Advance What?

Advance directive.  Do you have one?  Do you know what it is?

Simply put, an advance directive is a legal form that allows you to convey your decisions about end-of-life care if you were to ever be too sick or injured to express your wishes.  Advance directives let medical providers know if you want to be resuscitated, fed via tube, placed on dialysis, etc. or if you would prefer that drastic measures not be taken.

My department is sponsoring an awareness event in a few months to inform hospital employees about advance directives.  I will have one done at that time.

Is this something you’ve ever thought about?  Do you have any questions about advance directives?  I’m putting together a FAQ and would love to hear your thoughts/questions/concerns about advance directives.

Thanks!!

 

Book Club – Angel of Harlem

Well, what did y’all think??

I cannot lie – I almost gave up on this book.  The beginning didn’t capture me and the language in the beginning was just too flowery and full of embellishments.  I felt as though the author had a list of descriptive phrases she’d been collecting over the years and that she was determined to use them all in the first 15 or 20 pages of the book.

Having said that, I stuck with it and ended up really enjoying this fictionalized account of Dr. May Chinn’s life.

I felt sorry for May and her mother – her father was a real piece of work and I felt like the trials and loss he suffered earlier in his life would’ve made him a bit more compassionate and loving instead of so very harsh.  The relationship between May and her mother made my heart smile – there is truly nothing like a mother’s love and most of us know that our own mothers would do and sacrifice for us the same way May’s mother did and sacrificed for her.  I loved her!

Speaking of love, while I wished that May had ended up with one of the men that she loved (not her son’s father though) I completely understood why she made the decision to remain single.

My mother and I were laughing at how every single artist of prominence during the Harlem Renaissance was mentioned in the book.  From Paul Robeson to Josephine Baker to Countee Cullen, the good doctor hung out with (and was loved by) everybody who was anybody!

Anyhow, I enjoyed the book and would love to hear what you thought.  You know what to do…

Oh – we’re discussing Henrietta Lacks next month – any suggestions for March and beyond??

 

I’m It!

I haven’t been tagged in a loooong time, but InnerDiva has broken that dry spell and here we are!

Rules

You must post 11 random things about yourself.
Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.
Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
Go to their blog and tell them that you’ve tagged them.

11 Random Things About Me

1.  Every time I dance, I fully expect someone to pull my black card.  Line dances, dances with instructions?  I’m good.  Free style?  Eh.
2.  I wish I was six feet tall.
3.  I don’t like to have my feet touched at all.  I have reflexively kicked my own child when she touched my feet.  Oops.
4.  I like to be organized.  I like to sleep more.
5.  I’m not the picky eater a lot of folks think I am.  While it’s true that I don’t eat beef or pork, I’ll try almost anything once.
6.  I am bored with my closet.
7.  When I think about how cold this world is and how much hatred there is in it, I cry.
8.  I spend a lot of time at work looking at recipes, but rarely make any of them.
9.  Lately I’ve been dreaming that someone cut my locs off.  And that I had a wonderfully stylized afro that required no maintenance.
10.  I’m pretty social for a loner.
11.  I refuse to go the gym in January.  Too many resolutioners up in that joker.

Answering Inner Diva’s Questions

1. iPhone, crackberry, or droid?  Team iPhone. Took me a long time to give up my cheap, bare bones phone but I have seen the light and love (and I do mean love) my iPhone!
2. In your Lifetime original movie, who would play you?  Erika Alexander.  You know, Maxine Shaw from Living Single.  Maxine Shaw and I may have separated at birth.  Well, if she were real…
3. This is a question I ask my husband all the time when we’re deciding what’s for dinner–if you were on death row (jail, not the record company), what would your last meal be?  I’d have a Mexian-Asian meal. Tacos – shrimp, fish, and carne asada.  A really good chicken verde tamale. Some chili lime chicken from the Vietnamese place.  Some vegetarian dumplings – steamed and fried.  Some of those little fried Chinese donuts along with a bowl of ice cream (butter pecan and bing cherry) for desert.  Mmmmmm.
4. Under what circumstances, if any, would you be a guest on the Maury show?  I’m not sure I could ever be a guest on Maury – I know who my baby’s daddy is!
5. What’s your favorite movie?  Imitation of Life. 
6. How did you decide to live where you live right now?  Our house?  The price was right, the neighborhood is good, the schools are good.  Mississippi?  Smoochy wanted to stay close to his family.  The things we do for love…
7. If you were a celebrity, what would you be famous for?  My dry wit and infectious personality.  Okay fine, just my dry wit.
8. Will you miss the Twinkie?  Goodness no!
9. What’s on your nightstand?  A lamp.  A bottle of eye drops.  A few pairs of earrings.  A thank you note.  About 15 books.  And a dead ladybug.
   
10. How old were you when  you got your driver’s license, and how many tries did it take you to pass the road test? (I just want to know if I’m the only weirdo)  I was 16.  I had to take the road test twice.  But.  Only because on my first try the passenger side door flew open while I was testing and the testing lady was none too pleased.  Old drama queen…
11. Are your ears pierced? If they are, did you get them done when you were little, or when you were older?  My ears are pierced and have been since I was a wee lass. I had my second holes done when I was 14 or 15.

My 11 Questions

1.  Is there anything you’ll eat one way, but not another?  (Like I can’t stand raw tomatoes, but love them cooked. Vice versa for carrots.)
2.  Where’s your favorite vacation spot?
3.  What 5 things would you grab if your home were about to be destroyed?
4,  What are you listening to right now?
5.  What’s the most you’d spend on a purse?
6.  Do you think we’d get a long in real life?
7.  Do you have a monthly clothing budget?
8.  What do you do when you’re bored?
9.  What surprises you most about being an adult?
10.  Do you love your hairstyle?
11.  Who’s your favorite Golden Girl?

So I think the only person I’ll tag is my mom.  She’s always looking for new blog fodder.  But if you want to tag yourself, feel free.  Or answer in the comments.  Or whatever brings you joy.

You Gon’ Eat Yo Cornbread?

Confession:  I just watched “Life” for the first time last weekend.  HIlarity!  Moving on…

With two weeks of fasting under my belt – and one week to go – I have come to a horrifying realization.

I, Nerd Girl, eat a lot of crap.

Now my meals? Well balanced – more plant than animal, appropriate serving sizes and all that jazz.  I don’t fry anything I cook.  I’m not big on soda or juice, water is my drink of choice.  But oh, I can snack!

Usually I buy the same stash of snacks weekly at the grocery store – pretzels, Doritos, sandwich creme cookies, goldfish, Triscuits.  I thought between Lovegirl’s snacks and lunches she was consuming all of the snacks.  Um, no.

We have had the same bags of Doritos, goldfish and pretzels for two weeks.  The cookie container?  Nearly full.  Smoochy doesn’t snack at all.  That means either someone is breaking in in the middle of the night gorging themselves on snack food…or it’s me.

No wonder my thighs currently need their own ZIP code.  I’m not sure how I wasn’t aware of this before, but I really wasn’t.

As I prepare to come off of this fast, I’ve got to somehow figure out a way to enjoy my favorite snacks – but definitely in moderation.  Any tips? Tricks? Clues?  I was thinking of eating clean Sunday – Friday and going “wild” on Saturdays. Anybody done this??

(I’m down 6 pounds which thrills me to no end.  I’d like to drop another 7 and then tone and maintain)

NOTW: OPI's "Not Like The Movies" This is one of those color changing polishes - it photographs silver, but on my nails it's a silvery purple and sometimes a silvery green. Its okay, not a fave.

 

About That…

We are supposed to discuss Angel of Harlem Monday, January 23.  Since I am on page…2 let us push that discussion back a week to Monday, January 30.  Cool?  Cool.  Thanks!

I Don’t Care. Would You?

So, we all know that Lovegirl can be…chatty.  And that this can get her in trouble in school.  She’s been doing much better – we talk about rules nearly every morning, we pray for a spirit of obedience, and on occasion, I threaten her.  No write-ups in quite a while and she’s been pulling either one or no sticks (They pull sticks for minor infractions. 3 pulls = a write up) for a good long haul.

Yesterday when I pick her up, she’s looking all terrified.

Me:  Lovegirl, hey. What’s wrong?

Lovegirl:  I got in trouble for passing a note.

Me:  What?  You were passing notes?

Lovegirl:  Not notes Mama, just one. I passed a note.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.  So I chose laughter.  Especially after I saw the note.  My child is pretty smart, but ma’am, when you pass a note on an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper, at least have the good sense to fold it up. The folds you see in the picture are mine…

It reads: “Emily meet me at swing set sine yes or no” Emily’s choices were “Yes and no, Yes, No I do no care at all”

…and the note from the teacher

Um ma’am? While I will tell LG not to pass notes, I think a note home because a 7 year old passed a note is a little ridiculous! Just tell LG to knock it off and keep it moving.

So basically, my kid passed a note in class and I don’t care.  The teacher thought it egregious enough to warrant a note home.  Where do you stand on this one?

Oh, and that line about only having enough paper for each student to have one piece?  Puh-leeze!  I know I sent two tablets of that stuff to school at the beginning of the year – don’t pull the paper-poor card. Those kids should have enough paper to write their dissertations.

Switch!

One of the first books I read this year was what I consider a “throwaway book.”  Something I grabbed off the “recommended by” shelf at the library.  Nothing I’d set out to read, just something to pass the time.  The books was “Swapping Lives” and as you might imagine it was about two women who trade lives – the harried, married mother in America switches lives with the fabulous and free single lady in London.

Even though the book was relatively predictable, it was a good fun read and it got me to thinking – if I could switch lives with anyone, what would I want my switched life to look like?

I’d live in a bigger city (preferably one with good public transportation), I’d work a job that was more oriented toward helping people improve their lives, I’d take in fantastic cultural offerings, I’d eat Thai food on a regular basis, I’d work out more, I’d cook fantastic meals, I’d spend more time outside, and I’d have a fabulously clean and organized home.

Yeah.  Except for the city living and fantastic cultural offerings,  I can do all of that right here and right now. So I’m going to stop waiting for what I think “perfection” is and deal with what I can in my present circumstances.

What would your switched life look like?   Anything you can implement in the here and now?

NOTW: "Artist's Inspiration" by Finger Paints. Not my usual type of color, but I like it.

It’s Friday. I Got Nothing

So I decided to clean out my purse and do a phone dump. You’re welcome

The current contents of my purse. Big wallet, earphones, bouillon, camera (in black pouch), bday party invitation, current read, tablet, gum, mints, gloves, cosmetic bag, small wallet. Why am I carrying all this stuff?!?!

Have I mentioned how much I love my tablet? It's the perfect size and though I primarily use it as a reader, I have found myself watching movies, playing WWF, and surfing the net on it. Neat little gadget. Good job Smoochy!

My child's been whipping her hair back and forth lately. A lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My work work-out. I do the stairs at the Children's Hospital 3x week. I should have the legs of a stallion. But I don't.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her favorite activity at the Chidren's Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a meeting in another building on campus one day. My coworkers drove. Yes, I'm standing in front of the building they drove to taking a picture of our building they drove from. O_o

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had so many birthday parties this particular weekend she fell asleep on the way from one to another. I was jealous!

I like lights.

(Mostly) Angry Blah Woman Randoms

• Thanks everyone for your suggestions regarding washing/detangling/styling LG’s hair.  I will definitely be washing it in braids from here out!
• I cannot believe R.ick S.antorum is crazy enough to think that the public is crazy enough to think he actually said “blah” people and not black people. Sir, you are definitely a contender for O_o award of 2012 – and we’re only 10 days into the year.
• I am about halfway through the Henrietta Lacks story.  I don’t know why I am continually amazed at how people in power abuse and profit off those with less power.  But I am.  Geez.
• The Steelers are out of the playoffs. Now I’ve got to find a team to root for the rest of the season.  Definitely won’t be the Saints!!!
• And I’m glad LSU got rolled last night!  Yeah, I’m not really down with the Louisiana teams…
• I came to the realization yesterday (yep, I’m a little slow) that the way I’m eating while on this fast is how I should be eating the majority of the time.  Duh!  Definitely working on incorporating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains into our diet.  Even LG said last night’s vegetable soup was tasty.
• My crockpot is working overtime.  I’ve put something in it every night for the last couple of nights and I wake up to a nice lunch/dinner for the day.
• Seriously???  Slave-centered math questions???
• I need a new soup recipe.  Anybody made anything fabulous lately?  Think I shall spend the afternoon trying to find something appealing.
• Just found out our previous governor pardoned 8 killers during his two terms in office.  The law that allows governors to do this should be repealed.  That’s all kinds of ridiculous.
• I finally made something from Pinterest.

Behold! My paper clip bookmark. You know you're impressed!

Okay, so maybe the first picture didn't impress you. But now that you see it in action, you're impressed. Right? Riiiiight.

NOTW: OPI's "How You Blue-In" I love this color! It's a little more teal IRL, but I'm finding it hard to accurately shoot these polishes...

Seven Whole Days…Times Three

It’s that time again – time for our church’s annual Daniel fast and this year I am ready!  I’ve done this fast four times previously – successfully three times and not so successfully last year.  My spirit wasn’t right and the fast was a big bust.  This year I have prayed in advance for a successful fast.  In addition to what we are fasting for as a church, I am fasting because I want to see clearly what God’s purpose for my life is.  I’m sad that at almost 40, I don’t know.  I am also trusting God for improved relationships with my brother.  And his wife.

Beginning Sunday, January 8 and ending Sunday, January 29 I am only going to consume fruits, vegetables, beans, brown rice, water, and 100% fruit and/or vegetable juice.  I’m also not listening to any secular music during the three week period.  This is what I’ve been led to do, different people in our congregation will fast from different things and some won’t fast at all.

This weekend I’ll be stocking up on a bunch of fruits and veggies with an eye toward making vegetable soup, smothered cabbage, and succotash for this week’s meals.  I really am looking forward to this time of denying my flesh so that my relationship with God  can flourish.

And though I’m not fasting to lose weight, there’s no way I won’t end this month weighing less than I did when then month began.  Maintenance is a whole ‘nother story….

Have a marvelous weekend – see you on the other side!