Really Nice photography I came across on WordPress…Home of the Originals
Life, Death, Family, and Sarcasm
You know what? Cheers to Family!!!!!
They are some really lucky bastards..They get to physically. mentally, and spiritually watch you grow old til the day that one of you dies. Its honestly a life and death situation. No one in the world except those that have been around you, watched you mature, got to love you should get to experience your passing from life to death…then if your an optimist like myself then on to the next life?
Your family can be a group of friends or maybe just one bestie. It could be through marriage or adoption. They know basically your every thought and can track you down better than the FBI if you ever tried to disappear. I love my Family.
Cheers
Outside Of The Box
A New Year is upon us. As the majority of the world prepares for its midnight celebration Im meditating on my past and my future. Last year my motto was “Just get it done”. Just get it done got my through major hurdles in my personal and public life. My Family, which consists of my husband and two small children started a new life in a different Borough of New York City. The move was very fast paced and came with finding new schools for my children. We all needed to map out commutes to get to our new jobs and new schools. Rough is the mildest word I can use. In 2010 neither my husband nor myself had stable employment and it robbed our family of so many simple enjoyments. The start of 2011 became our Just Get It Done Year…for the sake of our children First and us Last. We both started new jobs on the same day after one month of sweat, blood, and prayers trying to get an interview.
So my husband and I found the jobs, the schools, the best commutes possible and began Grinding. We started out on the road to recovery. We finally had the means to splurge on the kids like we wanted to. Holidays were really good to them. I started working on my appearance and lost a total of 51lbs. My confidence was restored. My relationship with my husband grew stronger due to my stupidity I realized just how much my spouse loves me and that made all the difference in the world. If you can find someone who will stick by you even when you are not perfect, they just might be a keeper! His name is not Mr. Love for nothing. God knew what HE was doing when HE named my hubby.
This year, 2012 my motto is “Outside Of The Box”. My resolution, aspiration, goal, or whatever you choose to call it will be to stop setting limits on myself due to my outdated outlook on life. I know now thanks to God for speaking to me through people that Ive been limiting / blocking blessings that had my name on them just because I did not think they were possible. This year I will allow myself to expect the unexpected, to just ASK first before assuming a NO is waiting for me, to TRY first before assuming its impossible. I believe in my heart that this will make all the difference in the world.
Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. ~Oprah Winfrey
Growing Pains
To all Astrology Buffs the effects of my Saturn Return is upon me. To those who dont know here is a small excerpt from wikipedia: It is believed by astrologers that, as Saturn “returns” to the degree in its orbit occupied at the time of birth, a person crosses over a major threshold and enters the next stage of life. With the first Saturn return, a person leaves youth behind and enters adulthood.
This year 2011, has been one of awakening. I have been able to finally get to know myself.flaws and all. I realized that there are areas where for the longest I have been completely WRONG….and this pains me. I knew that I had self esteem/ self worth issues that needed to be addressed. My Husband and children have been angels in helping me know my worth. They have provided unconditional love that truly heals old wounds.
I realized this year that I have deep seated fear/ worry that can put me in the grave early if not dealt with. I realized that I put up a invisible barrier between myself and others so that they dont get close enough to hurt me. Even though I am the one who always say I wish I had more friends.
I realized that I block my own blessings. When you operate in fear, you basically handcuff the Lord from doing what HE said HE would do. Fear is the opposite of all GOD stands for. No, im not putting myself down but rather I am putting everything on the table so I can begin on the road to maturity and wholeness.
I realized that I have destructive behavior patterns. When I am stressed/ overwhelmed by life’s situations I tend to cook/ bake more, knowing good and darn well that this does not help me in my weight loss campaign.
The year 2012 is most definitely going to be about spiritual growth, relationship improvement with my spouse and children and breaking unproductive thought patterns.
Thanksgiving 2011
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
This year Thanksgiving was spent at my Auntie’s home in Brooklyn N.Y.
We were all surrounded by love and great food. I made the Pork Shoulder, the collard greens that were cooked with pork neckbones and fried bacon, the 3 bean salad, the biscuits and the chocolate cake. My Auntie made everything else you see in the picture. Her Turkey was falling off the bone and juicy as ever!
I’m Thankful for my beautiful supportive family, my small circle of forever friends, my employment, a roof over my head, my bills paid, and most importantly an awesome Unchanging, Ever loving Lord in my life.
Blessed
Top 10 reasons I HATE NYC Apartments
I am a born and raised New Yorker. I have always lived in apartment buildings. So, for the past 29 years I have hated my living conditions. Who in their right mind would put a person’s home/ living quarters directly on top of another persons home/ living quarters and charge them both incredibly high rent???
The new Bedroom
My reasons:
1) You get to know your neighbors too well. The walls are so thin that you can hear your neighbors conversations among other things…ewww
2) Whatever your neighbor is cooking becomes the new smell in your apartment…..odors travel very fast.
3) Your life is in your neighbors hands and vice versa. Perfect example for you, last month my neighbor’s apartment was on fire and I had to knock on their door to tell them. They did not realize it. OMG….smdh
4) The amount of rent in some apartment buildings are parallel with mortgage rates.
5) Location takes so much precedence that quality is barely mentioned. I’ve seen dumps for almost $3,000/ month and they are not even worth $1,000/month.
6) I hate people walking over me figuratively and literally.
7) People tend to pee in elevators ALOT in NYC…
8) Did I mention they are cramped quarters with high price tags?
9) Did I mention that you can’t block out the sounds of loud neighbors?
10) Lastly did I mention you cant block out the smells of your neighbors nasty cooking?
Okay I guess you may have figured out I may or may not have a neighbor who is loud and stinks. I need to move soon and I am not sure another apartment is the way to go.. If I was to move into a house it might be out of NYC… This is truly the city that never sleeps.
Up and soon running
Ive been doing tons and tons of mental blogging. Just havent had time to sit still and type it out. So I guess I have alot I need to get off of my chest. Things that I want to talk about is the person who decided to stack homes on top of one another (apts)..smh.. I dont think that I like them.
Also, I want to talk about my spiritual journey and the work that the Lord is doing on me. I think ill write a long post on the crazy things that my toddlers say to me. I would like to address my relationship with my husband and what it is like to be with him for the past 4 yrs. You really learn alot spending everyday of your life for the past four years with the same person.
I made a few new recipes that I would like to share with you. Cooking is surely a joy in my life.
I think that i need to have a one on one convo with myself about my feelings really soon. We all have to be true to ourselves ya know.
Lastly, i need to post some new pics of myself. I have lost quite a bit of weight. From 225 after the birth of my daughter to my current 174lbs, im not far from goal of being a healthy, height appropriate 160lbs. Wish me luck!!
Birthdays are over rated after 21
My Birthday was this past Friday 9/23. I turned 29 yrs old. Woo Hoo!! I mean really. I can recall every detail of my 21st Birthday even though I was drunk during the majority of it. But 29? Who can recall what they did on their 29th birthday???? go ahead…ill wait….no one right? Exactly!
Its not that I didnt have fun almost every second of it. I went to work where only 2 people remembered it was my birthday, went shopping in the rain for the kids and my hubby than went home to chinese food. Maybe turning the Big 30 next year might be exciting.. We will see.
The bright side of my birthday was my husband sending an edible arrangement with balloons and a teddy bear to my job. Once i saw a delivery man with a happy birthday balloon and a love served up balloon I knew my hubby was responsible. He wrote the most romantic card for me. When I got home that evening my kids yelled Happy Birthday Mommy to me. That made my day!!
Moments like this :-)
So here I am trying to have a little me time and blog a bit when my 3yrd old son Mikael comes into the bedroom fussing about how he cannot zip up his inside out winter jacket. Its the middle of August mind you. While my 2yr old daughter Daneya walks in behind him with her heavy winter sweater zipped up perfectly saying “Look at me mommy!!!”. These are the wonderful moments when all you do is cherish what the Lord gave. I was given two quirky kids and a Hubby who still thinks he can chase down a mouse with a broom. He has been at it for 2 hours now. Lord give us strength.
This past week in my family were many discussions about loved ones that have passed away and how quickly it seems they are forgotten. Even though memories of them bring smiles to our faces they simply cannot warrant attention quite the way us living can. As I sit and reflect on the impact each family member had on my life and my decisions I think about how it will be when im gone. I have no fear of death itself but concern for those whom I will leave behind. I dont want them to grieve too hard nor mourn my death for long, nor struggle to fill the shoes I previously wore. I pray almost daily that if I should perish that they will be alright. I truly, Truly, cherish the here and now!
Welcome Spring!!!!
I am excited about Spring! After having such a crappy and miserable winter I embrace the change in seasons. The season of lack, the season of stress, the season of back stabbing friends, the season of anxiety…Im leaving it in Winter and never looking back. My April showers will wash away all hurts and regrets of Winter.
In the Spring everything gets a second chance. The flowers in our gardens come out of hibernation. The beautiful birds come back home and start sprucing up their nests, The grass gets green again, and our habitats begin to thrive! How wonderful is that.
Comparing my life right this moment to this winter that is about to end it kinda makes all the rain in Spring worth it.
