Center on Violence Against Women

Article four is a large representation of facts surrounding the incarceration of perpetrators and statistics on how they are handled. This article was written in 2000. I had difficulty finding more recent articles that were in the PDF format. This is still current thought and perception in the field today even though they were written some time ago.

As you peruse this information a bit past the half way point, and below the sub title, Positive and Negative Aspects of Standards, beside the # 4 you will see PA. mentioned in a very positive way. I am proud that we have worked hard to create a model that seems to be working.

It is my hope that this Blog helped you to understand how important the work that has been done and yet to come is for the victims, perpetrators and the rest of society. Thanks for tuning in!

POEM - OCTOBER

Every twelve seconds in these United States, another woman is beaten by her husband, boyfriend, or lover. One out of three women will be somehow involved in a domestic violence case. While you read that, another woman was beaten.

October is national

Domestic Violence month

Not that you are supposed to wait

and send her to fate

only in October

But,

in October

those who live sane and  safe

solitudenal lives

Those who actually

love their wives,

Well they are supposed to think,

give a thought to those women

who lost lives

Nearly perfect wives

trying to survive

or girlfriends

trying to fend of blows

not from foes

but loved ones carrying guns

and knives

ending young sweet lives

He will say with dismay;

"If I can't have you, no one can"

Man, no one has or owns another

especially not your babies mother

You, women who are blessed

Women who have husbands

who have never messed

with their minds

Husbands who are kind

I remind you not to judge

You have not walked in shoes

skewed with survival skills

strong wills

trying to find safety

Shelters offering safe escape plans

The demands that come from

hiding from crazed minds

Strong women who live

with scars or scares

from the one

they cared about most

who now plays host

to their deepest fears

October is when

we drag out pictures

of women lost

we estimate the cost

that these families add,

Children who live without

Mom or Dad

Grave rocks claiming MOTHER

Jail cells holding another

abuser, user of women

Let us not forget

there are men raised right

whose fist stayed tight

and never swung upon

the woman

Men out in the night

with no where to go

because no one knows

of their plight

This is October

take a moment

to count your lucky stars

be thankful

for where you are

and say a prayer

that someday soon

October will only need be

about the moon

and scarey witches...

Thasia Anne