Being A Blog-Star ... Thanx 2 Sistah Miz

Thanx 2 Sistah Miz I've been presented with the Blogging Star Award! Wowww. Is it possible that I'm speechless? LOL!
Well, I have to Thank The Creator who moved me to start blogging in the first place & sends such A'musing thoughts through my beautiful brain.

What 5 Bloggers Do I pass this award onto?
So hard to choose - I'd choose everyone on my blog-list, really. Even if I don't have the time to check them all now that I'm working full-time - U should try! Well, here goes:

The Jody - gotta luv my blog-admirer & AMAZING artist!
Who knew he saw me at that 70's party with my 'do 'froed out & was inspired to create these beautifully hip sistahs? ;-)
Kai C. - that li'l sistah there LOVES her some Michael Jackson & her poetry comes straight from the heart!

NewCed - Yea, it's personal - this Brother has been my voice of reason for YEARS!

Dejanae - Li'l Blog-Sis is cookin' up new flavas! Don't sleep!

BrooklynGirlPublishing - Ms. Lee iz da Hustle QUEEN, not to mention fly-azz she wanna be!

My Favorite Scene from A Piece of The Action:

If you've NEVER seen this movie YOU NEED TO ORDER IT NOW! And if you KNOW this movie - then you know what I'm saying! This should be in everyone's personal collection. This scene HERE is MOTIVATION fo'yah!

... A 'Musing Myself...

I took a quick trip 'round blog-land (left no comments: just lookin' thanx;-). Came back to my blog-home inspired to list a few Random Musings (ok, most inspired by 12Kyle, but there are others;-):

• Last weekend while hanging out we met Haywood Nelson (who's famous for his character Dwayne on What's Happening:-). He was really cool. Despite the drinks, I proudly refrained from saying: Hey Hey Hey Hey!

• Now that we have a Black President-elect with two young children: will more Black folk educate their kids in private schools? Will attitudes about education change much for Black folk?

• It's funny to me to hear different regions' & different cultures' opinions on the roles for men & women. Why do some men still think women need to cook & do all sorts of sexual favors to "hold onto" their man now-a-days? How many of those men who think that way are continuing in their roles as: the pursuer, fix-it man & protector of his domain?

• Someone asked what my specialty was and I responded: "I make a mean phone call!" LMAO!! Whew, I crax me UPP!
  

• Considering all the statistics about Blacks having the highest rate of preventable diseases that have been proven to be caused by foods we eat: Why are Black folk STILL EATING PORK, fried foods & putting sugar in & on everything from greens to rice to black-eyed peas? JESUS Help us learn from the error of our ways!!

• Would you rather be wanted or needed by your significant other?

• If your family decided to skip a Holiday due to the economy - which would U prefer to skip? Or how would U celebrate it differently to reduce expenses?

• I'm excited to connect with so many of my long "lost" friends & former students (now fellow alumni;-) via facebook. I'm proud of and happy for one of my former students/fellow alum: Demetrius Gross who is acting & appearing on Heroes. I've never watched it before, but I watched his episode. Check him out!

Happy ThanxGiving 2 ya!

Blessed Reflections...again

*This was originally posted on Oct 31st, 2006 - Wooow, how time flies! As my solo-flight seems to be drawing to a close I found this post perfect for the season of Thanksgiving & felt the need to share it again, including the two original comments. Besides, many of U may have missed it back when I was blog-green;-). And don't U just love this photo of me? It's one of my faves! LOL! Enjoy!

Reflections are such a blessing. I wish everyone of you, readers the blessings of truly loving and passionate experiences, which you can recall with vivid fondness.

If The Creator never sends another passion filled man into my heart I will die a grateful woman. Many of you will read this and wonder why such a young, vibrant woman as I am would even consider dying without another loving experience. I just want The Creator to know how thankful I am for the experiences I have had since my birth. First, I was blessed to be born to parents who loved me despite their own struggles to love themselves. My father is my best friend and I am eternally grateful for that blessing. My mother is a tough woman who has suffered much loss, resulting in struggles with herself. Nevertheless, I have always known that I was loved. Sometimes, being loved means being envied and hated for the love that others grant easily. Sometimes, being loved means feeling as if the love is undeserved, because I didn't understand what made me so special.

For years, sadly, I foolishly batted away the love that was thrust upon me, simply because I felt I was an unworthy recipient. Well, maybe not totally unworthy, but I felt there were others who deserved love, too (maybe even needed it more than I did, so I thought). I witnessed many others around me who reeally needed love, but didn't get it as easily as I. I send up apologies to those who tried to love me and were rudely, unjustly mistreated because of my ignorance. I did not realize that pushing love away from me would not send it to the people who were love-lacking. I did not realize that I deserved to be loved - just because...I AM one of The Creator's artworks that took time to develop. I deserve to be loved - just because. Regardless of the circumstances, my parents came together in love and I was a result of that rebellious risk and bond. I deserve to be loved - just because ... I AM loving and lovable.

I have experienced a quiet, romantic-love-slow year in which I have been able to reflect, rehash, and even flail about in frustration:-). In this year, I have especially missed the romance, love and tenderness that Black men would bestow upon me. In this year, I have reminisced on the true gifts and love blessings that I have received over the course of my years, many which I did not treat with the deserved reverence. In this romantic-love-slow year, I have fondly recalled the nuances and flirtations that I have been blessed with. Though, I may have been foolish on many levels, I am grateful that I enjoyed many of the courtship & sensational subtleties and flirtations before the onslaught of blatantly overt sexual promotion found in today's media. As I watch the "court-ship" of young people today, I often wonder if there is any chance that they may enjoy some of the delights and innocence as I did. I guess, truth be told, even before the sex-glut of the media, there was often some "fresh" boy who attempted to touch me inappropriately and made me feel as if this female body I was "trapped in" was an object that brought on unwanted attention. But, for the most part I was blessed with respectful overtures.

I can only hope that today's young women do still enjoy the attentions of honorable young men who truly appreciate them and all the glories of their femininity: mind, spirit and body. The memories of simply holding hands with my first love conjure stirrings within me to this day. When we held hands, we did so secretly - we thought. There was such intensity in those feather-light touches that the connection to his one hand set off sparks over my entire being. A mere look from him across a crowd would set my heart racing and render me speechless. The thought that such a handsome, smart, athletic boy found me worthy of so much of his attention was mind boggling and breath-taking.

I have to laugh as I reflect on my past, in frustration. My love life has been made up of the "stuff" of romance novels, and I took too much of it for granted. I have experienced some melodrama, but overall I have simply been the recipient of affection from many whom I had no idea how to reciprocate. I don't agree with women who bemoan the lack of good men, I am quiet during those conversations as I scream inside my head, "This is so unfair to the many who love us, yet we don't accept or understand them!" I have encountered my share of good, decent Brothers and turned them away because I was unable to appreciate them. Now, I'm praying that The Creator does sometimes send out second helpings:-). Old folks say that "The Lawd takes care of fools and babies." I'm praying that the old folk are right, again:-).

I must thank you, Creator. As frustrated as I have often found myself in this romantic-love-slow year, I have learned to recognize and appreciate the love that I get from family and friends. I have learned to recognize what I truly need in a romantic relationship. I have learned how to provide some of my emotional support, so that I won't overwhelm, nor suffocate the next Brother who enters into a romantic relationship with me. Yes, reflection is a wonderful blessing.

May we all enjoy this season of Thanxgiving - cuz, really Thanx Giving is Every Day! :-)

Hustle-in...cuz I need to hear it

Here's some extra motivation for those of us who need this BOOST! Every so often I need to hear this & u may also;-)

...Imagine...

Brother 12K asked me in his comment section:
"@ CapCity - If we all step our game up...just imagine where we'll be as a people."

I began to hear in my head - the various songs that have suggested we Imagine this world a better place: from Nas to The Beatles. Yes, the fact that AMERICANS came out in FULL force & voted en masse speaks volumes about the world we are all IMAGINING. Yes, we ALL have MUCH work to DO. As Brother T-Dawg commented at 12K's spot - we had no excuse before this election. But, I tell you what - this past election is motivation to do better & push a little harder, since it was an indication of how tired folk are of the same old rhetoric. So many people were out early, lined up, video taping & photographing at the polls that I don't think the trickery of 2000/2004 would have been possible.

So, now to answer Brother 12K's question - if we all step up our game where do I imagine we'll be as a people?

I imagine:
My own Life - Richer & Fuller:

• Physically - because I will step up my health & work out game.
• Financially - because I will step up my writing & business game.
• Emotionally - because I have stepped up my trust game.
• Mentally - because I will step up my studies game (languages, piano, etc.).

The World around me - Saner & more Accepting of Differences:

• The Middle East will settle its differences and those battles that have dated back to Biblical times will finally come to an end. Everything ends at some point, right?
• Africa will finally begin to heal from centuries of being robbed, pillaged & raped!
• Individuals of African Descent world-wide will begin to heal from centuries of being robbed, pillaged & raped!
• Tim Wise will become just another person who gets it, then takes action publicly AND privately.
  
• Xenophobia will die in usage and as a concept along with other obsolete terms such as oh, I don't know: wench, apothecary, and scuttlebutt.
• Education really will be the focus of EVERY school - then again, it may be cooler to go back to the days of home-schooling, because parents really need to spend more time with their OWN children! Besides, children learn best from their parents anyway! ;-) AND YES, when I'm blessed to be a parent I want to home school my children! There are better ways to educate and socialize our children than in a classroom filled with their own clue-less peers and one struggling (even if skillful as I am;-) adult. That one teacher to multiple same aged children is an awful model that needs to be revamped!! Bring back days of multi-generation interaction and learning!

What do U imagine the world will be like if we all step up our game?
click image for source.

...Being Ageless...

Age fascinates me. My family tends to age gracefully, unless of course individuals choose some hard hitting habits that wear the body down. I am thankful for my strong genes, because whenever I reveal my age I get the same reaction of shock (in spite of my tell-tale gray hair;-)! LOL! So, now I rarely reveal my age and finally understand my eldest sister's "philosophy": "I don't lie about my age cuz I'm ashamed, I just don't want to hurt your feelings." ;-). I was inspired by the centenarians that the media showed voting for Brother Obama, especially the able-bodied, clear thinking 106 year old sistah who was mentioned in his acceptance speech.

Recently, I was talking to a friend about the theories that our bodies are designed to live for a very long time as many did during Biblical times. There are scientists who continue to be dedicated to such research -- as I found at The Economist site. Which led me to wonder: what if we could live forever? What would I spend my life doing if I knew that I would be here at least until I was in my mid-hundreds? I've read several "bucket lists", but what about a how to spend the next couple of hundred years list? What can I imagine life will be like 100 or more years from today? We've heard those elders who recently voted say that they never imagined they'd live to see the day when there was a Brother on the ballot. What do you think will be your: I never thought I'd live to see...? What will you do with all that time on your hands if you knew you'd live well into your hundreds?

One of my age-dreams is to be included in Essence magazine's annual issue of Sistahs who defy their age! So, if any of you readers have the "hook up"... ;-)

Click image for source.

President Barack Obama: How Sweet The Sound!

After hearing of folks "horror" stories of how quietly they had to celebrate in their work places that BARACK OBAMA won the ELECTION in a LANDSLIDE ('specially since no trickery was used;-) - I am EXTRA thankful for my new place of employment! EVERYone (for the most part) was ecstatic by the results! I got more hugz last Wednesday from a variety of colleagues - most of whom I barely know, yet! Then I found this Chocolate News piece & David Allen Grier crax me UP, so I had to share!!

**Warning: Do NOT watch this at work (without earphones) or in front of children. Now, enjoy!

I've heard the Obamas are considering my Alma Mater...

... for their girls' education. I know they have many options to consider, but I am extremely excited that there's even a possibility that I may be a fellow alum to the children of the 44th First Family. Many have read that I feel blessed by the sacrifices my parents made, in order for me to attend one of DC's top independent schools.

Now, I am always brainstorming ways to "give back" by educating others about school choices for their children. Too often I've heard Middle Class Parents of Color state that private education is too expensive and not worth the expense. I'd like to help change that mindset. Please check out my poll (& website) in the left column to let me know what U think. Thank you!

click on images for source.

Where will the Bloggers' Inauguration Gathering BE?

I'm definitely going to be in the Nation's Capital during the MLK Holiday/Barack Obama Inauguration weekend! It would be FABULOUS if we could get many bloggers together! I know there will be a "gazillion" inauguration parties - official or not! Who else will be in the Nation's Capital ready to Dance in the Streets & do the Election Slide with the rest of us;-)?

Some one asked if I were having a party for my birthday (two days after the inauguration for those who didn't read the post before this one;-). My response: the NATION will be partying for my b'earthday! I just need to show UP! ;-)

YES! WE DID!!!!!

I am SMILING ALL INSIDE THIS DAY!! Heck, I'm smiling OUTSIDE, too!

I'll proudly reveal something I RARELY tell anyone: Two days after Barack is inaugurated as the 44th President I will celebrate my 44th B'earthday. WHAT an amazing gift to be part of a Brother's Inauguration - 'cause it is NO SECRET that I will be IN THE NATION's CAPITAL on January 20th!!

Young Brothers, you can hoist up your pants now - you may REALLY BE the next President!

Helping a Family Move in...

I'll lend a hand to help you & your family move in Mr. President!
My condolences on the loss of your grandmother!
I know she's smiling down on you
& the rest of this YOU-nited States;-).

Enjoy This Momentous Election Day, Good People!!

P.S. All DC Natives are excited that we're gonna have a 'Bama living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. ;-)

Please Send Up Prayers for Sistah Miz

My Dear Friend & Blogging Buddy, Miz has lost one of her siblings today. Please pray for her and her family at this time. I did not meet that particular brother of hers, but the family members I have met embraced me as if I were one of their own. They put the hospitality in the phrase Southern Hospitality! May his light shine eternally in your heart.


Hugz & Much love to you at this time of loss, Sistah Miz!