Blessings, affirmations, grace, and reflection

C onsidering the fact that I grew up eating these monsters in my mom's gumbo, what would make one think that I could settle for those little blue crabs they catch out of the Atlantic? That reminds me of my time in D.C. My friend Ty from Arizona invited us all over for his birthday. This boy swore he could make gumbo. Now, being my folks are from Louisiana, I held him to that. Ty liked to, how shall I say, "feel good", so by the time we got to his place he was passed out! We went into the kitchen and the gumbo was WHITE!!!! Needless to say, we didn't eat any of that mess. Anyone who knows anything about gumbo knows that the first thing you make is make a roux . He didn't even know what roux was. Case in point! He had thrown some scallops and other stuff up in that mess. It was the funniest thing ever. We had a good time though even though he was out cold most of the night.

T aking a queue from this blog and this one I thought about the things I would do if I could be a kid again for a day. Go to the playground and swing as high as I can. Run just to be running. (Rev. Run, 2005) Ride my Big Wheel like a maniac. Roll down the grassy hill as fast as I can. Play jacks and marbles as if my life depended on the outcome. Swing on the monkey bars. Spin the merry-go-round then jump on and ride until I was too dizzy to stand. Fight with my best friend then make up like nothing was wrong. Eat ice cream cones anytime I wanted. Drink milk and make that "ahhhhhhh" sound afterwards. Play kickball with the boys. Go trick or treating and eat all the mini chocolate bars first. Play dress up in my mom's closet. Get kisses and cuddles from my mom. Go the beach and collect shells. Climb trees. Watch cartoons while eating sugary cereal every Saturday morning. Draw pictures on the program in church while...

I long to fall into your love like a freshly made bed. I want to sink into your arms the way I sink into my freshly washed sheets. I want you to wrap your love around me the way I wrap a blanket around my body on a cold November morning. I need you to be the pillow that I can cry into when times get rough. I want your arms to be the comforter that engulf me and wrap me in warmth. I want to snuggle deep inside of you and feel wholly and completely loved .

Inspired by Vegetarian Planet , by Didi Emmons (Harvard Common Press, 1997). When the autumn weather turns cool and crisp, our thoughts turn to hearty, one-pot meals that simmer invitingly on the stove, filling our homes with warmth and delicious aromas--and this chili fills the bill! Find out how tasty beans and chiles, peppers, corn, pumpkin seeds, and fresh herbs combine to make a flavorful, nourishing, wonderfully satisfying vegetarian chili. This is one recipe that will see us through the cooler months, beautifully: INGREDIENTS 1 pound dried navy beans 6 Anaheim peppers 4 poblano peppers 3 jalapeno peppers 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon ground coriander seed 2 pounds tomatillos, husked and chopped 2 cups corn kernels, either fresh or frozen 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 1/4 cup pumpkin seed kernels, chopped 2 tablespoons tequila (optional) Juice of 1 lime 1 1/2 teaspoons salt Freshly-grou...

H ave an enjoyable, thankful and restful holiday! Click here for a special holiday treat. I saw this business featured on the news. Folks from the south know about fried turkey...now you can get them up north without setting your apartment on fire! Visit Jive Turkey in Brooklyn and support a sister. >>>Listen: Holiday Slow Down

1) My uncle once : played pro basketball for the ABA . 2) Never again in my life : will I allow a stranger to enter my inner sanctum. 3) When I was five : I lost my sense of security. 4) High School was : the best time in my life! 5) I will never forget : how much my mom loved me. 6) I once met: Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee, Harry Belafonte and Eartha Kitt . 7) There's this girl I know who : no longer blogs. 8) Once, at a bar : I got so drunk that I can't remember the rest.... 9) By noon I'm usually : getting hungry. 10) Last night I : was so tired I slept like a log. 11) If I had only : followed through on the things I started when I was younger.... 12) Next time I go to church : I will let the pastor anoint me with oil. 13) What worries me most : -is my health and the health of my family. 14) When I turn my head right, I see : my candle flickering. 15) When I turn my head left, I see : my sofa piled with stuff that belongs elsewhere. 16) You know I'm lying when: I ...

This quiz was too cute ... I couldn't pass it up! BEYONCE: Family and love. You treasure both as much as you do your Popeye's fried chicken. You are blessed with many talents and are not afraid to utilize them. You are an emotional person, falling into love dangerously. But you are truly Bonnie to your man's Clyde and are down enough to watch a basketball game with him. Your girls love your playful personality and know that whatever happens, you got their back. Which female R&B artist are you? brought to you by Quizilla

This guy was on the news today making a tearful plea for people to heed his warning. We are literally being poisoned while top executives turn their heads the other way. Being that I have lost family members to cancer, this really concerns me. I have highlighted key points in the report below: Whistleblower Questions Teflon's Safety Former Employee Says Chemicals Come Off on Food ABCNews Brian Ross (New-ABC, Nov. 18, 2005) - To prevent grease stains on fast food and pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, candy bar wrappers and hundreds of other food items, the paper is coated with a chemical that's part of the Teflon family made by DuPont . Now ABC News has learned that the Food and Drug Administration has opened an investigation into its safety, based on new information and the testimony of a DuPont whistleblower. Glen Evers, a senior engineer at DuPont for 22 years, says the company has tried to hide the fact that t he chemical coating on food wrappers comes off and ends up i...

A dded a new playlist. The first two songs are pretty upbeat, get it into gear grooves. Number 6 is a pretty song that is reminescent of Mariah and the girl groups of the 80s . The last three songs have lyrics that I found to be interesting. >>>Listen: November Morning

R emember I was supposed to be writing a review for the concert I saw in Central Park? Yes, well, um....you see what had happened was.... Anyway, here is the Philly concert that you can watch in it's entirety or by band. Hope this makes up for the lack of a review. Enjoy!!! Watch the replay of the Take Back TV concert, broadcasted live from Philly on October 20th Did you tune-in to the live stream of the Current Take Back TV concert from Philly on java.com ? Have you checked out the replay ? Participate and let us know! Share your opinion and tell us what you really think, and what you would like to see and hear more of on java.com. Participate! Join java.com and Current TV for a replay featuring: The Roots Fishbone Little Brother Suffrajett Rich Medina, and more! <noframes> Your browser does no support iframes, however you can still <a href="http://webcast-east.sun.com/ramgen/archives/VIP-2174/VIP-2174_01_300.rm&ilink=http://webcast...

>>>Listen: Someone to Love Someone can love you, but you must make yourself happy. Someone can teach you, but you must apply what you learn. Someone can coach you, but you must win the game. Someone can give you an opportunity, but you must show up capable and prepared. Someone can tempt you, but you must learn discipline. Someone can offer you advice, but you must learn to trust your own inner knowing. Someone else can withhold, but you must learn to give. Someone can pity you, but you must bear your own sorrow. Someone can leave you, but you must learn to feel whole. Someone can set you up or put you down, but you must still do the right thing. Someone can knock you down, but you must get back up. Someone can ignore you, but you must see your own value and worth. Someone can hold a grudge, but you must learn how to forgive. Someone can show you a new way, but you must want the change. Someone can offer you love, but you must feel worthy of receiving love. Someone can encour...

10 Favorites: Favorite Season : Fall ( I would say Spring but that is allergy season ) Favorite Sport : Swimming. Favorite Time: High School Favorite Month : June ( I guess ) Favorite Actor: Denzel ( I can't front ) Favorite Actress: Can't think of one Favorite Ice Cream: Chocolate Favorite Food: Gumbo Favorite Drink: Cosmopolitan Favorite Place: Pacific Coast Highway in California >>>Listen: My Favorite Things photo credit: (c) 2002 -Pismo Beach

T his is my favorite veteran . She served two years in the U.S. Army which gave her the opportunity to better her life and learn new skills that she may have otherwise have gained. She made lifelong friends and was able to help her family better themselves because of her brave act of leaving home at 21 years old to serve during the Korean War . It was uncommon at that time for a young black woman to make the choices that she did. In the end, not only did she benefit, but so did the rest of her family. To all service personnel in all branches, enjoy your day and thanks for your choice to protect and serve. God bless you. >>>Listen: Frontline, S. Wonder Other vets of honor: U.S. Army-Uncle and Cousin, U.S. Navy-Cousin, U.S. Air Force-Cousin, National Guard-Brother. Link: Women's Memorial

Daily extended (by Astrology.com) If you're a sked to make a donation, buy something whose proceeds will go to a non-prof it organization, or contribute your time to a worthy cause , you'll be only too happy to do it now, and you really should. You'll be happy with what you've done and who you've helped, and you'll feel good about it for days to come. Just be sure someone who sees a soft heart -- and a bank account -- does not take advantage of you. >>>Listen: Save the Children M. Gaye T his was my horoscope yesterday. Although I don't put a lot of stock into a daily horoscope, occasionally they hit the nail right on the head. This one struck a cord for a couple of reasons but I will only touch on one of those reasons since some people know the double meaning that this horoscope holds. During the Katrina disaster I made a commitment to involve myself in public service. I actually followed through with that pledge and I am now contributing my ...

N ot that I have a hangover, although my upstairs neighbor is about to give me a headache with all the noise he or she is making by cleaning -- at 2:00 a.m. That's all well and good if your thing is to clean in the middle of the night but please, do it quietly . >>> Listen: Shut Up In my old blog I used to complain...a lot...about the super in our building. I am happy to report that he is G.O.N.E. and has been replaced with a really nice guy who seems to want to do a good job. Thank heavens for small blessings. We have around 85 units in my building, so noise is an issue as I wrote last month . The building manager overseeing our building has also been replaced and she seems to be pretty no nonsense. Considering the overuse of the word immediate in the memo sent to us, I am assuming she means business: TO: ALL RESIDENTS FROM: MANAGEMENT DATE: OCTOBER 17, 2005 RE: APARTMENT NOISE _________________________________________________________ RESIDENTS, PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IT...

This cholesterol-free version of the classic Italian soup is brimming with fiber-rich beans and veggies. Yield: 16 servings Serving Size: 1 cup 1/4 cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/8 tsp powder) 1 1/3 cups onion, coarsely chopped 1 1/2 cups celery with leaves, coarsely chopped 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 1 cup carrots, sliced, fresh or frozen 4 3/4 cups cabbage, shredded ( or spinach ) 1 can (1 lb) tomatoes, chopped 1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 1/2 cups corn 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans dash hot sauce 11 cups water 2 cups pasta - uncooked Season to taste with herbs and spices 1. Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan. Add garlic, onion, and celery, and sauté for about 5 minutes. 2. Add all remaining ingredients except pasta. Stir until ingredients are well mixed. 3. Bring to boil and reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 4. Add uncooked pasta and simmer for only 2 to 3 minutes. Each serving...

"The gods presented her with a box into which each had put something harmful, and forbade her ever to open it. Then they sent her to Epimetheus, who took her gladly although Prometheus had warned him never to accept anything from Zeus. He took her, and afterward when that dangerous thing, a woman, was his, he understood how good his brother's advice had been. For Pandora, like all women, was possessed of a lively curiosity. She had to know what was in the box. One day she lifted the lid ­and out flew plagues innumerable, sorrow and mischief for mankind. In terror Pandora clapped the lid down, but too late. One good thing, however, was there ­Hope. It was the only good the casket had held among the many evils, and it remains to this day mankind's sole comfort in misfortune." ( source ) >>> Listen: Black Magic Woman L ast night I watched the season premier of Trading Spouses . I was wondering if it was coming back since it typically aired close to the s...

A s I scrolled through the list of contacts in my email list I stopped cold. It still hasn't sunk into my mind that Martha is no longer here with us. Martha who always had a warm smile to offer. Martha who was always busy involved in one project or another, yet always looked amazingly pulled together. Martha who was so active and full of life. How can she be gone? She passed away last week and her funeral was yesterday, yet I still can't bring myself to accept the fact that she is no longer here. >>>Listen: Sentimental Mood T he last time I saw Martha, we were at a film festival in Harlem. For the first time she and I spent quality time together talking in the park unrushed and unhurried. She offered me a ride home and I accepted. I thanked her and promised to keep in touch. That was the last time I saw Martha. We crossed paths briefly this summer, perhaps a rushed hug and brush on the cheek. Now, all I am left with are my memories of her smile, her voice and her ...