Category: Road to 30

Bucket List

Bucket List

by Ranada ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I was looking at the WordPress Daily Post in efforts to be a better bloggers for you all (lol–I have plenty to write about, I just can’t manage to be disciplined to get online, log in, and let my fingers go to work). Anywho, today topic was:

Topic #242:

Write your bucket list – a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket.

I immediately thought of this website I visited 3 years ago where I created a list of goals and yes, forgot all about. On 43 Things, I listed 43 things I wanted to get done–a bucket list of my own, and although I hadn’t logged on in years, I was encouraged to see that I have accomplished 3 of those things and making progress on seven others. Not surprisingly, most of my “things” are either travel-related or centered around being a more well-rounded, balanced person. So here’s what I’ve completed. Yay for trackable progress!

1. Go on a missions trip: I actually organized my own. Last year, a group of us went to New Orleans and had an interesting time volunteering with ongoing rebuilding efforts. We definitely plan to keep up the momentum. I’m currently working on a trip that will hopefully happen in October so that this can be an annual thing.

2. Keep in touch better with old friends: This one may seem kinda boring, but I really cherish those relationships I’ve had over the years. Especially when I was kid. I was a pretty not-your-run-of-the-mill kid so it wasn’t all that easy for me to let my guards down and really get close to people. I haven’t gotten in a rhythm with all the special people in my past, but I’ve made amends with some pretty important folks and reestablished our friendships, and I’m proud of myself for that. More than that, though, I’m happy to be back in contact with them. Now I just need to extend the effort to a few more VIPs.

3. Join Junior League of Atlanta: I forgot that was even a goal back then. I joined in 2009 and stayed active, working hard on fulfilling my requirements, for two years. I didn’t renew this year because I just wasn’t feeling it. I definitely respect and support all the great things JLA does for the Atlanta community, but I didn’t feel connected to the organization at all. I do plan to redirect that energy to the organizations in which I have leadership roles already. I definitely had enough on my plate as it was so I don’t feel THAT bad (just a little) about abandoning that one. But I got it done, lol.

So what else am I working on?

  • Becoming less shy – yes believe it or not, I’m an introvert. I really don’t like public speaking and I don’t like talking to strangers. But I have been putting myself in positions where I have to be a little more upbeat and friendly than is natural for me. 🙂
  • Blogging more often – I giggled when I saw this one. Evidently, I’ve been struggling with this one ever since I left my place over on blogger. I used to have fun over there. I guess it was way easier for me to make you guys laugh talking about my dating exploits than it is for me to be a little more grown up. 🙂 Maybe I’ll start back telling funny stories though.
  • Finding additional streams of income – Since then, I’ve started tutoring. I didn’t mark this off the list though because the key is that letter s at the end of streams. So I’m still masterminding my way of two other things that are also on my list: getting out of debt and becoming a millionaire. 
  • Learning how to crochet – My grandma started teaching me how to crochet probably not too long after I put that on my list. I have a  couple of stitches on my belt, but I have a loooooooooooooong way to go before I am even close to her level. But this was a two-fer. I got to spend some extra quality time with her and hear stories while she showed me something I really want to learn.
Of course there are 40 more things on the list. I won’t go through all of them, but just for a little fun, I have the following on my places to travel (and I said I wanted to live in Paris :-D): Australia, Egypt, Uganda, Greece, and a cross-country road trip. I actually considered both Egypt (then the riots happened) and the cross-country road trip (along with Amsterdam) for my flirty 30 trip, but I settled on Buenos Aires, Argentina. 🙂
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How about you? What’s on your bucket list? Are you going to 43Things to start your own list?
10 Ways to Love

10 Ways to Love

by Ranada ♥ 3 Comments

Today, I need this. I needed it yesterday, and I know I’ll need it tomorrow. I posted it on my Tumblr, but I need to devote more than just one thought on it today.

As we get older, relationships get more complicated (family, friend, romantic, etc.) and you really have to decide who you want to dedicate time and energy to–who reciprocates and who adds positive energy to your life, recharging you for this life that’s full of ups and downs. But once you do, it still ain’t an easy journey because we’re all human. And no matter what, you need to be able to discern how to be loving in all steps of your walk. It’s the greatest commandment, remember? From the stranger you pass on the street that may need a smile to the long lost friend you haven’t spoken to in a year that may need a listening ear out of the blue. From the family member that gets on that one nerve to the boyfriend/partner/boothang (whatever you wanna call him or her) that doesn’t always speak or hear your primary love language. Love is still the goal.

So here’s the post, with the verses that go along. Happy Tuesday.

1. Listen without interrupting. (Proverbs 18)

To answer before listening— that is folly and shame. The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. – Proverbs 18:13-15

2. Speak without accusing. (James 1:19)

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

3. Give without sparing. (Proverbs 21:26)

All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.

4. Pray without ceasing. (Colossians 1:9)

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.

5. Answer without arguing. (Proverbs 17:1)

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.

6. Share without pretending. (Ephesians 4:15)

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

7. Enjoy without complaint. (Philippians 2:14)

Do everything without grumbling or arguing.

8. Trust without wavering. (1 Corinthians 13:7)

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

9. Forgive without punishing. (Colossians 3:13)

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

10. Promise without forgetting. (Proverbs 13:12)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

The Love Chapter

Sowing Seeds

Sowing Seeds

by Ranada ♥ 1 Comment

It’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?

Be You

Be You

by Ranada ♥ 4 Comments

This song popped in my head while chatting with a friend today. It’s a song that’s actually a Stevie Wonder classic that I’ve always loved since the first time I heard it watching School Daze when I was a kid.

Butterflies begin from having been another
As a child is born from being in a mother’s womb
But how many times have you wished you were some other
Someone than who you are

Yet who’s to say that if all were uncovered
You will like what you see?
You can only be you as I can only be me

Flowers cannot bloom until it is their season
As we would not be here unless it was our destiny
But how many times have you wished to be in spaces
Time places than what you were

Yet who’s to say with unfamiliar faces
You could anymore be loving you that you’d see?
You can only be me as I can only be me

Now when I was a kid, I may have just liked it because the college queen was being crowned to it and the guy sitting on the steps was just crooning away. But now I like it because it’s something that I really strive to live by. So many of us spend so much time trying to go against the grain of whom we are instead of identifying then leveraging our talents and skills and personality traits to the fullest. We spend lots of time focused on what we (or actually, most ofthe time, others) perceive as flaws, instead of focusing on the essence of ourselves. God made us who we are on purpose. That’s not to say there aren’t things in life we don’t need to work on, but we need to just be. How do you even know what flaws you have if you really don’t know what makes you tick or understand what is really important to you and what’s not. Be who is naturally you. And let me be me.

I think there are several people out there that have issues with the fact that I. Am. Always. Me. I can’t even help it. It’s just not in my make up to even give a thought about being something I’m not. In fact, the couple of times that I’ve consciously tried, usually specifically just to make someone else feel at ease, it was a mega disaster. I know I’m quirky, I know I do based on what I feel, I know I say what’s on my mind, I know I can be hot or cold–which just so you know, is directly related to the fact that I’m either all in or pretty much completely unconcerned and I’m very passionate or nonchalant. I have dabbled in the gray, but it’s not often–usually it’s black and white. I’m okay with that. Why? Because I know it about myself, and I’ve learned (and am still learning) how to utilize the natural characteristics I have.

You know what’s really difficult for me? Dealing with people who won’t be themselves. It’s much much worse than dealing with people who are themselves and I just don’t agree with them or like particular attributes. But the genuine sincerity of just being commands my respect. We’re all different so we won’t always agree or even click, but at least we can have a real conversation. I’ve encountered this in dating because I’ve met a couple of guys who wanted me to direct them into being who I wanted them to be. Well, I can’t. I just want them to be themselves. If you being you + me being me = compatibility, then great! If not, that’s ok. It happens. But who wants to live a life of keeping up a mask to make someone else happy? Does that make you happy? If it does, well, … alrighty. But I know I wouldn’t be happy with someone imposing their ideas of whom I should be onto me, so I can’t do that to anyone else. Not on purpose anyway. Dig it?

I just really think that we really have to look within and appreciate our good qualities and recognize opportunities to drive your own life using those qualities as tools instead of always being worried to death about flaws that may or may not be flaws and letting them inhibit us from our dreams and goals.

Well that’s all I have for you today. 🙂  I’ll be back later. Until then, hopefully, I, while being me, will bump into you being you.

Middle Me

Middle Me

by Ranada ♥ 10 Comments

I have a confession: I haven’t been to the gym at all in 2011. I know. I know! What the heck right? Not only have I been wasting money, but I haven’t been focused on my health as I should. And what am I doing? I know I gotta get fine for two summertimes–ours and S. America’s in November! (Well, methinks I’m already fine–but I definitely need to maintain my sexy.) So before I get into what I need to do, I’ll share what I have been doing.

I have taken the Dress Challenge seriously–last week I wore a dress every single day (partially to make up for the week when I didn’t wear one at all because it was so cold and rainy). I’m on #3 for this week today, and I’ll likely wear a casual dress tomorrow to the Natural Hair Show (which I’m so excited to attend). So on the very outside, I’ve stepped it up a notch. I’ve taken time to apply makeup most mornings, wear accessories, and just do a little more than look decent.

On the very very inside, I’ve been working on managing my energy–redirecting anger instead of lashing out, praying, making positive reminders about who I am and whose I am. I’ve added to my life a little aromatherapy, scheduling relax time for myself and sticking to it for the most part, stuff like that. And I’ve started an active search for a new church home, so that’s exciting as well.

So just in time for May Day (shout out to the lady who thanks God for slavery because she was saved from being in Africa worshiping a tree, triple side eye and a back hand slap), which really just signifies that the earth is fertile again because of the increasing presence of the sun (I wish I could join in with the folks planting gardens but I don’t have a green thumb. :-/ I’m still thinking of attempting to start a container garden on my deck, but we’ll see what happens. Eek.), I need to work on Middle Me. My physical health. Not the very outside or the very inside. Here are some things I plan to implement.

1. GO TO THE GYM and get my money’s worth, lol. I also am going to do this cross fit training thing. I think I’m going to do that to start me off, really get me going and back in the habit (ain’t it amazing how our habits really define us at the end of the day??). I have at the very least spent longer walking Smokie than I used to, so that counts, right? 🙂

2. Start back doing hot yoga. It ties the inner me to the middle me. While getting centered, I also work on flexibility and balance. Some things that both inner and middle me need to get down pat.

3. Drink more water! I definitely don’t drink enough water, and there’s no excuse. It helps with skin, hair, and overall health. So… I’ll be right back. Lemme go get a glass.

4. Ok, I’m back. (I really did go get a glass of water. 🙂 ) A health guy at this smoothie place my friends and I visited a couple of weeks ago told us that we really should get in the habit of eating breakfast like queens, eating lunch like princesses, and eating dinner like bag ladies. (Ok, he didn’t say it exactly like that, but that’s the NadaJo interpretation.) I’ve done that ONE day since he told us that. LOL But I do need to start. He also said we need to eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up… It’s been almost 2 hours since I woke up, and I still haven’t gotten breakfast. Don’t worry, I’ll go downstairs and grab a bite when I wrap up this post.

5. I’ve been cooking (and grilling) a little more, but I want to amp that up too. I actually want to get back to my 2007 days when I made everything from scratch so that I could be extra vigilant about what was going into my body. You have no idea how much more vibrant I was, and I lost like 2 dress sizes in the process!! I’ve done it before, so I know I can do it again (but I need to ease into it, lol).

Since I haven’t shared any music in awhile, here’s the Beyonce “Move Your Body” video for First Lady Obama’s Let’s Move campaign!

Well, happy Friday, folks. Make it an extra great day!