Time to Say Goodbye for Now

This class has probably been one of the best classes I've been in about so many years. At first when we were required to purchase "Le Temps Viendra" I was a little skeptical because I'm not the reader type. However, Ms. Hanson's plan of action each week regarding the reading of certain chapters then blogging about it was almost flawless. I am a busy man these days with a full time job during the week and super daddy on the weekends. It's difficult even for a man who has kid every weekend to find time because as you all know, kids will not sit still on the weekends. I had to take a step back from my personal life in order to grasp and come up with an idea to balance my life. In my opinion the class plan each week assigned by Ms. Hanson worked perfectly for me.  It's about finding the correct setting and what and when to do this. I'm the type of person that likes to follow an action plan in order to get in the mindset of what I need to do each week.  Was it a piece of cake? No it was not, but I have been able to brush up on my English skills and do something that I like doing when I have the time which is writing. I love the fact that each chapters we read during the weeks we were to blog about them. That itself helped me remember what was going on. For those who procrastinated, I will give one piece of parting advice. It is always better to come prepared and maybe get ahead just a little bit. What I mean by this is you never know what will arise during your class and it is always good to have things ready and completed. This class is one of the most outgoing classes i've attended and want to wish everyone a happy summer. 

End of a Good Book

First and foremost, this book has been good throughout. It's like I was taken back to the Tudor era and experienced everything first hand.  Hats off to the author Sarah Morris. I have not read a full book in many years and I definitely want to experience of reading the second book. Regardless of reading this for a class or not, I want a copy as soon as it becomes available please. I realized on page 296 that modern day Anne was back in modern day time and about to board an ambulance and go to the hospital. I still was unsure what time frame she was in. LOL.On page 298 it was then that I found out she had a cerebral aneurysm that had ruptured and was bleeding into her brain. That is why she felt sick in the begining of the book and passed out. She needed to be operated on ASAP! Even though her surgery was sucessful, sadly her neurosurgeon said there was another one deeper down in her brain that was inoperable. Anne is a "ticking time bomb" as she would later say about herself. She handled this well, but missed her family in the Tudor era and her love King Henry VIII. While she was recovering in the hospital, she had a few friends stop by including her friend of ten years Kate, who was the only one in modern era that knew of Daniel, her lover who was married. I found out also the reason modern day Anne and Daniel were not officially together is because Daniel does not want to bring that kind of stress on his daughter.  And also who goes months at a time with no contact to their lover?  Daniel does, that's who. Although he does this, Anne allows this.  As did mistress in Anne in the Tudor times. How ironic. Daniel does visit her a few times and even comes to see her on her first day home from the hospital. This is what Anne tells her friend Kate when she comes to pick her up. As soon as Anne settles in her home, Daniel comes by and shows concern and then he gets back in good with modern day Anne. As she regains her strength she gets to visit Hever castle and the British library for the last time and has a dejavu moment a few times when she strongly smells Tudor Anne's rosewater scent will visiting. I personally like the picnic moment Anne and Daniel at the Anker Yew that she and King Henry VIII had on many occassions. And the author Sarah Morris left us hanging and wanting more towards then end.  I want to know what happened.....

Gambling Addiction and Sweating Sickness-Chapters 19-22

Who knew Mistress Anne could gamble with the best of them and still lose? It's like she is fearless when it comes to things like this. And King Henry VIII reluctantly pays off her debts. I guess if you are Anne and knew you had the king right where you want him you could do anything. One of Wosley's men has taken the book "Obedience of a Christian Man" from Nan as her husband found it and began reading it. Nan frantically and sobbing lets Anne know this and instead of blowing a head gasket, she calms Nan down and asks for a meeting with the king. She then explains what Wosley has done and the king gives her his pinky ring and lets her know to go to Wosley and demand it back under his order, but that he also wanted to read this book. This is the begining of the turn of the tide in favour of the Boelyns. I almost thought King Henry VIII was about to bed Anne as things got real steamy in his private chambers. I was all bent over practically about to jump in the book as things escalated for them.  It seems at one point both of them were about to explode from being sexually frustrated, but surprisingly the king backed down, but I have to admit when he mentioned let me see your Duckies? That was hilarious to me.  I wonder what would happen if I were to say the same thing to a woman?  I would probably get slapped, but I have enough respect of a woman and would not do this.  Of course if you are the King of England, then you can say what ever floats your boat. As we continue to what's going on at the Palace of Greenwhich, there seems to be a sweating sickness going around and with great regret, Anne loses her dearest friend Bess to this plague. I'm wondering what other name this sweating sickness was called in the tudor era? Perhaps the flu maybe? Who knows but I will tell you this, The king bailed on Anne during a rough time and this affected her. She was furious that he left without as much as a hi or bye or anything. And to pour salt on her wound he left with Queen Katherine at that. Everyone pretty much followed the lead of the king and bailed. I thought at first Anne was going to die as well as her brother George because he caught the "sweating sickness", but modern day Anne remembered that he was able to overcome the sickness. Let's not forget towards the end of chapter 22, Anne loses conciousness.......to be continued....

Chapters 16-18

Before I explain these chapters I want to give my personal opinion of some things. First off, even If we do not know when Anne bedded King Henry VIII, she was still seeing a married man. Yes her sister Mary was known to have slept with the king, but my question is what is the difference here?  I'll tell you the difference, The Boelyn family benefited from Anne's rise. Would they have been any different to Anne if Mary was set to marry instead?  I'm guessing they would treat Anne the same way they now treat Mary. Sad and hypocritical in my opinion. This is your blood and family and yet just because the king bedded Mary and did not marry her makes things different?  I think no. It is a shame how fame and wealth can change a family.  Okay so apparently Anne has a few favours to ask of a few people.  And I find it funny how she manipulated 3 men in doing so.  As a man, I know the bargaining power quite well when it comes to women. They have what we want, and not vice versa. She uses her persuasion to see if she can get a granted wardship from Cardinal Wosely for one of her clients Sir Thomas Cheney. The girl in question of the wardship is Anne  Broughton. Whew!!!! There are too many Anne's here.  LOL  Okay, Thomas Heneage visited Anne in her privy chambers with a feast provided by King Henry himself in order to convince him to wooo the cardinal. Look up^^^^^^ earlier in the paragraph when i mentioned Anne easily persuaded 3 men.  LOL,, there you have it. She did this with the king, Thomas and the cardinal.

About 3 weeks and things start to fall in favour of Sir Thomas and his transgressions and he was granted wardship. SMH...this is some crazy family drama. Now Anne is getting a little nervous and worried because she yet to hear word from the king, but her brother visits by orders of the king himself to invite her and her friends for a huge picnic. Margery tried but could not console Anne enough. You could clearly see Anne's anger as she pretty much goes off or does not want to be bothered by anyone, even her mother Elizabeth. How's this for being akward,  As the king and Anne gallop with their entourage her brother is accompanied by his enstranged wife Jane. LOL

We really see Anne's jealousy grow when Queen Katherine accompany's King Henry VIII to the annual May Day joust. This was one of the kings favorite past times and this made Anne furious because she was not invited. I really think Anne does not have a foot to walk on in this situation simply because she is still the "Other" woman and we soon find out that is one of the many reasons King Henry VIII left her as well. 

No More Hiding Chapters 13-15

Anne can finally live a stress free life now that it is pretty much clear to everyone and they dare not object to the king. However, before knowing she does not have to hide or considered the other woman, Anne endured 4 months away from her prince. She and her mother Elizabeth made the best of their time together back at Hever Castle while her father, brother and many of the king's court attended to the matter of the king's current situation, which is getting an annulmant from Queen Katherine. These particular chapters basically set in place the rise of the Boelyn family. As they traveled to meet the king at one of his favorite places, Anne describes vividly how huge this place is. Even in modern day times as Anne visited the place after many remodels. You could tell how Anne was the center of the King's attention as she was the guest of honor. Traveling by barge while her belongings continued on carriage says a lot. The highlight of these chapters is her encounter with the queen herself. They met face to face like a duel was about to take place. As the queen quickly made it clear her dislike of Anne by calling her a whore. As with many servants during the Tudor era, they would have easily bowed and moved to the side letting the queen pass by. Oh but not Anne.....she got within inches of the queen and let her know her time was up as the current queen. Little did Anne know this was the last time she would ever see the queen....

The Man That I Am

Beneath this strong mans arms
Encased in a hidden pain
That holds him down
Yet with a smile on his face
He continues to move on
From the past to the future
With a constant reminder
Of what use to be
He now continues to improve
And move forward
Though he can never forget
What has led him to be
The man he came to be

By Kion Davidson

I wrote this poem last night reflecting on my life from then to now. It kind of resembles King Henry VIII, but i do not think would admit this.

Anne is getting fed up/Chapters 9-12

Cardinal Wosley has just entered the building and right off the bat Anne let's him know she does not like him. Particuraly because he was the main reason from a previous relationship. Throughout the chapters I have read it seems everybody knows the kings intentions towards Anne becoming his queen, yet everybody addresses her as Mistress Anne. However, I remember in the early chapters King Henry VII mentioned to keep this matter quiet. Well to me it seems like she was the only one keeping the matter quiet. That is until Anne sees King Henry VIII and Queen Katherine close together in the first mass. She quickly becomes jealous and has had enough.  When her brother George comes to visit her in her bedrooms and mentions the king would like to see her, she starts daydreaming during a time when her and George were about 9 or 10 at the time and they would gallop on their horses out towards the forest just to get away from everything. She does this now and as George reluctantly follows her the two set out to relive early childhood memories. Anne is still feeling jealousy and grabs her friend Nan and take off in the castle to get away from seeing the king and Katherine together. This is where things get interesting and Anne finally vents her frustration about being the other woman to Nan. Nan seemed surprised as there was only rumors about the kings intentions. Anne lets her know also that she over heard the queen and one of her lady's talking in Spanish and she understood vaguely what they were talking about. Katherine basically called Anne a "whore". This seems to be what many people are thinking of Anne these days. I'm not sure if Anne has bedded King Henry VIII by this time, but she might as well since this is what the court is thinking. Even her father Thomas Boelyn asks Anne has she bedded the king.  I've found out also that in Greenwich there are a few things of significance that happened there.