R.I.P.

 

Police here in Jackson located the remains of Latasha Norman yesterday afternoon.  Her ex-boyfriend has been charged with the murder.

I pray God’s peace for her family.  And for his.

This is my prayer, Lord

I have not been as vigilant with my prayer lately as I need to be.  I am rectifying that immediately.  A portion of my prayer list follows.

• Jackson State honors student Latasha Norman is still missing.  I pray a miracle for her family. 
• I pray God’s peace for the family of Sean Taylor.
• I pray that Smoochy and I are always good parents to Lovegirl and that we are granted the wisdom we need to raise this child into adulthood.
• I pray for the continued health and well being of my family. 
• I pray that the spirit of fear, which I sometimes allow to prevent me from doing things that I need or want to do, be released from my life.
• Smoochy has completed his month-long training where he was driving/riding with an experienced driver/trainer.  I pray for his safety and the safety of all on the road.
• I pray for the leaders of this nation and of the world. 
• I pray for my family, my friends, my coworkers, my enemies.  God’s continued mercy and blessings on all.

Meme’ing on Monday

So, Los Angelista has tagged me for the random and weird meme.  I’m going to share 7 random and weird things about myself and then tag 7 more folks to do the same.  Drum roll please . . . .

• I enjoy V8.  But only when flying.  I don’t know what that’s all about, but the only time I drink V8 is when I’m on an airplane.  I think to myself “hmm, this is mighty tasty, I should buy some when I get home.”  But I never do.
• I used to be fascinated by the innards of rocks.  Yep, you read right – rocks.  When I was about 8 or so, I was convinced that the inside of rocks had healing powers. The more veins and coloration running through a rock, the better.  I would pound the rocks into powder and feed the powder to my younger brother thinking it would cure his asthma.  It did not.
• My date for the Sadie Hawkin’s dance (12th grade) was very obviously gay. Except for to me.  I guess I was really naive.  I had no clue he was gay – not that it mattered – and thought he’d be great fun to go with (he was).  I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why my parents just smiled and told me I had no curfew that night!  Looking back on the pictures, he with his texturized orange hair styled into a kiss curl on his forehead, wearing a blouse, a woman’s sweater and ballet flats and I with a similar look, I’m not sure how I missed that one.  Thank you padres for a most sheltered childhood!
• I will not read a book twice.  Yet, I keep most of my books.  I like the idea of a library in our home, so I have most of the books I’ve bought in the last 20 years or so.  If I think a book is a real dud, I’ll give it away, but most of them are lovingly arranged on one of three shelves.  Gathering dust.
• I’m not all that enamored of roses.  They’re okay, but I think there are so many flowers that are much prettier – lillies, gerber daisies, and gardenias to name a few.
• I had no idea how much Doon*ey and Bour*ke (sp?) purses cost until earlier this summer.  I buy my purses at Marshall’s/Ross/TJ Maxx – I don’t care if they’re “last season’s” or whatever.  I almost fell out when I was browsing with a friend and she wanted to look at purses.  Do you know those things are like $200 for the itty bitty versions??!?  Is it just me? 
• I love Chai.  I could go broke consuming the stuff.  Such tasty warm goodness – and the weather is finally cooling off enough for me to justify my frequent trips to the coffee hut . . . .

*Tried to post this yesterday – home computer was trippin’ – so here’s my Monday post.  On Tuesday.

Oops!  I forgot to tag 7 folks – African American Dad, Ebony Mommy, Fashionista, Hot Mama, Living out Loud, TKW, Yummy 411, you’re it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Smoochy is upstairs sleeping, Lovegirl is in the kitchen snatching pieces of cornbread when she thinks I’m not looking, and I’ve taken a break from food preparations to blog for a minute.

I am thankful for this blessed life that I live.  I am thankful to have the family and friends that I do.  I am thankful for this blog – I keep it mainly to journal our lives, but I’m so honored that you take the time to come by, read, and comment.  I’ve learned from you, I’ve laughed because of you, and I’ve prayed with and for you.  I’ve “met” a lot of great people through this site, and I’m thankful for that.

I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and that God’s mercy and blessings follow you always.

Happy Thanksgiving!

EEK!

 

You know how they say if you say/imagine something long enough it’ll come to fruition?

Well, all of my talk lately about seeing a mouse, seems to have brought one of the little suckers into my home.

I have one real phobia.  Care to guess what it is? (See #38 on my 100 things list)  Rodents.  I saw “evidence” of the little bastard (pardon my french, but it’s on y’all) when I was cleaning the kitchen yesterday.  Like to have died!  In the five years we’ve been in our house, we have never had a mouse (that I know of).  Until now.

Please believe that I’ll be at Wal*Mart after work standing in a long-a line buying plenty of mouse traps.  I’m going to try the new-fangled thingamabobs where you don’t have to see the mouse.

In my college years when I lived in a drafty old house that was way too easily accesible to rodentia (and burglars), and they used to come in every spring and fall (and I swear I’m not nasty y’all), I have:  called in to work crying because I saw a mouse and was scared to get off the bed, gone on to the football team’s practice field and begged the coach to let my then boyfriend, now husband Smoochy leave practice for 15 minutes to get rid of a mouse, paid neighbor children good money to remove a glue-trapped mouse, checked into a hotel because I saw a mouse, and the list goes on.

Thank God Smoochy will be home tonight.  I can’t handle this. 

She tickles me

Sunday night I parted Lovegirl’s hair in fourths and made four little buns on top of her head.  Really cute I think, and she must’ve agreed because she told everybody to “look at my little buns” yesterday. (I sure hope they knew she was referring to her hair!)

Last night:
Lovegirl:  “Mama, are you going to give me four little buns again?”
Nerd Girl:  “Sure honey, I”ll be glad to.”
Lovegirl:  “Mama, I want dreadlocks instead.”

Honey, I’m glad you like Mama’s hair, but that is a decision you’ll have to make later in life, not at the ripe old age of 3!

Gift cards – yea or nay?

 

I don’t like to shop.  That doesn’t mean I don’t love my peeps, I do.  Really.  I just get no joy from roaming from store to store in search of the perfect whatever.  And lest you think I’m being selfish, I don’t like to shop for anyone – myself included.

So, this year, I think that every grown person on my list will be presented with a gift card – either Visa or Amex – so that they can buy something they really want.  (Well, with the amount we’ll be giving it’ll be more like a contribution toward something they really want!)

I read somewhere that the etiquette folks say this is a no-no.  But, since none of them have stopped by to pick up my “to buy for” list, I think I’m taking the easy way out this year.

I’ll troll the stores for the kiddies though.  So if you’re in or around Jackson and you see an angry looking black woman with dreadlocks muttering to herself in a toy store or on the toy aisle of a store, please, come up and introduce yourself – it’ll be me!

Good job Lovegirl!

I am always telling Lovegirl what a great job she’s done – putting on her shoes, wiping the table, finishing her meal, etc.

A while back, I read an article that said the the children we’re currently raising – and those a decade before them – will be so used to being praised for everything, that they will encounter real heartache/heartbreak when they finally venture into the real world.  That we parents, by currently praising them in an almost nonstop manner, are setting them up for unrealistic expectations when it comes to real kudos.

On the one hand, I want to be Lovegirl’s biggest encourager, her biggest fan (when she’s doing right, of course) but I also thought that there was a grain of truth in the article – she won’t be able to step outside and take a breath without expecting someone to say “great job!” Even now, if she does something and I say “okay,” instead of offering praise as usual, she will tell me “Mama, you need to say good job Lovegirl!”

I can’t remember where I read the article, otherwise I’d post a link to it.  If anyone’s interested in weighing in on this, I’d love to hear your opinion.  Praise - when it comes to children is there ever such a thing as “too much?”

Soul Bowl

Today at 1:00 the Jackson State Tigers take on the Alcorn Braves in the Capital City Classic AKA the Soul Bowl!

Lovegirl and I will be rooting for JSU and for my coworker’s son who just happens to play for Alcorn. 

The weather promises to be beautiful, the crowds should be full of positive energy with a little trash-talking on the side, and I can’t wait!

Hope everyone has the happiest of Saturdays.

16 Things I Like

Okay, so officially I’m not a NaBloPoMo’er – I missed the 1st, 8th, 10th, 12th, and 13th, but in the spirit, here’s a random – and I do mean random – list.

1. butter pecan ice cream
2. the truth
3. pop music
4. water
5. my hands
6. being a homeowner
7. most people
8. my chemical-free hair
9. my daughter’s fashion sensibilities
10. R*eal Simple magazine
11. wearing black
12. a F*ergie song – maybe the title is “Trippin’”?
13. raking leaves
14. rich colors – hunter green, burgundy, pumpkin
15. possibilities
16. fine tip writing pens

Okay, so officially I’m not a NaBloPoMo’er – I missed the 8th, 10th, 12th, and 13th, but in the spirit, here’s a random – and I do mean random – list.