Sooooo, I was thinking....

What are you carrying? Whenever I have time to reflect, like now when school is out, I am drawn deeper into myself. I tend begin to reflect on recent events and how seemingly unrelated events in my life have really all been connected one to the other ....you know, putting recent events in a larger perspective. This process of riffling through my emotional, spiritual and psychological bags always leaves me knowing that I still have clutter that needs to be sorted through. Indeed, there is always work to do, improvements to make.....But it's all good - growth is a never ending process...anything that is not growing is not living.... God is merciful. Got any bags that need clearing? Your girl thinks that now is a good time to begin thinking along these lines. Get good and ready for the New Year. Maybe you don't need any major work - perhaps just a tune up. Whatever your state of affairs, you know it best. Remember ya'll- you matter. The energy you put out into the world matter...

Family Reunion - Jill Scott So you guys remember the opening scene of "The Wiz" when Diana Ross was in her family's Harlem apartment and everyone was preparing for Christmas dinner. Food everywhere, kids laughing, too many people and not enough room? That is my favorite scene of that movie because it reminds me of gatherings with my family. So I am here taking a break from mixing, pouring, measuring and stirring. I am in the middle of making my famous German Chocolate Cake and Banana Pudding. Okay, maybe they are only famous with my family, but really it's their opinion that matters to me anyway. The last post I wrote was about friends who were like family to me. This post is about family who are like friends. I don't think that it was until I left home for college that I really began to appreciate the gift I had by way of my family. I had always had them around and I guess that I just took for granted that everyone had large familys with whom they were close. Whe...

I love my friends. Many of my friends are like family to me...whom I also love dearly I might add. This weekend we celebrated a momentous accomplishment of one of my dearest sista-friends....we will call her Dr. K. Dr.K recently successfully defended her dissertation and is the proud owner of one of the highest achievements academia can bestow. I have long admired my friend Dr. K for her sharp wit, agile mind, strong faith and boundless altruism. She has the biggest heart and the smallest ego of anyone I know. I know a lot of folks, and she is by far one of the most gifted of the bunch. The thing that makes Dr. K so special is her humility. To see her walking down a local hood near you, you would never make her out for the Ivy League Alumna that she is. She loves hip-hop, would lay down her life for one the kids she works with, has a spray painted mural on her garage wall and can rock a pair of Chuck Taylor's fresher than the rest! While I totally respect her intellect, it is her s...

I stumbled upon this video and could not stop watching her dance. I am fascinated by the interplay of indigenous cultures, however it manifests itself throughout the world. Candy striped spandex outfit notwithstanding...(which btw,kinda reminds me of something Salt-N-Peppa rocked in their "Push-it" video.) what strikes me about this woman is her simple beauty. The sensuality that just oozes from her subtleties. No bells, no whistles, okay yes there are drums, but there is no gyrating her self into a frenzy, no pumping grinding and hair tossing.... yet she manages to convey her points nonetheless. I have been trying to infuse a bit more of this simplicity, this softness into my daily life. Walking a little softer, smiling a little easier, touching the cheek of a loved one and expressing my love for myself and, by extension, them - with a simple gesture of the hand....a knowing glance, an blink that lasts a few moments too long - accented with a smile. I know that many of you w...

Nobody Beats The Biz - Biz Markie What should I be doing right now? Helping Big Shug with his homework and getting my ass on that treadmill! What am I doing instead? Giving him yet another lesson in "real hip-hop" and wopping so hard I think I pulled a neck muscle! Do we even have muscles in our neck! P.S....here is a little Grand Puba for good measure! LOOOOOOOVE IT! I Like It - Grand Puba

This photo has Big Shug written all over it!

Wow! What can I say! Big shug and I were up all night watching the numbers. Of course any time he gets to stay up past his bedtime is reason enough to celebrate for him! I still don't think the reality has settled in for me....the significance of it all. My cell was blowing up all day with texts and messages and calls and just stuff. I think one part of me is just feels like dancing in the street, kinda like dude they showed on t.v. last night who was doing his version of the "chicken noodle soup" dance (see below) upon hearing the news of Obama's victory. Despite the challenges that this man faces, I just want to take the next few days to revel in the gloriousness of it all....wow, I am even at a loss for words on this one......Yes We Can!