This challenge was created by Wendy.

To see the complete details for this challenge, please see my side-bar or visit Wendy.

Mini-Challenge #6 was to Read two (2) articles from any one magazine – tell us about them.

1. In Time Magazine’s issue dated April 21, 2008, The was an article about Barack Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, titled ‘A Mother’s Story’.

She was born in 1942, just 5 years before Hilary Clinton was born. Her father wanted a boy and that’s why her parents named her Stanley, however after enduring years of teasing, after high school, she used her middle name Ann.

She attened the University of Hawaii, where she met het first husband, Barack Obama Sr. Not long after they were married, he went back to his home country, Kenya and Ann did not follow. She filed for divorce in January 1964.

After Barack turned two, Ann returned to college where she got her bachelor’s degree, which wasn’t easy for a single mother on food stamps. But, she had the assistance of her parents to help raise Barack.

Back in school she met her second husband Lolo Soetro. Mother and son moved to Lolo’s home country of Indonesia. There was no electricity or running water and inflation was at 600%. Barack attended a Catholic school there and Ann taught English in the U.S. Embassy. She also had a daughter, Soetoro Ng.

When Obama was 10, she sent him back to Hawaii to live with her parents where he attend an elite prep school that he’s received a scholarship for. It was important to Ann that Barack get a strong education. A year later Ann returned to Hawaii and wnet back to school, where she received her Master’s degree in anthropology.

In 1980 she filed for divorce. Three years later, when Barock was 14, she went back to Indonesia to do field work for her Ph.D. Barack of his own choice, remained in Hawaii. She completed her Ph.D in 1992.

Due to Ann’s professional work, she left a last legacy of helping to build a microfinance program in Indonesia. She died of ovarian and uterine cancer on November 7, 1995.

2. The second article I read was titled ‘The Epic Man’ and was about Charlton Heston, who died on April 5th at the age of 84. As a movie star I believe he was a great, however as the President of the National Rifle Association, I was and am still totally opposed.

Mini-Challenge #12 was to Participate in a group or buddy read and discussion (this can be either a face to face book club, an on line group, or a blog/buddy read). Tell the group what you read and with whom; give us a review.

For this challenge, I read and discussed Hawaii by James A. Michener with my Classics Book Club. If you haven’t already read my review, you can read it here.