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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Laughter makes it all better....

Hey Y'all,

I haven't had much to post about (I lie just haven't had the urge) but this made me laugh so hard today I had to share.
funny auto-correct texts - You’re Welcome.
Have you ever been to the site www.damnyouautocorrect.com? if not you need to visit whenever you are having a rough day. You'll be cheered up instantly!

Until next time...
MUAH!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Def Poetry - Sonia Sanchez - Poem for Some Women

Hey Y'all,

Sonia Sanchez is an African-American poet most often associated with the Black Arts Movement. She has authored over a dozen books of poetry, as well as plays and children's books. She was a recipient of 1993 Pew Fellowships in the Arts.
Born: September 9, 1934 (age 78), Birmingham
Spouse: Etheridge Knight
Education: Hunter College (1955), Howard University, New York University
Awards: American Book Awards, Frost Medal
Nominations: National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry


Until next time...
MUAH!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Poems by My Sister...


Photo: Headed out for that 8-6....Feeling Bright! 


Happy Monday from Humana ♥♥♥


Hey Y'all,
I love to showcase the talent of my family so today I will share a couple of poems written by my beautiful sister Vanessa. She wrote these when she was a teenager and gave them all to me. When I found them in a folder this morning I thought they would be perfect for today's poetry post.

I hope you enjoy them.

Questions at Night

Why?
Is the Sky?

What starts the thunder over head?
Who makes the crashing noise?
Are the angles falling out of bed?
Are they breaking all their toys?

Why does the sun go down so soon?
Why do the night clouds crawl hungrily up the
new-laid moon and swallow it shell and all?

If there's a bear among the stars as all the people
say, won't he jump over those pasture - bars
and drink up the mily way?
Does every star that happens to fall
Turn into a fire fly?
Can't it ever get back to heaven at all?

And why
is the Sky?

Dreams
Hold fast to your dreams
For if dreams die
life is a broken winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

Until next time...
MUAH

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Open Toe Shoe Pledge

Hey Y'all,

It's that time of year again! The time when folks start taking off stocking and socks and start wearing flip flops and sandals.
It's time to make the pledge again because I saw some toes this afternoon that were in need of a little help from our friends who specialize in making ugly feet pretty!

Please take this pledge and adhere to it! By the way this isn't only for women, hey you guys out there that think it's ok to have jacked up feet in those sandals this is for you too!



People get your feet right before you put on those $2.50 Old Navy Flip Flops or $3,000 Louboutin platform sandals!

THE OPEN-TOED SHOE PLEDGE
*please raise your right hand and say the following*

I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.

I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free. I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.

I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow.

I will shave the hairs off my big toe.

I won't wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother, sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there.

If a strap breaks, I won't duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.

I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr.. Scholl's if my feet need him.

I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids' sizes. This is out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.

I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages.

I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend/sister/coworker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good.

I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them.

I will promise to go to my local nail salon at least once per season and have a real pedicure

I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear...

Ladies if you have taken this pledge, please sign your name in the comment section.

By signing this pledge, you are acknowledging that you will abide by all the guidelines set forth above, and will abruptly let a woman know if she is in violation. Let's keep this Summer crusty feet free!! Not only with the fellas appreciate it, but those of us that do take care of our feet will too.

**LADIES SPREAD THE WORD.TELL YOUR GIRLS TO SIGN THE PLEDGE**

**FELLAS PASS THIS ALONG TO YOUR LADY FRIENDS TOO**
Until next time...
MUAH!

Monday, April 8, 2013

Poetry: Chants and Street Rhymes

Hey Y'all,

I'm a Brooklyn girl and I remember doing cheers and street rhymes with my friends in front of our house in East NY and with my cousins in Jamaica Queens. We would play hand games and sing them while jumping rope. I think that Chants and Rhymes should also be celebrated this National Poetry Month.  I enjoyed these growing up.

Share yours in the comments section.

Ooo-ah
Ooo-ah, wanna piece of pie,
Pie too sweet, wanna piece of meat,
Meat too tough, wanna ride a bus,
Bus was full, wanna ride a bull,
Bull too fat, want your money back,
Money too green, wanna jelly bean,
Jelly bean not cooked, wanna read a book,
Book not read, wanna go to bed.
So close your eyes and count to ten,
And if you miss, start all over again.

My daughter LOVES this one.


Until next time...
MUAH!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Poem of the Day: And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

Hey Y'all,

Happy Birthday to Dr. Angelou.
Today's poem is written and recited by her.


Until next time...
MUAH!

Happy Birthday Mommy

Hey y'all,

Today is a very special day. It is the day of the birth of my mother Marian Bennett!
She is a jewel
a treasure
a friend
an inspiration
an encourage-r
a prayer warrior/partner
a confidant
a cheerleader
My Mommy!

Yup I still call her Mommy.
So what I'm 38 years old.
She'll forever be my Mommy, not Mom, not Mother, not Ma. Mommy!

Marian Bennett is a true Brooklyn Knight! She was born and raised in East NY Brooklyn and although she now reps Raleigh NC she will forever be a street wise Brooklyn Knight. She raised my 4 brothers and 4 sisters and I as a single parent and she did everything within her power to make us God fearing citizens of the world.

My Mommy is the oldest of 19 children (11 survived, 5 of which she raised). She didn't have the best of everything and was unable to finish college because of her responsibilities to her family. She never married but adopted 8 children that she knew was in need. She doesn't own a big fancy house but will open her doors to anyone who needs food and shelter. She doesn't drive a  top of the line vehicle but she'll give you a ride to Walmart any time day or night and not ask for a cent. My Mommy is a true woman of God.
My Mommy is an inspiration to any and everyone she meets.
My Mommy is 67 years young today and  I'm forever grateful for her life. She doesn't move as fast as she used to, she doesn't have that soft plumpness of her 50's either. She seems a little smaller to me now that I'm grown with children of my own but she's my Mommy and I'm so glad that she is. If only I could be half the mother that she is I'll be satisfied with my life.

Happy Birthday Mommy and Many Many More!!!!

Until next time...
MUAH!

Happy 5th Birthday Leah & Myles

Hey Y'all,

When I found out on Oct 1, 2007 that I was pregnant with twins I think I was in shock for about a month. When I found out that one of them was a girl I was in shock and disbelief for the entire pregnancy. I remember asking the sonogram tech every time she did an exam if my girl was still a girl....  Today we celebrate 5 years of their life!
My babies are 5 yrs old.

They went from this...



To this...

















Then this..














And now this in what seems like a blink of the eye!


Happy 5th Birthday babies! This year you go to school and meet lots of new people. Please continue to be the funny, adventurous, engaging, beautiful children that you are today. We love you.

Until next time...
MUAH!

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Whatever Wednesday: Reality Bites!

Hey Folks,

Welcome to a new edition of Whatever Wednesday. I haven't had much to rant about (well not here anyway) so I haven't posted a Whatever Wednesday in a while. Today however I have something I gotta get off my chest.

Reality TV! It is distasteful, annoying and taking over our lives. I just read an article from AdWeek.com that spoke about Bravo increasing their 'original' programming. Why Bravo, why. Isn't all the Housewives drama enough? Do you realize how terrible these 'reality shows' (they are not real people. No one ever goes to work, no ones goes to the bathroom and everybody has drama. Never once has there been an episode of one of these 'reality shows' that someone isn't having a ridiculous argument or fight of some sort) are?

I got suckered into watching a few minutes of Married to Medicine and was confused the entire time. There was two women insulting one another etc and I still have no idea why. It was senseless and a waste of my valuable time.

According to TV Guide the first reality show aired in 1973 and was titled "An American Family," a 12-episode documentary that aired on PBS in 1973. The show chronicled the everyday lives of the Loud family over a seven-month period, showing the tensions that led to the divorce of Pat and Bill Loud, as well as the life of their openly gay son Lance. This was groundbreaking television at the time.

Something like this to me is reasonable it's a documentary of sorts. I mean I used to watch TLC shows about real people, but that reality TV is much better done and just the stories of peoples lives shown for educational, motivational or inspirational purposes. The crap that airs on Bravo, MTV and the rest of the networks is purely salacious, scandalous, ratings grabbing trash. What can one learn from an episode of Love & Hip Hop? I mean I'm sure you can learn the latest slang in the baby mama drama world but what really are these shows teaching? I honestly miss a good sitcom and kiss the feet of Shonda Rimes and Dick Wolf for continuing to give us good scripted TV. I cannot and will not fall prey to the ridiculousness of the Bravo shows...

Do you watch reality TV? Why?????

Until next time...
MUAH!

MTA Poetry In Motion: Rag Time by Kevin Young

Hey Y'all,

I am a New Yorker through and through and I enjoy reading the poems that the MTA selects for the Poetry in Motion program. Here is a little background and today's poem by Kevin Young.

Since 1992, when it first displayed an excerpt from Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," MTA's Poetry in Motion program has brought more than 200 poems or excerpts before the eyes of millions of subway riders and rail commuters, offering each a moment of timelessness in the busy day.
Until next time...
MUAH!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Def Poetry: Sarah Kay "Hands"



Until next time...
MUAH!

Light It Up Blue! It's World Autism Awareness Day.

Hey y'all,

April is Autism Awareness Month, and today April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day.

Each April 2, Autism Speaks celebrates Light It Up Blue along with the international autism community, in commemoration of the United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day. Light It Up Blue is a unique global initiative that kicks-off Autism Awareness Month and helps raise awareness about autism. In honor of this historic day, many iconic landmarks, hotels, sporting venues, concert halls, museums, bridges and retail stores are among the hundreds of thousands of homes and communities that take part to Light It Up Blue.



Everybody remembers the movie Rain Man and from that day Dustin Hoffman and his numbers skills have been our example of a person living with Autism.
What exactly is Autism is what most people have been asking over the last few years. Thanks to celebrities like Holly Robinson Pete, Sherrie Shepherd and Toni Braxton the blue light has shown on this disorder and help is being provided to families who are living with children with Autism. 

Here is some great background information on the disorder for reference from WebMD


What is autism?
Autism is a brain disorder that often makes it hard to communicate with and relate to others. With autism, the different areas of the brain fail to work together.

Most people with autism will always have some trouble relating to others. But early diagnosis and treatment have helped more and more people who have autism to reach their full potential.

What causes autism?
Autism tends to run in families, so experts think it may be something that you inherit. Scientists are trying to find out exactly which genes may be responsible for passing down autism in families.

Other studies are looking at whether autism can be caused by other medical problems or by something in your child’s surroundings.

Some people think that childhood vaccines cause autism, especially the measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine. But studies have not shown this to be true. It’s important to make sure that your child gets all childhood vaccines. They help keep your child from getting serious diseases that can cause harm or even death.

Monday, April 1, 2013

National Poetry Month 2013

Hey Y'all,

April is National Poetry Month.
I considered myself a poet once upon a time. That is until I was introduced to the world of Poets in Brooklyn NY. There was a poetry revelation going on within the African American community, these kids were 'crunchy granola's. The first Black people I've ever meet that were vegetarians and politically radical. I was introduced to this new world through my then boyfriend, now husband who  is a drummer. In those days we were students at Purchase College. I was a Lit major and he was a Jazz major. He was always on the look out for gigs, it didn't matter what it was as long as he could play his drums he was a happy man. During this unknown revolution he was provided the opportunity to tour in Europe with a group named the Vibe Khameleons which featured the raw talent of anti pop musicians and poets. It was through him that I was truly introduced to poetry. Not just to poetry you read in school but true black poets. I learned about  Sonya Sanchez and Nikki Giovanni, listened to The Last Poets and visited the famed  Nuyorican Poets Cafe.

This April I will feature some of the great poems and poets from this revolution  I hope you enjoy it.



Dreams
by Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16075#sthash.Qhgp3eIV.dpuf