The Anniston Star ● Sunday, October 20, 2013 ● Page 6E
SUNDAY RECORD YOUR GUIDE TO PUBLIC RECORDS AND VITAL STATISTICS IN CALHOUN COUNTY BANKRUPTCIES
DEATHS Jason Lee Alexander, Centre Norman S. Anderson, Spring Garden Virginia Louise Snider Andrews, Jacksonville Pamela Baker, Weaver Willie Bell Barclay, Talladega Jewell Bonds, Eastaboga Richard “Boss Hogg” Braden, Anniston Ruth Kathleen (Kat) Allen Burns, Bynum Harmony Bush, Sylacauga Bill W. Carpenter, Opelika Charlon Evaughn Cavin, Gaylesville Phillip H. “Frank” Cobb, Anniston Luther Cochran, Jacksonville Vernon Patrick Colenburg, Hobson City Lucille Lena Corrado, Heflin Olvin Ross Crenshaw, Anniston Frances Crosby, Georgia James E. Cullins, Jacksonville Marcella “Dot” Doss, Anniston Frances Jane Blair Elliott, Piedmont John T. Garrett, Alpine Audrey Magdalene Gay, Heflin John Henry Harrelson, Alexandria Violet Elizabeth Bowers Holland, Anniston William “Bill” Holman, Lineville
Herman “Doug” Jackson Jr., Anniston Connell Johnson, Oxford Daisy Lee Johnson, Anniston Billy Mack Lambert, Heflin Roger Dale Ledbetter, Heflin James Ronald “Ronnie” Mason, Anniston Gerome “Crazy Horse” Mixon, Anniston Anne Montgomery, Talladega Odis Ray Moon Jr., Anniston John Norton, Centre Sylvia Joy Anne Parker, Anniston Juanita Pointer, Talladega Michael “Mike” Keith Ponder, Jacksonville James C. “Pop” Purdy, Oxford Carnell Roberts, Heflin Thomas Peyton (Pete) Roberts II, Florida Dennis DeWayne Scott, Anniston Ruth Shirley, Eastaboga Doris Smith, Anniston Glenda “Gail” Brooks Strickland, Munford John William Tarver, Anniston Roxana Turley, Oxford Elaine Waites, Alpine William Franklin “Frank” Warmack, Piedmont Jesse C. Welch, Anniston Sherman Whitmore, Woodland Evelyn Blair Wood, Mississippi
RATE OF BANKRUPTCIES 1515
MARRIAGE LICENSES
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows the debtor to retain certain exempt property, but the debtor’s remaining property is gathered and sold by a trustee from which creditors will receive payment. It may also be used by businesses which wish to terminate their business. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy enables debtors, through court supervision and protection, to propose and carry out a repayment plan under which creditors are paid, in full or in part, in installments over a three-year period. During that time, debtors are prohibited from starting or continuing collection efforts. The following bankruptcies declared by Calhoun County residents were recorded by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Alabama last week:
Chapter 7 • Robert W. Primm, Cedar Springs Road, Weaver • Ashley McDonald, Asbury Avenue, Anniston • Matthew Munn and Sandra Munn, Jamback Road, Anniston • Cora Bethune, Glendale Road, Anniston • Lucy Reaves, Dry Hollow Road, Anniston • Tim C. Baxter, Shady Lane, Anniston • Rebecca Rhea Carr, Warrior Road, Anniston
Chapter 13
• Randall R. Holley, Rosser Street, Eastaboga • Curtis Brewster, Grayton Road, Ohatchee • Kent Gurley and Barbara Gurley, Whites Gap Road, Jacksonville • Benjamin Bowen Jr. and Vanessa B. Bowen, West 62nd Street, Anniston • Phillip B. Hill, Kines Road, Piedmont
DIVORCES 1212 9
13
• William Craig • Joseph Lee SutherVaughn and Camo- lin and Andrea lot B. Vaughn Dawn Sutherlin
12
9
• William Bonner and Brooke McCurry, a parcel of land in section 35, township 13, range 9. • Louis D. Slick and Linda G. Slick, M.L. Benefield subdivision, lot 7. • Thomas Smith and Cindy Smith, Scenic Heights, Block A, lot 8. • Elaine A. Harris, North Anniston Realty Co., Saks D addition, block 33, lot 7. • Marla A. Spears and Johnny Spears, Lenlock Lane subdivision, block D, lots 3 and 4.
33 0
52 weeks ago
tina Mitchell of Oxford • Matthew Joshua Preuninger of Jacksonville to Ladawn Marie Hancock of Jacksonville • Barry Wayne Britt of Oxford to Patricia Lee Britt of Oxford • Alvaro Velazquez Perez of Oxford to Neyda Karina Barrera Hernandez of Oxford • Brian Scott McElroy of Ohatchee to Janet Elaine Watson of Ohatchee • Nathan Eric Thrasher of Eastaboga to Ashley Tucker Lowe of Anniston • Donald Davis of Spring Hill, Tenn., to Cathy Thomas West of Weaver • Anthony Brett Barnes of Anniston to Kristin Elizabeth Lorene Dawson of Anniston • Zachery Taylor Ford of Anniston to Meredith Lian Anderson of Fultondale • Jacob Michael Watts of Ohatchee to Alexandria Diane McDaniel of Ohatchee • Martin O’neal Jeffers of Oxford to Katrina Louise Seltzer of Oxford • Quentin Maurice Williams of Oxford to Kimberly Rena Simmons of Oxford • Djaman Ange Elvis Able of Rainbow City to Selena Lacole Pickett of Rainbow City
AnnistonStar.com
Here is the livestock market report for the Tuesday sale. Receipts for this week 998 compared to 1066 last week. Receipts a year ago 1005.
FEEDER CLASSES:
Bulls and steers (Medium and Large No. 1 and No. 2): 200-300 lbs. 175.00 to 230.00; 300-400 lbs. 170.00 to 210.00; 400-500 lbs. 147.00 to 190.00; 500-600 lbs. 130.00 to 172.50; 600700 lbs. 112.00 to 147.00. Heifers (Medium and Large No. 1 and No. 2): 200-300 lbs. Too Few; 300-400 lbs. 135.00 to 170.00; 400-500 lbs. 128.00 to 162.50; 500600 lbs. 125.00 to 142.50; 600-700 lbs. 119.00 to 131.00.
SLAUGHTER CLASSES:
Cows: Breakers 75.00 to 79.00; Boners 80.00 to 83.00; Lean 70.00 to 74.00. Bulls: Normal Dressing 54-58% 87.50 to 91.00; High Dressing >58% 92.00 to 97.50; Low Dressing
WILLS PROBATED • Evelyn Louise Character • Susan Clark Helton • Ira Paul Bowers Jr. • Mildred L. McCurdy Buchanan • Bertha P. Sloan • Jamie Gail Cagle • Raymond C. Peak
INCORPORATIONS • HCT Holdings Inc. • Durham & Co. Inc. • Albatross Properties LLC • Ohatchee Properties LLC • Forever Young Farms LLC • J & S Audio LLC
FORECLOSURES
8
66
• Michael Travoiye Billups of Jacksonville to Octavia Ashle Richardson of Jacksonville • Darrell Lamont Pearson of Lincoln to Angela Renee Elston of Eastaboga • Will McFall Bishop of Jacksonville to Rebecca Jean Kenney of Jacksonville • Stephen Paul Ralph of Anniston to Rebecca Gaddis Pollard of Anniston • James Patrick Clendenin of Munford to Sarina Susanne Veitengruber of Munford • Gary Monroe Smith of Anniston to Barbara Lindsey Green of Anniston • Quentin Lavorius Harris of Anniston to Destin Elise Cruse of Anniston • Adam Scott Vinyard of Hokes Bluff to Christine Nicole Alldredge of Alexandria • Eric Joshua Williams of Piedmont to Cynthia Lee Etcheverry of Piedmont • Zavhery Shane Meadows of Alexandria to Shaniqua Danielle Russell of Anniston • Russell Anthony Pitts of Eastaboga to Betty Faye Moore of Eastaboga • Phillip Cory Brown of Anniston to Tara Kris-
CATTLE SALE
Last week
This week
• Joseph D. Mote, Friendship Courts, block E, lot 11. • Antonia D. Bolton and Teresa S. Bolton, Buckhorn subdivision, phase II, block B, lots 8 and 9; Buckhorn subdivision, phase III, block E, lot 12. • Amanda J. Caples, Oak Ridge Estates, 1st addition, block E, lot 15. • Tona R. Davis, Tyler Hill addition to Anniston, block 4, lots 1 and 2.
The Anniston Star
COMMUNITY BLOGGER Join our roster of bloggers online at AnnistonStar.com
ARRESTS
The people listed in this arrest report, whose names and • David Anthony Williams, 20: domestic violence. • Terry Nathon Bridges, 36, of Anniston: violation of the Sex charges are obtained from public records, are presumed • Brigget Diane Patton, 32: second-degree domestic vio- Offender Registration and Notification Act. innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. lence. • Muhammad Sabree, 28, of Anniston: probation violation. • Marla Brandy Perez-Warren, 35, of Oxford: obstructing Anniston Calhoun County justice by using a false I.D. The following felony arrests were reported by the Anniston • Nicholas Seth Craft, 20, of Piedmont: second-degree theft Police Department (addresses not provided) during the The following felony arrests were reported by the Calhoun of property. seven-day period ending at 7 a.m. Thursday. County Sheriff’s Office during the seven-day period ending • Jalexia Shanterica Dawson, 20, of Anniston: first-degree • Ernest Jamel Pierce, 27: first-degree possession of mar- at 7 a.m. Thursday. ijuana. • Johnathan Edward Green, 27, of Jacksonville: second-de- criminal mischief. • Latoya Dixon, 28, of Hobson City: first-degree criminal • William Chazz Harden, 23: first-degree criminal mischief. gree theft of property. • Branden Wright Lamey, 21: second-degree possession of • Nathan Lee McGathy, 25, of Talladega: failure to appear mischief. a forged instrument. in court. • James Ray Collins, 37, of Anniston: fugitive from justice.
BLOTTER Crimes are listed by location. Anonymous tips may be called in to Crime Stoppers at 256-238-1414. A reward of up to $1,000 may be given.
Anniston
The following property crimes were reported to the Anniston Police Department during the seven-day period ending at 7 a.m. Thursday.
Burglaries • Residence, 400 block of South Colvin Street: tools, speakers.
• Residence, 500 block of North Ledbetter Road: cash. Street: water heater, copper coils. • Residence, 200 block of Gate 8 Road: golf Calhoun County cart. The following property crimes were reportThefts ed to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office • Residence, 800 block of Edison Drive: med- during the seven-day period ending at 7 a.m. ication, coins. Thursday. • Bank, 200 block of Greenbrier Dear Road: Burglaries cash, clothing. • Residence, 4000 block of Ridge Drive: • Residence, Trinity Way, Jacksonville: jewmotorcycle. elry. • Field, 100 block of Elston Avenue: firearm. • Storage facility, Angel Avenue, Jackson• Residence, first block of Blue Mountain ville: jewelry, television.
• Residence, Mill Branch Road, Jacksonville: lawn care items, fishing rod, tools, cooler. • Residence, Webster Road, Wellington: mp3 player, DVD player, televisions.
Thefts
• Residence, Mudd Street, Lincoln: motorcycle. • Residence, Kings Gap Mountain Road, Piedmont: cell phone. • Residence, Hutto Hill Road, Anniston: tools, electrical boxes and wiring.
RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS Here are food service establishments recently inspected by the Calhoun County Health Department, along with scores. A score of 100 indicates the inspector found no deficiencies. Potentially hazardous deficiencies (four- or five-point demerit items) are noted. These must be corrected immediately and inspectors say they are often corrected while the inspection is underway. Restaurants earning below 70 must raise their scores within seven days or face closure.
be clean and sanitized.
• Loco Mex, 809 Pelham Road, S., Jacksonville — 97. • Morrison Healthcare, 301 E. 18th St., Anniston — 96. NO MAJOR DEMERITS • Olive Garden, 401 Oxford Exchange Blvd., Oxford — 96. • AJ’s of Anniston, 1500 Hillyer-Robinson Industrial Park• Oxford Elementary School — 99. way, Anniston — 96. • Oxford High School — 100. • Café Korea, 1014 U.S. 431, N., Anniston — 94. • Captain D’s, 2 Recreation Drive, Oxford — 98. • Saks Elementary School — 100. • Fairfield Inn & Suites (Pantry), 143 Colonial Drive, Oxford • Sbarro, 700 Quintard Drive, Oxford — 98. — 100. • Sonic Drive In, 302 Glade Road, Anniston — 96. 4-OR 5-POINT DEMERITS • Great American Cookie Co., 700 Quintard Drive, Oxford • Wendy’s, 419 N. Pelham Road, Jacksonville — 98. • O’Charley’s, 4 Recreation Drive, Oxford — 90, potentially — 97. • Wendy’s, 150 Leon Smith Parkway, Oxford — 97. hazardous food did not meet temperature requirements • Holiday Inn Express, 160 Colonial Drive, Oxford — 97. during cold holding; equipment, food contact surfaces must • HoneyBaked Ham Co., 637 Snow St., Oxford — 99. • Wendy’s, 75 Tower Drive, Oxford — 97.
JEWELRY & WATCH REPAIR WE BUY GOLD SILVER & DIAMONDS
DIAMOND DEPOT
Snow St., Oxford - Across from Cheaha Bank • (256) 365-2087
The Anniston Star
Sunday, October 20, 2013 Page 7E
SUNDAY RECORD CALENDAR: AnnistonStar.com/calendar PROPERTY TRANSFERRED
• Myron Fleming, Billy Fleming and Randy Fleming to Alatech Developers Inc., a parcel of land in section 4, township 15, range 7, $10. • TBC Homes LLC to Lucas Tyler Griffin, Cider Ridge subdivision, phase 1 reassessment, block WH, lot 16, $209,900. • Rubye Hamric-Estate to Edwin Quinones Madera and Esmeralda Medina, Gunnell’s addition to Oxford, block E, lots 4 and 5, $10. • Starla B. Bennett, Dorothy B. Haynes and Betty B. Moore to P.D. Pritchett Construction Co. LLC, Brownwood subdivision, block D, lot 8; Whites Gap Estates, block B, lots 5 and 6; Whites Gap Estates, 1st addition, block B, lots 7 and 9; Whites Gap Estates, 1st addition, block C, lots 1-3; Whites Gap Estates, 3rd addition, block E, lot 16; Whites Gap Estates, 3rd addition, block F, lot 14; Whites Gap Estates, 4th addition, block F, lots 8, 9 and 11; Whites Gap Estates, 5th addition, block C, lots 11-14 and 17; Whites Gap Estates, 5th addition, block F, lots 17, 20-23, 32 and 33; Whites Gap Estates, 5th addition, block G, lots 7,8 and 10, $25,000. • Donald D. Rasmussen and Deborah Rasmussen to Donald D. Rasmussen and Deborah Rasmussen, Vaughn’s subdivision, lots 34 and 35, $0. • Farmers & Merchants Bank to P.D. Pritchett Construction Co. LLC, Eagles Landing, 4th addition, lots 104 and 106, $10. • J.C. Cornelius and Barbara Cornelius to Cary L. Phillips and Edna J. Phillips, a parcel of land in sec-
tion 35, township 13, range 7. • Housing & Urban Development to Bank of America, a parcel of land in section 10, township 13, range 10, $1. • Joseph Randall Young to Glen D. Young, S.E. Boozer’s re-subdivision of Smith Heights, block B, lot 10, $10. • Joshua D. Snellen to Angel L. Johnston, a parcel of land in section 13, township 13, range 8, $10. • Natasha Peterson to Angel Summers Lynch, Barr Farm, lots 3 and 4, $10. • Angela Darlene Chandler, Randy Leslie Gilliam, Nora Jane Forbus, James David Gilliam and Janice Ellen Harrison to Barry Gilliam and Andrea Gilliam, a parcel of land in section 12, township 16, range 8, $10. • Frances Jane Sheppard-Estate to Joseph Lee Rains, a parcel of land in section 15, township 16, range 7, $1. • Anne Fenn Kilgore-Estate to Francis H. Grasses, Vaughn’s addition of lots 78-185, lot 147, $65,000. • James Alphaeus Chapman and Darlene D. Chapman to Rodney L. Pate and Susan P. Pate, Rolling Hills subdivision, lot 43, $144,500. • AWH Inc. to Donald A. Clayburn, a parcel of land in section 15, township 16, range 7, $10. • Donald A. Clayburn to Janet W. Odom and Jason C. Odom, a parcel of land in section 15, township 16, range 7, $10. • Howard J. Rich to Sheila S. Abrams, a parcel of land in section 26, township 14, range 7, $10.
• Marvin Thomas and Shenita D. Thomas to James H. Wright and Judy Wright, Shadow Ridge Development, lots 61 and 62, $133,490. • Fannie Mae to Edward Earl Hines Jr. and Cynthia M. Hines, Woodland Heights, block 7, lots 12 and 13. • Farmers & Merchants Bank to John E. Blue II, Anniston Land Co., block 529, lot 13, $10. • Irene Wood to Billy Joe McFall and Linda McFall, a parcel of land in section 19, township 14, range 7, $10. • Maxine C. Sikes, Susan C. Burns, Mary Groves Crabtree and Margaret C. Ritchie to the 2013 Crabtree Revocable Liquidating Trust, Hillyer Highlands addition to Sunset Heights, block 1, lot 11, $10. • Alabama Specialty Products Inc. to Wayne Penn and Cathy Penn, Frandview subdivision, re-subdivision of the 2nd addition, lot 28, $161,000. • Denis Ray Green to Ginny Green Burton, a parcel of land in section 10, township 13, range 8, $10. • Jefferson R. Ramsey and Silvia Ramsey to Larry L. Jones, Whites Gap Estates, 1st addition, block A, lot 3, $55,000. • Jane Self Burnham to Janie P. DeBoy, Valley Land Corp., block B, lot 3, $56,000. • Brian Bunn and Ginger Bunn to Timothy S. Miller, Cedar Hills re-subdivision, block B, lot 3, $105,000. • Carpenter United Methodist Church to Demetrius Twyman, a parcel of land addressed 720 Front Street, Anniston, $2,000.
• Chris Baskin Landers to Marvin James Ian Looney, a parcel of land in section 4, township 15, range 8, $82,500. • Mary F. Bowman to Martha Hughes, Profile Mill Village, blolck 5, lot 12, $10. • EverBank to Charles A. Dent, a parcel of land addressed 283 Rabittown Road, Piedmont, $1,100. • Billy T. Studdard to Brenda S. Studdard, a parcel of land in section 7, township 13, range 10, $10. • Calhoun County Economic Development Council to Tyco Fire Products LP, a parcel of land in section 23, township 15, range 7, $10. • Kenneth Reeves to Tim Cain Enterprises LLC and Marcel Gentes, a parcel of land in Woodland Heights, block 516, $100. • Donald E. Acker to Jack Boxley, Hillcrest Heights, Saks 2nd addition, block 7, lot 5, $100. • Bobby Howell and Kelsey Howell to Julia Elston, a parcel of land in section 33, township 16, range 7, $10. • Leon Martin to Pamela Sue Coston, a parcel of land in section 15, township 14, range 9, $10. • Tommy W. Downey to Michele Mosley, McCary Manor subdivision, 1st addition, block 1, lot 8, $120,000. • Nick Olivastri to Janat Olivasstri, Timbercrest subdivision, lot 34, $10. • John David Hammett and Rebecca J. Hammett to Mark Allen Hammett and Megan Hammett, a parcel of land in section 20, township 13, range 9, $10. • HSBC Mortgage Services Inc. to
Jason Covalli, High Oaks subdivision, 3rd addition, lot 42, $27,000. • Freddie Mac to Jonathan Lamar Heathcock, Crestline subdivision, block B, lot 9, $25,000. • Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to Eagle Ocean Properties LLC, North Anniston Realty Co., block 9, lots 5 and 6, $100. • Housing & Urban Development to Christopher Kelley Trammell, F.E. McCullars subdivision, block 3, lot 2, $40,000. • PHH Mortgage Corp. to Peyton Properties LLC, Lenlock Lane subvision, block B, lot 17, $22,000. • Ramona J. Waldrop and Kimberly Huntley to Elizabeth DeGourville, Berkshire Woods, 1st sector, block 2, lot 3, $100. • Jimmy R. Patton to Nellie Patton, Anniston City Land Co., block 195, lot 1, $10. • Kenneth J. Potocki and Ruth A. Potocki to Martha A. Moore, Wildwood subdivision, lot 19, $68,000. • John Williams Davis Jr. and Karen Chappell Davis to Clifford Spivey and Linda Spivey, Ashton Place, block C, lot 9, $10. • Jerry W. Pounds to Martha K. Trantham, a parcel of land in section 1, township 15, range 7, $10. • Martha K. Trantham to Trantham Farms Inc., a parcel of land in section 1, township 15, range 7, $10. • Fannie Mae to Caitlin Prater, Golden Springs subdivision, 5th addition, lot 20. • Jacqueline Prestridge to Angus Angelo Mickler, Linen Thread Co. subdivision, lot 91, $17,000.
Journal-keepers f ind relief, motivation in daily writing BY JASMINE MAKI Grand Forks Herald
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Sitting up at 3 a.m. with various thoughts circling through her mind, Kathleen Coudle-King turns to her journal — a teal, leather journal with the words “Write Your Own Script” printed on the cover. She pulls out her black roller-ball pen and begins “dumping” all of her frustrations and anxieties onto the pages. “I think of my brain as one of those electrical meters some nights,” she said, making the sound of a churning electrical current. “Writing is a way to slow it down.” She writes in scattered phrases and lists for 10 to 15 minutes filling three or four pages before closing her journal and finally going to sleep. Coudle-King, executive director of the Fire Hall Theatre and a senior lecturer at the University of North Dakota, has been journaling four to five days a week for nearly 20 years. She said the expressive writing is a way to free her mind from her worries, anxieties, fears and frustrations. “I’ve found that it’s a good way to deal with anxiety,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s just a good way to dump anger.” If Coudle-King is really upset with someone but can’t talk to them about it or if she is obsessing about something minor, she said she will write about it in her journal. “Often, once I get it on paper, I don’t have to keep revisiting it usually,” she said with a laugh. The creative writing teacher has taught journaling workshops and said she believes the act of journaling can free people to think more clearly. She said one of the great creative writing gurus, Julia Cameron, calls it “the morning pages.” “When you wake up you write for 10 minutes, and you just go. Whatever is on your mind, your dreams, your anxieties for the day,” she said. “(Cameron) believes that what this does is free you up to do your writing.” Coudle-King prefers to write at night, but she said it has the same effect. It allows her to clear her mind, so she can sleep. James Pennebaker, a nationally known American social psychologist, has done extensive research on the topic of journaling as a route to healing. According to his book “Writing to Heal,” his research has shown that shortterm focused writing can have a beneficial effect on everyone from those dealing with a terminal illness to victims of violent crime, to college students facing first-year transitions. His book is a how-to guide on writing expressively. “When people are given the opportunity to write about emotional upheavals, they often experience improved health,” Pennebaker said. “They go to the doctor less. They have changes in
JOURNALING TIPS FROM COUDLE-KING
Photos by John Stennes/MCT
TOP: Kathy Coudle-King, of Grand Forks, N.D., has been journaling regularly for nearly 20 years as a way to ‘dump’ the stress of the day before going to bed. ABOVE: Coudle-King revisits a journal of hers from 1997. immune function. If they are firstyear college students, their grades tend to go up.” Much like expressive journaling is beneficial to one’s mental health, the act of food journaling has been proven to be beneficial to one’s physical health. In a 2012 study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, researchers found that women who kept food records lost six more pounds on average than women who did not. The study also found the food journaling helped people lose weight more quickly and maintain the weight loss for a longer period of time. Erin Meiers, of Grand Forks, N.D., said she turned to food jour-
naling when she was trying to lose weight and gain muscle in preparation for the Fargo Fitness Show last year. Every day, she recorded the details of her meals including the time, food, quantity, calories, carbohydrates and protein. She also recorded her specific goals like how much she wanted to lose and how much protein she needed to take. “It helped to be conscious of what I was eating,” she said. “It helped with caloric intake and protein amounts.” Meiers recorded her meals consistently for about one month, and inconsistently for about four. She said journaling was helpful in the beginning because it allowed
• Set yourself up for success. Whether you like ballpoint pens, pencils or gel pens, select a writing utensil that feels good in your hand. And, find a journal that fits your personality. If you buy an expensive leather journal, you may feel the need to write beautiful poetry. • Find a quiet, comfortable space. Whether it’s a local coffee shop, your office or your bedroom, find a comfortable space where you can write in private. • Set a timer. Pick a certain amount of time and set a timer or an alarm. You’ll be able to focus on your writing without worrying about wasting too much time. • Pick a topic. If you’re having trouble thinking of something to write, pick a specific topic or quote to write about. • Don’t stick to words. If you prefer to doodle, sketch or collage, feel free to express yourself in various ways through your journal. • Don’t force it. Not everyone needs to keep a journal. If you have another outlet for releasing tension and expressing yourself, don’t force yourself to journal. her keep to track of how much and what types of food she was eating. After a while, recording everything became more of a hassle, but Meiers said that journaling
did help her stay on track and stick to her goals. “It’s really good for keeping you on track, keeping you conscious. It keeps your mind there,” Meiers said. “If I was ever getting sick or getting off track, I’d pick up my journal again.” Meiers, who also kept a personal journal while completing her master’s degree in English, said personal journaling and food journaling are completely opposite. “For me, the food journaling was much more tense because I had goals,” she said. “My journaling-journaling was more just to get things out. It wasn’t so strict.” In her personal journal, Meiers wrote about anything from her dogs, to her 10-page paper that was due at the end of the week, to her home life. “You just kind of unload everything,” she said. “It was a stress reliever kind of. It gets something off your mind and off your chest. You just work out things you never realized were even an issue.” Meiers said the two types of journaling also differed in that she would constantly look back at her food journal to see her progress, but she tended to leave her personal journal alone after writing. Coudle-King expressed the same feelings about her personal journals, saying she rarely looks back on them. But, she said she understands why some people might go back and read their journals. “Sometimes, life just moves so fast that you don’t have time to realize all the things you’ve done,” she said. “Sometimes, when you record your little successes in life, you can go back and read them.” She said New Year’s Eve and birthdays are a good time for one to look back and see where he or she was at last year. Coudle-King said she prefers to live in the now and look to the future, rather than spending a lot of time reflecting on the past, so she doesn’t read her journals very often. But, she has kept all of them. Her dozen or more journals lie scattered around the house, some slightly hidden and some right on the top of her dresser. “A friend and I joke that ‘if I die before you do, you have to go into the house, find the journals and burn them,’” she said, adding that they would have to do so without reading the journals because that’s practically “the 11th commandment.” “I would advise anyone, don’t read anyone else’s journal,” she said. “Just don’t; don’t do it.” Coudle-King said in order for people to journal successfully they need to trust that the people around them aren’t going to read their personal thoughts. “Some people don’t keep journals because they’re afraid somebody’s going to find them,” she said. “And if you’re holding back, what’s the point of the journal. You need to be honest.”