Last Post on Buenos Aires (For Now)
9 DecSo I went through the awesome and the great. Earlier this week, I posted on my work blog the ugly. Check it out here. That part was rather crazy. If you want to know more about Argentina and black folk, google Domingo Sarmiento. It’s just so weird to see other people who have noticeable hues have such color issues. Not surprised, but wasn’t really all that prepared. I just wish American black people had a place they could really go and not stand out like a sore thumb. But AT LEAST, we didn’t have to go through what I went through in friggin Strasbourg, France. Now in the words of Kanye–THAT ish was cra’y! So as my mom reminds me often these days, the Buenos Aires trip could have been better in terms of the way some (not all) people treat black folk, but it DEFINITELY could have been worse. So that definitely didn’t overshadow the awesomes and greats.
I feel like I’ve left out a lot about the trip, but I can’t quite come up with what else I have left to say. Maybe it’ll come to me in my dreams (I really do dream about what to write sometimes, lol). And in case you’re wondering, no, I still haven’t found my battery charger (and to be honest, I keep forgetting to look) so the pics are still forthcoming. I’ll get them out before the end of the year, LOL.
In terms of travel, another country conquered and another continent visited! I have three more continents to go (Africa, Asia, and Australia), and of course there are still countries in Europe, S. America, and our very own N. America that I’d like to eventually get to. I think I’ve gotten a good number under my belt by 30 though, right? 
I love to explore and experience new places and observe cultures in person. It’s just so much to glean from stepping outside of your norm and seeing how other people live life and handle issues. And of course seeing how all people are similar on the other side of that coin. I love traveling. <3
I’ll be back later. I hope everyone is ready for the weekend, baby!!
Aaliyah
26 AugFrom Back and Forth to Rock the Boat, I. loved. me. some. Aaliyah.
From her “swoop” of hair that covered her eye (I wore many of the styles she wore in videos, lol) to her beautiful brown skin to her never overdone and very natural makeup to her “tomboy” yet sexy image to her smooth voice over funky beats with awesome dance moves, Aaliyah really was one in a million. I emulated her style from time to time, inserted “Nada” anytime her lyrics were “Liyah”, and even found a little confidence in the fact that I would never have big boobies because she didn’t need them.
When I heard she passed ten years ago yesterday, I actually acted like my bestie had passed. I cried my eyes out, the first time I had ever even cared about a celebrity that I had never met. I remember thinking while I was crying, what the hell? LOL, but I really was sad she was gone. I loved all 3 albums (can you believe there were only 3??), every video, and I was looking forward to seeing the upcoming movie. I mean, I was a senior in college when she was tragically killed in the airplane crash, and I has been a major fan since I was 8th grade!
So anyway, check out BET’s music special if you missed it last night. There are lots of goodies on the website as well.
And here are a couple of my faves (although I could post pretty much a song a day until I run out because I loved almost everything she put out. )
P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DADDY!!!
Today is also my grandma Neva‘s birthday! Rest in peace!
Sowing Seeds
16 MayIt’s spring time, and this year I was inspired to start a deck garden. As much as I talk about healthy/sustainable living, it is time for me to put my money where my mouth is. I have a ways to go to completely turn my home into a place I can completely brag about. Especially when it comes to plants. I haven’t had much of a green thumb, exhibited by the couple of plants that haven’t made it. It never made sense that it didn’t come naturally, though, because my parents and grandparents are great with plants, so I thought to myself, ‘Self, you are a quick study. If anyone can figure this gardening thing out, you can.” So I scoured the internet and read as much as I could find about deck/container gardening. I also got some great tips from my friend Sylvia who started gardening last year.
On Friday, I was excited to see my deck railing planters sitting in their box on my doorstep. I went to Home Depot and picked up all the items on my list that I needed to get started. Saturday, the time had come. I put on my gardening gloves and got started.
Now for the veggies I planted, I decided to start with seedlings. I wanted to make sure I set myself up for success. Along the way, I gained inspiration from my fajita bell. When I got home from the Swapnista Party, which I’ll blog about later, she was kinda withered looking (I wish I had taken a picture). But not too long after she got her new home, she started looking even better than when I bought her yesterday. That really got me revved up and ready to continue this adventure. I used potting soil with fertilizer already in and I will just have to make sure I give my plants some food from time to time (and of course, water them regularly–that will be the real challenge when I start traveling this summer).
Fajita Bell is on the left looking purty and Cajun Belle is on the right
Okra
Crookneck Squash. I'm a little worried about the one on the right. :-/
Cucumbers!
The rest of my plants, since I am experimenting, are starting from seeds. The strawberries and the flowers will be interesting to watch.
Strawberries (I hope to have to move them to a bigger container, but... I'm a little nervous) and flowers in the smaller two
If I’m super successful, I may end up having to build an long, elevated (Smokie will eat them if given the chance) gardening area out there. I already know that it’s totally possible for my veggies to outgrow the containers, but we’ll see when we get that far.
My deck garden, which is being watered by rain right now
Smokie, my little helper
I’ve gotten the initial steps out of the way. So now it’s time to tend my gardens and wait for the harvest. I really can’t wait to see what happens. Maybe I’ll host a 1st harvest party and cook a little something for my friends with my fresh veggies. We’ll see.
So in honor of the spring and of my new deck garden, my blog is now green. I’ve finally planted my veggie seeds, and now I need to take an inventory of the life seeds I’ve planted. What seeds are you planting this season?
Almighty Debt
20 OctSo last week, Reads and Reels along with TEO hosted an advance screening of CNN’s Black in America: Almighty Debt, which is airing in full tomorrow night. The event was well-attended, and people definitely had lots to say about the segment. Here are some highlights.
- Many people in the group, while they appreciated the topics touched on in Almighty Debt, felt that there should have been an added focus on those who have triumphed over debt. They expressed that instead of showing all our problems, showing people who have overcome debt issues would have provided some hope to the watchers. Some people thought the segment was realistic, and some thought it didn’t represent enough of the black diaspora.
- In the piece, Pastor Soaries said that debt is a bigger problem than racism. Some agreed, but others did not. One attendee said that this debt problem is a byproduct of racism, and that there are still systems that encourage a disproportionate affect on our community in comparison to others. She even made reference to a quote from the first Black in America: “When America has a cold, Black America has the flu.” In essence, financial issues affect us greater–as Julianne Malveaux said during her interview, many of us are middle class by income, not by wealth. So when stuff happens, we don’t have as much cushion, and we’re more easily knocked out of middle class. It’s troubling that the wealth gap between whites and blacks is $75,000.
- One point that was made over and over again in the segment as well as in our discussion is that we get emotionally attached to our stuff. Due to a long history of not having much, it was said that we spend a lot of our money trying to catch up and show that we’re worthy of having stuff — stuff, as in houses, cars, clothes, designer purses, etc., that we can’t or won’t let go of when times get tough. I shared with the group that in 2007, black buying power was $845 billion and was expected to top $1.1 trillion by 2012. What are we doing with this money? Why aren’t we leveraging it? Why are we buying tons of stuff instead of investing in our communities, in black businesses, in our education systems, in programs that will help us?
- One very important topic of this new segment of Black in America is the church’s role. Should the church be focused on salvation–getting people to heaven–or should it also be teaching and advocating for our communities–helping people on earth? (Y’all know I think it should be doing both.) The church, which used to be the single most important institution in our communities, should be investing in building up our communities. I am in support of those churches, including the one in the documentary, who have community foundations that buy property and help people find jobs and teach financial literacy and help people get out of debt and hold entrepreneurship workshops and the like. We need to think beyond our individual selves and get back to thinking long-term for our community. We know what many of our problems are–so let’s get to fixing them.
There was so much more that was said, and there is so much to be said–and to be done. Overall, I think the screening, and I’m sure the complete show tomorrow, fulfilled an imperative purpose: to get us talking about what we need to do become better financially. It’s a personal and community problem–we each have a responsibility to get our own lives in order and make better decisions; and we all need to chip in and do something to position future generations to be better stewards of money and to understand how to build wealth, not just increase income, or as one participant said: “make money while we sleep.”
One thing that I’d like to see expanded and implemented to a wider audience is our ESP Kids Club, where members of TEO along with some brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha teach middle school kids on Saturdays about financial literacy. The program is so enriching that some parents have asked to sit in because their kids were going home sharing information that the parents didn’t know!
There’s an information gap from which our community suffers gravely. We need to fill it in order to empower the black community economically. We have to have the foresight to ensure that our $1.1 trillion will be spent creating products, innovating, and growing assets, not just being consumers.
Feature Friday: 10-10-10
8 OctI had several things in mind to feature today, but this special day was on my heart, so here goes.
I want to explain why 10-10-10 is an important day to me. Y’all may think I’m crazy, but you wouldn’t be the first, lol.
If you didn’t know by now, I love numbers. I love what they represent, I love what you can do with them, I love that they are simple yet so complex. So what does 10 mean? Biblically, it means divine perfection or completion. But just numerically, it marks the end of a cycle–our decades and centuries are built on the number 10. While it’s the end, it’s also the beginning–the first 2-digit number.
So enough of the math geek stuff, lol. Let’s talk some Bible highlights. Of course you know there are ten commandments and that tithes are 10%. But did you know:
- There are ten clauses in the Lord’s Prayer,
- Abraham endured ten trials to prove his faith,
- Israel was represented by ten virgins,
- There are ten I AM’s in the Book of John,
- There are ten parables about the Kingdom,
- There were ten righteous people found in Sodom and Gomorrah,
- There were ten plagues,
- Fire came down from heaven ten times, and
- It is after the tenth recorded Passover that Jesus is crucified, the perfect sacrifice to save us.
And that’s not even almost the extent of “ten” in the Bible. And I won’t even get into the fact that there are 3 10‘s involved. Three represents divine perfection as well. But I’m dedicating this one to 10.
After I realized I would not be getting married in a storybook tale right after graduate school (I never wanted to get married right after undergrad), I started hoping that I would get married on 10-10-10. Such a symbolic way to start a union, yanno. Clearly, that’s not happening Sunday, lol (oh yeah, and I don’t think it a coincidence that 10-10-10 landed on the Sabbath).
But y’all know me, I do plan to make myself feel special on the day. It’ll be a great time to start a new topic of personal study, and I will start back on my hot yoga regimen, which I’ve been neglecting lately. I also will go see this production, which will likely be a Feature one of these ole days.
But most of all, even though I may not be becoming one with anyone right now, that’s ok because I am celebrating the fact that I am living happily ever after anyway. I’m about to embark on the first volunteer trip I’ve ever organized myself, and there are so many other things I have my hands in. I can make myself feel special–and sometimes I forget that. I want to take the day to remind myself that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)–I’m perfectly imperfect, and everything will work together for good as long as I’m walking my purpose. Because that’s how God designed it. Just like He designed the number system and its involvement in all the symbolism and nature patterns and so much other stuff we don’t even always notice.
What, if anything, are you doing Sunday? :) Happy Friday, lovelies!
I GOT MY KINDLE!!
10 Sep
I received the Kindle I won yesterday!! Can you tell how excited I am? I have already uploaded 72 books! I love love love reading. My first book will be Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa, who has asked me to read and write a review.
And since I’m on the subject, here are the other books I’m reading right now:
- Want to Start a Revolution? Radical Women in the Black Freedom Struggle, edited by Dayo Gore, Jeanne Theoharis, and Komozi Woodard
- Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy by Peter Canellos
Thanks again to Faydra for hosting the contest and to everyone who voted for me! And for anyone who hasn’t read it, here’s my winning essay!
Travelling and reading are my two favorite pastimes. Exploring the world, considering new ideas, and expanding my mind, imagination, and consciousness are invaluable to me. Someone once said that to change how you live, you must change what you know—that we live our knowledge, so we must strive to increase our knowledge. I agree with that someone. We must read, study, learn, and understand. With a Kindle, I would have an easier time reading as I travel.
Currently, I take every chance I get to read. My reading list consists of hundreds of books so I try to read any time I have a free moment. I read on MARTA on my way to and from work. I steal away at lunch and read as I eat. In the evenings, I read before I go to bed. Sometimes, I focus on one book, but in any given time frame, I may be reading 3 or 4 books at one time. That’s where the usefulness of a Kindle comes in. Instead of lugging around 3 books at a time, I’d be able to stow away this device and read as many books as I want at my leisure. When I travel to new places, I will be able to read my books without adding extra weight to my luggage. I can just put my Kindle in my purse! How convenient for a book lover like me! Winning a Kindle will make my pastimes even more enjoyable!
