Michelle Knight Tells Her Story & Reclaims Her Life

Tears flow down my face as I watch a DVR'd episode of Dr. Phil.  A year since her escape, Michelle Knight's strength and dignity softly explodes through the t.v. screen. 

I purposely saved watching the show until after I read her book "Finding Me:  A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed".  I was deeply moved by Michelle's will to stand firm, to move forward, and to heal from the devastating ordeal she lived for 11 years of her life.  Compelling.

Michelle takes you with her as she reveals some details of her childhood, the people she encounters, the hell hole in which she lived, the torture that she endured, and the awakening of her new life. Michelle paints a picture so vivid that I felt like a fly on the wall.  While reading, I watched her suffer, I saw her write in her journals, I was there during her spiritual awakening with God, and I saw her inner light shine. 

I've never met her, but I feel as if I actually know this woman.   She is talented, She is real, She loves love, She is spirited, She is inspiration, She is a beacon, She is a butterfly, SHE is Lillian Rose Lee!

By T. James-Sykes

I Dream of The Carousel at Euclid Beach!

I'm too young to remember Euclid Beach, but I see the vivid picturs my parents paint when they share detailed stories about their childhood.  Their words play the music they heard, show the films they've seen, and take me to the places they've been. My parents have unknowingly given me memories that are before my time. 

I truly appreciate them for sharing and exposing me to things that I wouldn't have imagined; treasures that I'll always hold dear. 

Now that I've dried my sentimental tears, I can tell you how excited I am that the Euclid Beach Carousel is under restoration, and will be available for all to ride again!  I had a blast seeing the horsies on display, at the Western Reserve Historical Society.  Ma and dad traded memories as they pointed out the ponies they favored as children.

The grand Carousel operated at Euclid Beach Park from 1910 until closing day, September 28, 1969.  Now, Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society is restoring the mechanism.  It will be fully operational on  November 23, 2014 at the Western Reserve Historical Society History Center in University Circle!

Before & After Photo Close-Up

There's still time to be a part of the magic by making a donation towards the restoration.  Visit

http://www.clevelandcarousel.org/ for more information.

Click here to see the time line of this historical carousel:

http://www.wrhs.org/properties/Euclid_Beach_Carousel-2

By T. James-Sykes